Seth Godin defines “branding” as “the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.”
Every institution in the world that considers itself a brand—from corporations to nonprofits to sports teams—relies on its identity design to represent its character to the public in a unique and recognizable way. The visual representation of a brand is one of the most fundamental projects a designer can work on.
But how can you qualify excellence in identity design? Aesthetic appeal? Recognizability? Ubiquity? Hard to say. Some of the most recognizable identity design examples in the world may not be the most appealing, artistically speaking. By the same token, some of the most beautiful identities go virtually unnoticed outside of a small community.
Fortunately, knowledgeable identity design experts can offer some insight. Print Magazine’s Regional Design Annual showcases the best design work from across the U.S., including exceptional identity design work. In the competition in question, judges Jessica Helfand, Michael Vanderbyl, Caleb Bennett, Debbie Millman, Alexander Isley and Joseph Duffy selected the following brand and identity designs from their respective regions to elevate among the most noteworthy designs in the country.
Check out the mother lode of identity design projects, divided by region, below:
Identity Design from the East
judged by Jessica Helfand
Ambit Identity
160over90, Philadelphia; www.160over90.com
Mungo Identity
Jan Sabach Design, Northampton, MA; www.sabach.cz
Catherine’s Butterflies
TracyLocke, Wilton, CT; www.tracylocke.com
The logo for the butterfly would’ve been easy to miss, but when I read that it was for one of the children whose life had been taken at Sandy Hook, I had to vote it in. How many designers in their lives will be asked to design an identity program for a dead child? Hopefully none. But this designer did so with dignity and through a simple typographic set of choices. An unthinkable task. – Jessica Helfand
Hugo’s Brand and Collateral Design
Might & Main, Portland, ME; www.might-main.com
Monroe Workshop
Sarah Rainwater Design, Providence, RI; www.srainwater.com
See more award-winning designs from the East.
Identity Design from the Far West
judged by Michael Vanderbyl
Coffee Cultures Integrated Branding Program
Chen Design Associates, San Francisco; www.chendesign.com
Brownie and Madam Integrated Branding Program
Chen Design Associates, San Francisco; www.chendesign.com
Flour + Co Identity
Rubber Design, San Francisco; www.rubberdesign.com
Black Ink Identity
Albertson Design, San Francisco; www.albertsondesign.com
Dō Baked Goods
LJ Design, San Francisco; www.lanejordan.com
Fetcham Park Identity
Hint Creative, Salt Lake City, www.hintcreative.com
See more award-winning designs from the Far West.
Identity Design from the Southwest
judged by Caleb Bennett
NIRI Southwest Regional Conference Identity
Origin, Houston; www.originaction.com
Dallas Comedy House Logo Series
RBMM, Dallas; www.rbmm.com
Doug’s Gym
The Matchbox Studio, Dallas; www.matchboxstudio.com
Austin Parks Foundation
The Butler Bros, Austin, TX; www.thebutlerbros.com
Fresa’s Chicken al Carbon
Arts and Recreation, Austin, TX; www.arts-rec.com
See more award-winning designs from the Southwest.
Identity Design from New York City
judged by Debbie Millman
Fortuny Identity
Pentagram, New York City; www.pentagram.com
Jigsaw Productions Identity
Avianca, Visual Identity
Lippincott, New York City; www.lippincott.com
Puck Penthouses Branding
Pentagram, New York City; www.pentagram.com
Offset Logos
Siegel+Gale, New York City; www.siegelgale.com
Well Rounded Sound Logo
Hinterland, New York City; www.hinterlandstudio.com
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts Identity
Pentagram, New York City; www.pentagram.com
The Jade Hotel
Mucca Design, New York City; www.mucca.com
See more award-winning designs from New York City.
Identity Design from the South
judged by Alexander Isley
Lichty Guitars Identity
Stitch Design Co., Charleston, SC; www.stitchdesignco.com
S+G Engineers Identity
COCG, Raleigh, NC; www.cocg.co
Booth Custom Jewelry and Identity
COCG, Raleigh, NC; www.cocg.co
Corpus Callosum
Stitch Design Co., Charleston, SC; www.stitchdesignco.com
Black Pine Branding
Device Creative Collaborative, Winston-Salem, NC; www.wearedevice.com
Unlock Tampa Bay Branding Campaign
SPARK, Tampa, FL; www.spark.us
The Pelican House Multimedia Campaign
TILT, Baton Rouge, LA; www.tiltthis.com
Mason’s Multimedia Campaign
Green Olive Media, Atlanta; www.greenolivemedia.com
Crop Salon Branding
Device Creative Collaborative, Winston-Salem, NC; www.weare device.com
Kanga Multimedia Campaign
Matchstic, Atlanta; www.matchstic.com
STEM Scouts Brand Identity
Designsensory, Knoxville, TN; www.designsensory.com
See more award-winning designs from the South.
Identity Design from the Midwest
judged by Joe Duffy
International Architects Atelier Identity
Design Ranch, Kansas City, MO; www.design-ranch.com
Honey Butter Fried Chicken Multimedia Campaign
Kitemath, Chicago; www.kitemath.com
Whiskey Design Branding
Whiskey Design, Kansas City, MO; www.whiskeydesign.com
Yello Identity
Deksia, Grand Rapids, MI; www.deksia.com
Black Powder Tavern Identity
TWIST Creative Inc., Cleveland; www.twistcreative.com
Discover How to Be: Multimedia Campaign
Olson, Minneapolis; www.olson.com
Bonbright Distributors Brand Manifesto, Website (www.bonbright.com), Video and Graphics
by Real Art, Dayton, OH; www.realart.com
