Defining better brands
DAMA Italy is the Italian chapter of the International Data Management Association, which offers unique certifications aimed at data engineers and professionals. At the heart of what they do is the belief that effective data management allows organisations to develop and implement those essential management policies truly. Despite their offering being internationally recognised, the brand wasn't supporting their mission: time to intervene!
Step 1. Investigating.
Graphic design isn't complicated. But truly understand what's needed can be. In this case, DAMA Italy sought an original way of boosting its online presence and re-launching the brand. Although a brand doesn't change what a Company does or the quality of the services it offers, a brand is what enables it to engage all types of online users — be it LinkedIn aficionados or web surfers.
Step 2. Choosing the ingredients
Once we have a clear enough idea of the tone of voice we would like our brand to possess, we can start adding up the right ingredients. I was keen on mixing the serious elegance you'd expect from a company that certifies data professionals with a light touch of modern and simple playfulness
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Step 3. Keep stirring
I soon understood that the original logo which included a realistic representation of the Italian peninsula filled with the Italian flag had to evolve and lose its amateurish-feeling colorful design. Colours can help make a design memorable, but they frequently end up sacrificing the visual impact and confuse the viewer as to what to expect from the brand. I got down to two main colours and introduced minimal, geometric shapes that aligned to mimic Italy's shape.
Step 4. Watch from afar
Before releasing a new design that will impact a company's representation and reputation, it's extremely useful to take a moment to step back and compare the new logo with other companies from the same field (though I often place it alongside very famous logos that belong to completely different worlds, to see how it performs): Does it stand out? Does it look like the logo other companies would use? But also: Does it sit well next to them?
