Corporate Identity Design

Book excerpt: In a market cluttered with big and small companies competing for the consumer's attention, public image becomes more critical than ever to the success of any business. Veronica Napoles's Corporate Identity Design provides a practical tool for designing and implementing a successful, comprehensive corporate identity program. It is an invaluable resource, since fashioning a powerful and accessible identity is a company's best bet for capturing the attention of consumers. Napoles explains the difference between corporate image--how a company is actually perceived by the public--and identity--how it wants to be perceived--and shows how to close the gap between the two. In doing so, she goes beyond previous books on the subject and anticipates the needs of consumers by incorporating elements of behavioral psychology into the design process. Corporate Identity Design is not merely a picture book or an anthology of symbols, but a comprehensive, detailed examination of all factors that lead to the choice and refinement of a corporate identity. Napoles's concise, step-by-step overview looks at all phases of the corporate identity design process, including: * recognizing the need for corporate identity adjustment * selecting a basic symbol category from which to choose * deciding on and refining a chosen symbol * implementing a careful, intelligent program for phasing in the new corporate identity and ensuring its acceptance by the public. The book includes dozens of helpful illustrations, a sample design proposal, questionnnaires, design briefs, and a color chart. In addition, Napoles provides guidelines for changing a company name, including information on basic name categories and the categories and the creative process for developing and evaluating names. These and other features make Corporate Identity Design the definitive work for establishing quick and accurate image/identity relationships in the mind of the public. Design students and professionals, public relations and communications officers, and top-level management personnel will all find Corporate Identity Design a continuing resource for ideas, information, and inspiration.