An architecture studio's brand exists even if you never designed it, because it's everything your client sees before contacting you: your photos, your colours, your typefaces and how you talk about what you do. If all of that doesn't look like it belongs to the same studio, or it isn't clear what you do and for whom, the 5-second test helps you notice it and know where to start.
There's something I see again and again: a studio with impeccable projects, carefully chosen materials, considered light and every junction resolved, but when you visit their Instagram or website you find photos from different eras, three typefaces that don't talk to each other and a "link in bio" instead of a website. The studio's own brand is always left for "when things calm down", and things never calm down.
What is an architecture studio's brand?
A brand is much more than a logo, it's the sum of everything someone sees of your studio before meeting you: the photos of your projects, the colours and typefaces you use, how you write your texts and even how you reply to an enquiry. That's why it exists even if you never thought about it, and what you can decide is whether that image says what you want or builds itself, one random post at a time.
Why does it matter so much?
Your client meets you on a screen first.
Before setting foot in one of your projects, they've already decided in seconds whether you inspire confidence, whether your style is what they're looking for and whether you're "for someone like them". A messy brand ends up making carefully crafted projects look like less than they are, while a clear brand means the person arrives at the first meeting knowing what to expect and keen to work with you.
Take the 5-second test
Open your website or Instagram as if you didn't know yourself and ask:
- Is it clear what you do and for whom?
- Do your photos, colours and typefaces look like they belong to the same studio?
- Are your best projects the first thing people see?
- Is it clear how to contact you or ask for a quote?
- Does it look good on a phone? (that's where almost everyone sees you)
If you hesitated on two or more, there's something to work on.
Where do I start putting my brand in order?
You don't need to solve everything at once, you work with what you have and add to it little by little, with short, steady steps.
First: choose a typeface and a palette and always use them the same way, on Instagram, in your presentations and on your website. Second: show only your best projects, with photos that do them justice, even if there are only a few. Third: if you already have a logo, check that it reads well small, on your Instagram profile or on a stamp.
If you already have a brand and aren't sure whether to touch it up or create a new one, I cover that in rebrand or start from scratch, and for photos there's the article on how to plan the photos of your projects.
How do you build an identity for a studio?
When I work with a studio, I approach it the same way you approach a building project: first the research (who you are, how you work, who you want to reach), then the concept, then the design and finally a delivery with clear deadlines and no surprises. On the visual identity page I explain the whole process, and if you need brand and website together, the New Build package covers both in eight weeks.
So, how many of the five questions could you answer without hesitating?
This article first appeared, in a shorter version and in Spanish, in Planta Libre N°01.
Does your studio need a hand?
Choose based on where you are right now:Thanks for reading this far. If you took the 5-second test and were left with a question, write to me and tell me, I read everything.
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