A client comes "for a logo" when what they need is a corporate identity. Or orders a brand book for a kiosk where a logo and two rules would do. Let us sort out the terms — and you will save either money or nerves.
Logo
A mark plus the name lettering. One element that has to work on a sign, in an app and on a cap. A good logo also comes with versions: horizontal, vertical, mark alone, monochrome, inverted.
When a logo alone is enough: you have one point of sale or service, few carriers (sign, business card, social media), a limited budget, and no expansion planned within the year.
Corporate identity
The system around the logo: colours with exact values, fonts, graphic elements (patterns, icons, illustration style), layout principles. It is what makes the brand recognisable even where the logo is not visible — from a single Instagram cover.
When you need it: several carriers, social media run by a non-designer, packaging or a website, advertising campaigns planned. Without a system every new layout will be "slightly different", and within six months the brand falls apart.
Brand book
A document with rules for applying the identity: what is allowed and what is not, margins, minimum sizes, examples of every carrier. A brand book exists so any contractor — from a printer to a web developer — gets it right without you.
When you need it: different people and contractors work with the brand, there are branches or a franchise, the brand enters new markets.
Table: what is included and what it costs
| Product | Contents | Timeline | Price at BrainTeam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logo | Mark, versions, basic guide (colours, font, rules) | 2–3 weeks | from 500,000 ₸ |
| Logo + identity + brand book | All of the above + patterns, graphics, carriers, rulebook | about a month | 780,000 – 3,000,000 ₸ |
| Turnkey branding | Naming, philosophy, identity, packaging, website, presentation | from 2 months | from 2,200,000 ₸ |
Common mistakes
- A logo without a system for a chain. Three locations — three different signs. A corporate identity is mandatory from the very second location.
- A brand book for a single carrier. If the whole brand lives in one Instagram account, a 40-page document is wasted money.
- Style "loosely based on". Contractors working without a guide gradually turn the brand into a set of similar but different layouts.
How to decide in a minute
Count the carriers the brand will meet in a year and the people who will produce them. One carrier and one designer — a logo. Five carriers and you in Canva — a corporate identity. Contractors, branches, partners — a brand book.
