A real brand identity package includes strategy, a logo system with several versions, a color palette, a type system, brand guidelines and production-ready files for print and screen. It usually doesn't include printing, photography, a website build or trademark registration, unless the package says so.
The core pieces
Every solid identity package has the same backbone. The names change from designer to designer, but the pieces shouldn't.
- Strategy: who you're for, what you stand for and how you sound
- A logo system: a primary logo plus the versions you'll actually need
- Color: a defined palette with codes for print and screen
- Typography: the fonts, and rules for using them
- Guidelines: a document that shows anyone how to use all of it
- Files: everything exported and organized, ready to hand to a printer or a developer
Strategy, the part most packages skip
Strategy is the part you can't see in a portfolio, which is exactly why it gets cut. I think it's the most valuable part of the whole package. It's what makes everything else easier to decide.
In practice, strategy means a positioning statement, a messaging framework and a visual direction everyone agrees on before design starts. Without it, every design review turns into a debate about taste. With it, you have something to measure against.
A logo system, not one logo
One logo file won't survive real life. It has to work on a storefront, a favicon, a T-shirt and a dark social post.
Expect a primary logo, a simplified mark or icon, a wordmark and versions for light and dark backgrounds. On the OrbitCoat Painting project, that system had to work on a van wrap, a uniform, a yard sign and a paint can label.
Color and type that work everywhere
A palette should come with codes for every use: HEX and RGB for screens, CMYK for print and often Pantone for signs and merchandise.
Contrast matters too. If your colors don't hold up for people with low vision, part of your audience can't read your brand. That's something I spent years designing around on a utility bill, and it applies to a coffee shop just the same.
Type works the same way. You should know your headline font, your body font and how they pair. If a font needs a license, someone should tell you.
Guidelines people will actually use
Guidelines are what keep your brand consistent after the designer is gone. They show spacing around the logo, colors that pair well, what not to do and examples of the brand in use.
They don't need to be 80 pages. I'd rather hand someone ten clear pages they'll use than a manual nobody opens. The goal is simple: your next hire, or your printer, gets it right the first time.
The files
You should leave with an organized folder: vector files that scale for print and signage, PNGs for everyday digital use and the guidelines as a PDF. If you're paying for templates, like social posts or business cards, those should be editable.
What usually isn't included
- Printing and production costs
- Professional photography
- A website build, unless the package says so
- Large amounts of copywriting
- Trademark searches or registration, which is legal work
None of these are bad things to leave out. They just need to be clear before you sign.
How the Tony Does Design packages compare
| Brand Sprint | Brand Identity System | Brand + Digital | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $2,500 | $6,500 | $10,000 |
| Logo mark and wordmark | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Color and type system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brand guidelines | Usage guidelines | Detailed guidelines | Detailed guidelines |
| Strategy and positioning | No | Yes | Yes |
| Asset library | 3 social templates | Digital and print library | Digital library and social templates |
| Website | No | No | Designed and built |
| Post-launch support | No | 30 days | 45 days |
Red flags in a package
- No strategy at all, just "logo concepts"
- One logo file instead of a system
- No guidelines, or guidelines that are only a color swatch
- No mention of file formats
- Nothing in writing about who owns the work
Quick answers
What should a brand identity package include?
Strategy, a logo system with several versions, a color palette with codes for print and screen, a type system, brand guidelines and organized, production-ready files.
Does a brand identity package include a website?
Usually not, unless the package says so. At Tony Does Design, the Brand + Digital package includes a website designed and built alongside the identity.
What files should I get from my brand designer?
Vector files for print and signage, PNG files for everyday digital use, your brand guidelines as a PDF and editable versions of any templates you paid for.