Guarantee Brand Vision Translates to Custom Award Design
When it comes to recognition design, a brand vision is not always a priority during initial conversations. Although this is may be the most important component, issues tend to arise. From miscommunication and cost inefficiencies to deadlines and material limitations, many roadblocks can affect the final design.
Branding differentiates a company from competitors, signifies a logo and defines what a company is all about. If you are unsure where to start or are yet to envision your company identity in a recognition design, here are five easy steps to help guide you to your full potential during the initial art proofing process.
STEP 1. Enforce Branding Guidelines
In the first stage of the recognition process, enforcing branding guidelines is the most important step. A design should represent the brand, and a recognition designer must consider all aspects of that brand image.
Whether your company branding has a spectrum of colors or an iconic logo, stress the importance of implementing the details that matter to you most. These guidelines define a company and communication on the specifics must be explicit between both the client and the manufacturer.
Take, for instance, the world-famous Anheuser-Busch brand. For this recognition piece, exact specifications on height and width portray the actual muse for the design: A Budweiser beer bottle. Although this is a product replica, they took the design a step further and had each piece electroplated in 24-karat gold to honor the importance of the gift.
STEP 2. Measure Quality That Translates to Cost
Like many other industries, there are varying degrees of quality when it comes to custom design and manufacturing. Quality is not equal; the durability of a project may depend on material, sourcing or the overall company business model. Many times, it is as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.”
Stay informed on the materials that you are seeking to use, especially if you have a strict budget. Different materials yield different price points, which can severely affect the design outcome.
STEP 3. Understand Personalization Effects
When designing any recognition project, several factors secure the success of personalization details. From the quality of the decoration to proper grammar, it takes a meticulous eye to enforce accuracy.
All too often, clients quickly dismiss the personalization stage. It is important to adjust personalization effects during the initial proofing of the design to avoid inadequate results.
At Cristaux, it is the little details that matter. We have several screening stages for accuracy, consistent spelling and grammar to make sure the project is manufactured without error and no further costs are incurred.
For this building replica project with Capstone Development, there was a strong emphasis on the number of windows and floors to depict the actual structure.
In the end, all details were accounted for to guarantee that the brand vision was translated. The replica was given to investors, subcontractors and other stakeholders involved in the building process to commemorate hard work.
STEP 4. Ask About Duration and Durability
As mentioned, quality of a custom recognition piece can depend on the durability and the longevity of a design. Some materials and personalization methods have a shorter shelf-life than others, but if your recognition piece does not last more than a year or two, the quality is most likely poor.
There are of course exceptions to this. In cases when people regularly interact with an award, material composition may or may not stay intact. Oftentimes, natural wear and tear can occur due to the overhandling of the piece.
STEP 5. Consider Functionality
Maybe you want to display a recognition piece on a shelf behind your desk where people can observe from afar. Maybe you want it to be playful and something that recipients can hold in their hands and interact with – either way, both examples encompass an important metric: functionality.
Cristuax strives to create innovative and modernized forms of recognition, and oftentimes, functionality will play a role in that. With the Fan Duel recognition project, the outcome needed to reflect the prestige of the brand. The result: an electroplated gold bat, made to scale so that individuals could appreciate the vision from up close or afar.
Keep in mind all aspects of the brand to guarantee a vision will translate. For more insights on how to find the best recognition design, connect with a member of our team and find a solution that works for you.