For designers, creating a brand identity can be a complex and daunting challenge. A variety of skills are required to ensure that the successful brand shapes consumer’s perceptions and expectations. We caught up with Dublin designer Shane Kenna, who reviewed the new Laurence King, Creating a Brand Identity for us.

Creating a Brand Identity by Catharine Slade-Brooking, should pride itself as a first class handbook / guidebook for all creative graduates. Through perusing its many case studies and beautiful references, it has reminded me of the love I have for the many creative outlets of branding. Starting with branding basics, the tone moves swiftly into deeper and more intimate details of branding, such as strategy and brand positioning.

It is in these areas where students and graduates will learn the backbone and groundwork which goes into a successful brand. Rarely do branding books follow this detailed structure of immersion into the building of a brand — the usual brand book will show a million pretty case studies with little to no context behind their meaning and process. Which (don’t get me wrong) is nice, but does nothing for education towards branding, apart from give the reader ideas for their next project.

As all designers will know, creating a brand can be a difficult, yet exciting process — Catharine eludes to such difficulties to remedy this by streamlining this process and helps the reader through-out with helpful tips & exercises. Over-all Creating a Brand Identity has an excellent use of language which summarises and contextualises the process and importance of branding education for a recent graduate.

Shane who is currently working with concept store and design studio Indigo and Cloth, suggests designers take a looking at  Just My Type by Simon Garfield for further reading. Creating a Brand Identity By Catharine Slade-Brooking is now available from Laurence King here along with a comprehensive list of other titles in the area of advertising and branding, here.