The first post

Attending Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario to earn my diploma in Graphic Design, I was surprised to learn I would be forced (yes, forced!) to take a couple of English classes – one for creativity, and one for grammar. While my dreams of escaping all high school subjects unrelated to art (I’m talking to you, algebra) were dashed, all hope was not lost, for I quickly realized separating words from design would have been like trying to remove the flour from a freshly baked cake. Not only are the two inseparable, together they can create a special kind of alchemy.

I was also reminded of something I had glimpses of in high school English class – that I actually enjoyed writing. Like design, writing is about communication; about conveying ideas and creating an emotional response. Writing, like good design, is about making a connection with another person; to get them to think, feel or act. In the case of this blog, the intention is to have the reader think, feel and act around issues regarding graphic design.

Brand (Non) Consistency

To get the ball rolling, I wanted to talk about an interesting trend I’ve noticed with regards to the application of some social media logos (I’m talking to you, Facebook and Twitter users). Unlike the idea of a traditional logo which at its core is about preserving brand consistency, it is possible to purchase or download numerous “personalized” variations of Facebook and Twitter identities so that the user can choose one that fits their individual tastes.

While Facebook and Twitter do have brand standards, users of these services seem less compelled to adhere to the notion of brand consistency. And the proliferation of choice offered by those who design the variations on these logos makes it easy for users to search and download something they like and customize their links to their social media accounts.

This trend makes me wonder how important it is for social media companies to preserve their brand standards. While it’s a challenging task for any large, international company to maintain consistency of brand across all materials, one can imagine it’s even harder for an internet company whose offering exists in the realm of the virtual.

As a traditionally trained designer with over 20 years of experience in helping companies maintain their brands, it has me wondering if allowing for some “flexibilty” around certain brands fosters good will with particular clients; namely, young ones who have been raised on “platforms” of individuality, rather than conformity.

While I suspect Facebook and Twitter would prefer users not to display reimagined versions of their logos, I can’t imagine it bothers them as much it would large corporations like The Royal Bank of Canada or McDonald’s. The question: Is total brand consistency crucial in the world of social media?