What is visual identity design?
Visual identity design is the comprehensive system of visual elements that represent your brand, including your logo, color palette, typography, iconography, imagery style, and design principles. It's the visual language that makes your brand instantly recognizable across all customer touchpoints—from your website and marketing materials to social media and product packaging. A strong visual identity creates consistency, builds trust, differentiates you from competitors, and communicates your brand values without words.
How much does a brand identity designer cost?
Professional brand identity design typically ranges from $5,000 to $50,000+ depending on project scope and complexity. At What if Design, our complete visual identity packages start around $15,000-$25,000 for comprehensive systems including logo development, brand positioning, color palettes, typography, iconography, and brand guidelines. We're 3x more cost-effective than hiring in-house senior designers while delivering faster turnarounds (4-6 weeks) and full-service expertise from strategy to implementation.
How long does it take to develop a complete visual identity?
Our visual identity projects typically take 4-6 weeks from initial workshop to final brand guidelines delivery. This includes strategic positioning sessions, concept development, design iterations, stakeholder feedback rounds, and comprehensive documentation. For urgent needs, we can accelerate timelines with focused sprints, with some deliverables available in as little as 48 hours. The timeline depends on project complexity, the number of stakeholders involved, and feedback cycle speed.
What's included in your visual identity design services?
Our comprehensive service includes: brand positioning strategy and competitive analysis, primary logo and secondary mark designs, complete color palette systems (with accessibility compliance), typography scale and hierarchy, custom iconography libraries, illustration style guidelines, photography direction, design tokens and spacing systems, usage rules and best practices, and a detailed brand guidelines document. We also provide all source files, multiple export formats, and ongoing support for implementation.
Do you offer brand strategy along with visual design?
Yes, brand strategy is foundational to our process. We begin every visual identity project with 90-minute stakeholder alignment workshops, competitive research, and market positioning analysis. This ensures your visual identity isn't just beautiful—it's strategically designed to differentiate you in your market, resonate with your target audiences, and support your business goals. We develop value proposition frameworks, messaging hierarchies, and positioning statements that inform every design decision.
Can you redesign our existing brand identity?
Absolutely. We specialize in both new brand creation and strategic rebrands for established companies. Whether you're modernizing an outdated identity, pivoting to new markets, preparing for a funding round, or scaling to enterprise level, we can evolve your brand while maintaining recognition with existing customers. Our process includes brand equity audits, stakeholder interviews, and phased rollout strategies to minimize disruption while maximizing impact.
Will our visual identity work across all marketing channels?
Yes, we design for omnichannel consistency from day one. Your visual identity will include responsive lockups that work across digital (websites, social media, emails) and print (business cards, brochures, signage) applications. We provide technical specifications for every use case, from favicons and app icons to billboards and trade show booths. Our design systems are built to scale, ensuring your brand maintains professional consistency whether you're a 2-person startup or a 200-person enterprise.
Do you provide ongoing design support after the initial project?
Yes, we offer flexible ongoing support through our Design Supercharger and Design Essentials programs. These month-to-month services provide continued design partnership for marketing collateral, pitch decks, social media assets, website updates, and brand evolution as you grow. Many clients start with our complete visual identity package, then transition to ongoing retainers for consistent design execution and strategic collaboration as their needs expand.