As a design student in the mid-2000s, Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler was a must-read on our book list, and it quickly became a cornerstone of my education. First published in 2003, the book immediately stood out as a go-to guide, shedding light on the complexities of branding. Wheeler’s clear, concise language and rich, illustrative examples made the branding process not only accessible but also incredibly engaging for budding designers. This book didn’t just shape my academic journey; it inspired me to approach design with the same passion and rigor that Wheeler exemplified.
Few resources shine as brightly as Designing Brand Identity in the ever-evolving landscape of design. Now in its 6th edition, Wheeler brought on Rob Meyerson to coauthor and steward the book. With practical advice, case studies, and step-by-step strategies, this book is a beacon for anyone seeking to navigate the intricacies of branding with confidence and creativity.
Wheeler’s vision and expertise have left an indelible mark on the field, empowering countless professionals and students to transform how brands are conceived and executed. Her dedication to demystifying the branding process is a testament to her passion for design education, and her legacy lives on through this book. For more on that legacy, PRINT honored her memory this year. You can also listen to Debbie Millman’s 2011 interview with Wheeler on Design Matters.
The introduction of the 6th edition offers an insightful look back at the last two decades of branding. We’ve excerpted the intro Q&A with Wheeler and Meyerson below, with permission.
What are your biggest takeaways from twenty years of writing Designing Brand Identity?
Alina Wheeler (AW): Since the first edition, we’ve put supercomputers in our pockets, fallen in and out of love with social media, weathered a pandemic, and witnessed massive change in the climate and global politics. At the same time, branding has changed immeasurably. Now, major rebrands are mainstream news. People use (and misuse) phrases like “on brand” in daily conversation. Brand expression is omnipresent across all digital platforms, content marketing is a cost of entry, and armies of algorithms track our every move. We continue to see a dramatic increase in best practices across organizations big and small, B2C and B2B, driven by new generations of agile leaders. And companies are rebranding more often—identities that would have once lasted 20 years are now revised after just five. Writing Designing Brand Identity has reminded me how much courage it takes to effect change. And that no one does it alone. Through this book, I’ve aspired to capture the strategic intelligence and boundless creativity of our colleagues around the world. We are infinitely grateful to all who have shared their time, stories, wisdom, and insights as they build the brands of the future.
Why a sixth edition? Why now?
AW: When I began writing Designing Brand Identity in the early 2000s, there was no comparable book. It was the resource I needed in the heat of a new engagement—a book that would provide a shared vocabulary and process for management and the marketing team, supply a list of the major brand name changes in the last century, and remind me of the irrefutable fundamentals of branding. It was a way to keep me up to speed on the most current thinking on user experience, approaches to decision making, and global best practices. Since then, hundreds of smart, new branding books have come out. But Designing Brand Identity remains the most comprehensive resource available. Over 20 years, five editions, and eleven languages, it’s been a living document in which I’ve continuously collected and updated best practices, processes, and trends. The sixth edition is the strongest one yet. As long as branding exists, Designing Brand Identity will always have new insights to share.
How (and why) did you select a coauthor?
AW: After 20 years, it’s time for a new generation of brand thinkers to take the lead. Two things have allowed me to be effective writing this book: being “in the game” — working with clients, attending conferences, networking with peers—and committing to creating the best book I could. So, when I began the daunting search for a co-author, those were my top priorities. Who’s in the game? Who will truly commit to helping me create the best possible version of Designing Brand Identity? Rob Meyerson has occupied every seat at the branding table, from start-ups to mature, multinational, public companies. He’s led strategy teams at world-renowned brand consultancies and boutique agencies. He has lived and worked in Silicon Valley, Shanghai, and Southeast Asia; he understands the importance of cultural insights. As Global Head of Brand Architecture and Naming at HP, he hired and managed top-tier branding firms and was “in the room” helping to create a new, multi-billion-dollar brand—Hewlett Packard Enterprise. And as an independent consultant, he’s demonstrated his commitment to understanding, improving, and educating the global branding community through his writing and podcast.
What’s changed in the sixth edition?
Rob Meyerson (RM): Our main goal was to ensure the book is not only up to date, but forward thinking in terms of how brands are built and maintained, trends impacting the world of brands and branding, and examples of amazing work. We’ve added detail and rigor to pages about brand strategy, brand architecture, and naming, as well as ideas that have more recently gained relevance in branding, such as AI, social justice, and evidence-based marketing. And we continued our efforts to feature a diverse cross-section of work in terms of geography, agency size, and types of client companies. Just as important is what hasn’t changed. We’ve preserved the three-part structure (Basics, Process, Best Practices), built on the comprehensiveness of previous editions, and factored in insights from dozens of industry experts. Designing Brand Identity is still organized as a reference book, with bite-sized pieces of useful information—a book for busy people undertaking the monumental challenge of building or overhauling a brand.
What did you learn working on this book?
RM: Creating a new edition of Designing Brand Identity is a massive undertaking: Over 150 two-page spreads, each with its own set of challenges, examples to source, and experts to consult. It means capturing, distilling, and organizing the collective wisdom of an industry, then sharing it back in an easily digestible format. Doing so forced me to gain a deeper understanding of some topics and learn about others for the first time. Alina’s assertion that “no one does it alone” is more than a statement of fact—it’s a mindset. It’s been an honor to work with Alina on this iconic book. Doing so gave me a front-row seat to the impact she’s had on the lives and careers of so many people in our industry. Time and again, senior executives and acclaimed designers would jump at the opportunity to contribute to the new edition—not only because they relied on this book early in their careers (many of them did) but because of how giving Alina is with her time, attention, and expertise. I’m certainly not new to collaborating, networking, or community building, but working with Alina on this book has been a master class.
What’s next for Designing Brand Identity?
I reached out to Rob, curious to hear his perspective on leading the way forward as he takes the helm.
What do you believe have been the most significant changes in the branding landscape in the last 20 years, and how have these changes influenced the updates in the sixth edition?
RM: In some ways, it feels like everything has changed. When the first edition was published, none of us had heard of an iPhone or Twitter, and most of us had never heard the name Barack Obama. And changes like these—in technology, culture, and elsewhere—have had immeasurable changes in how we build and manage brands. Meanwhile, branding professionals and academics continue to advance the thinking on how marketing and branding work. Every edition delves into relevant topics, updates best practices, and provides fresh examples and case studies. For example, in this edition, we added information about AI, evidence-based marketing, and how brands responded to the murder of George Floyd.
We added a two-page spread on social justice, which shows examples of how brands have stood up for social justice, provides dos and don’ts, and highlights some of the brands that changed their names or logos in the wake of George Floyd’s (2020) murder. We also added over 50 new case studies in this edition—the first time since the first edition that the book has had a full refresh on case studies—and aimed to highlight some environmentally friendly and socially responsible brands. Brands featured in the case studies include nonprofits, fully electric cars, reusable packaging, and even a sustainable alternative to cemeteries.
What are some of the most compelling case studies or examples included in the sixth edition?
RM: Of the 800+ images, diagrams, and examples of brand touchpoints in this edition, over 75% of which are new, it’s tough to choose favorites. What I like most is the diversity of work highlighted in this edition—and I mean “diversity” in just about every sense of that word. Big, famous brands, like Pepsi and Nike, and smaller, local brands, like a convenience store in Costa Rica. Work from every continent. From well-known agencies like Pentagram and COLLINS to boutique agencies. B2C and B2B. For-profit and nonprofit. We wanted to show a range, and I think we succeeded.
Why do you believe Alina Wheeler’s impact continues to resonate with today’s brand strategists and designers?
RM: Alina’s known globally as the author of Designing Brand Identity, and of course, that book has had—and will continue to have—a huge impact on branding professionals everywhere. (As an example, Alex Center of CENTER says it’s “the book that first taught me how to build brands.”) But, Alina made a significant impact even before she wrote the book as a female agency founder, a founding member of AIGA Philadelphia, and an advisor and mentor to countless agencies and young professionals around the world. And those who had the chance to meet her personally will remember her generosity, humility, wisdom, and humor. She loved helping people in their careers, she was passionate about design and branding, and she was optimistic about the future. In many ways, Designing Brand Identity is just an extension of those traits.
Anyone working on future editions of this book should constantly be asking themselves, “What would Alina do?” We’ll do our best to make some of her ideas a reality, and I think she’d love to know that we’re continuing to push the envelope. She wouldn’t have had it any other way.
—Rob Meyerson
Thanks to Alina Wheeler for her monumental contributions to the branding world, which continue to inspire and guide us. And here’s to the next chapter of Designing Brand Identity — I’m looking forward to what comes!
What do you want to see from Designing Brand Identity in the future? Sign up at dbibook.com/news to send feedback and stay in the loop on future plans.