Tip Of The Iceberg

I’m not going to lie, when I first started my freshman year in College, I had little to no idea what graphic design, let alone branding, was and went into my first design class thinking that I’d spend the next four years creating apparel graphics, posters and logos – needless to say, I couldn’t have been more wrong…

A common misconception when it comes to graphic design and branding is that they are basically one and the same. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, and it is this misunderstanding of the two terms that often gets both brands and designers into a world of trouble.

The reason is that graphic elements — whether it’s a logo, typography, website and/or brand assets — while great to have, are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to branding. Put simply, think of your brand as the emotions and ideas that lie right beneath the surface, while its logo, website and brand assets are the visual cues used to communicate and share it with the world.

In other words, unlike graphic brand elements and photos that you can see, “feel,” and sometimes even touch, branding is made up of intangible thoughts and emotions, which are a lot less sexy and harder to sell. And this is where the disconnect happens…

Even after graduating college, I was still very much under the impression that a logo was the brand, and approached my early logos and branding projects under the impression that I needed to illustrate and communicate exactly what the business did, rather than what it stood for in people’s minds.

However, if you were to look at a logo like Nike or Zippy’s, without any context, there would be literally no way of knowing the brand they represented, let alone what they sold.

Why This Confusion Happens

The primary reason why the two (objectively different) terms get confused is mainly due to the fact that graphic design is a tangible asset that is easily seen and even easier to monetize. Branding, on the other hand, is slow, abstract, and lives entirely in people’s minds rather than a website, t-shirt, or signboard.

In other words, just like I spent four years of college (as well as the first few years of my career) treating projects like I would a fine art or illustration project, many designers (and now AI agents) approach branding projects and design briefs the exact same way, focusing entirely on illustrating the brand’s story while largely ignoring the ideas and emotions driving it.

Putting The Cart Before The Horse

When it comes to local businesses and community nonprofits in Hawaii, the desire for immediate profitability and results tends to make them put the cart before the horse.

In other words, in the interest of saving on design and advertising costs, the gut instinct is almost always to focus on illustrating literally everything the business does in a single logo or design, rather than honing in on the very ideas and emotions that set them apart from the rest of the crowd.

But the thing is, just because you have a poke shop, doesn’t mean you need to have a poke bowl and chopsticks as your logo — while it might check all the boxes on paper, it’s actually the opposite of what strong brands do.

Nike doesn’t need to put a shoe in its logo, in the same way Zippy’s word mark has nothing to do with bentos or plate lunches (other than the fact that it might be fast — which it kind of isn’t), and that’s actually the point.

Because when a logo doesn’t rely on literal imagery to explain itself, it gives itself the opportunity to take on a life of its own — the true secret to branding isn’t the brand aesthetics, but the emotional connection and positive reputation it’s built through consistent experiences over time.

The Takeaway

Whether you’re an owner, organizer, brand manager, or graphic designer, the next time you’re evaluating a logo, a website, or a full brand refresh, be sure to ask yourself: are we designing what we do, or building what people feel?

While your logo, graphics and photos are obviously what everyone sees first, at the end of the day, they’re only the tip of the iceberg. What’s underneath, whether it’s intentional or not, is what actually determines whether people will remember, trust, and choose to do business with you again and again.   – JZ