et al: Corporate Identity

et al
32 East Street
Osney Island
Oxford
OX2 0AU
Phone:
+44 (0)1865 243 343
Fax:
+44 (0)1865 248 348
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Vyvyan Thomas
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Corporate Identity ś Ways of identifying groups of people one from another are age old. Many of the early examples are military, from small flags strapped to the backs of soldiers often seen in samurai films, to coats of arms, and, of course, national flags. Similarly, branding is scarcely a new concept. Slaves of the Roman empire, cattle in Texas, and even the different feather designs used by the many native American peoples are well-known examples.

Today, corporate identity has become eminently more sophisticated but retains some of the earlier qualities, such as the esprit de corps engendered by seeing your side's flag moving forward at the expense of the opposition.

The task of the designer is to understand the many, often complex, facets of the client organisation and to seek to embody the qualities the client most values and wishes to project. et al is aware that any client organisation already has an identity before it approaches us. it is not our job to create the identity but to identify it and to translate it into the appropriate visual imagery, to give the existing identity a face. One which is unique, and one which is both recognisable and acceptable to the organisation's clients, partners and peers.

Management of a Visual Communication System ś It is essential to understand that what we do for our clients is to create a corporate identity program which is capable of being used in as many applications as the client needs: from basic stationery to computer use, from corporate literature to external signage, from vehicle livery to the internet.

The common misunderstanding is to confuse the mark or logotype with a corporate identity. The logotype is only a piece of the whole and is certainly not an end in itself.

We create a holistic system. One which we know works since we test it to destruction across the range of applications before producing final artwork. The job isn't done until we can guarantee the system works in every manifestation.