A visual identity is the set of rules that makes everything your company produces recognisable before anyone sees the logo: the logo, colors, fonts, photo style and templates, plus a guide that explains how to use them. If you received a single logo file, you bought a logo, and the same problem returns with your next designer.
Try this on one of your posts: cover the logo with your finger. Would a follower know it's yours from the colors, type and style? If not, your identity is incomplete. The list below tells you what to ask for.
The handover checklist
Go through this before the final payment. Better still, put it in the contract from the start.
| Item | What exactly | Why you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Logo versions | Primary, horizontal, square, single-color, and a light version for dark backgrounds | A sign, a profile photo and a stamp need different shapes |
| File formats | AI, SVG or PDF for print and scaling, plus transparent PNG for daily use | So quality holds up when enlarged |
| Logo rules | Clear space, minimum size and prohibited uses | So it doesn't get distorted over time |
| Colors | Primary, secondary and supporting shades, with HEX for screens and CMYK for print | So print matches the website |
| Fonts | Heading and body fonts in Arabic and English, a size scale, and a license | Using a font without a commercial license exposes you to claims |
| Photo style | Examples of what fits the brand and what doesn't | So campaigns don't look like different companies |
| Templates | Posts, presentations, invoices, email signature | They get used every day |
| Brand guide | A PDF with all of the above and examples | So any new designer can work from it |
| Source files | Editable files, with wording confirming ownership passes to you | So you aren't tied to one designer |
The logo: judging it beyond taste
Logo discussions quickly slide into "I like blue." Replace that with practical tests:
- Size: shrink it to a phone icon. Can you read it?
- Single color: print it in black only. Does it hold up?
- Background: place it on a photo and on a dark surface.
- Market: put it next to your five main competitors. Does it stand apart?
- Two languages: if it has Arabic and English text, do they look like one piece of work?
Colors: check legibility before approving
A beautiful color can make text hard to read. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ask for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text and 3 to 1 for large text, according to W3C's contrast documentation. Ask your designer to mark which colors work for text and which only work as backgrounds.
Set how much of each color to use, because a palette without rules ends in inconsistent designs. Also ask to see the colors on screen and on a print sample, since the same shade can look different on paper.
Fonts: pay attention to Arabic
Most typefaces were designed for Latin first, so test the Arabic in a real sentence, with numbers and punctuation, on a phone screen. Three questions catch most problems:
- Do the Arabic and English fonts look balanced on one line?
- Does the Arabic font come in enough weights for headings and body text?
- Does the license allow commercial use on the website, in ads and in print?
Templates: most used, most forgotten
Your team will use templates every week, while the logo rarely changes. Ask for editable versions in the tool your team actually uses, such as Canva, Figma or PowerPoint. If a staff member can't edit the template, you'll be back to asking a designer to change a date.
One last test before approving
Ask the designer to apply the identity to three real items: a post with long text, an invoice, and a website page on a phone. A polished presentation hides problems that long text, numbers and small screens reveal.
Settle your market position before ordering the design, because the designer needs to know who this is for and what impression it should leave. Our article on brand strategy covers that.
Common mistakes when ordering an identity
- Contracting for "a logo" without listing deliverables: you find the gaps after the project ends.
- Putting the design to a vote: your colleagues' taste may not reflect your customers'.
- Launching without training: spend half an hour walking the team through the guide and templates.
- Keeping files with one person: store them in a shared folder the company owns.
What to give your designer before they start
A good brief decides the quality of the result and the number of revision rounds. On one page, write:
- The company name in Arabic and English, and whether one is primary.
- Who the customer is, and what impression they should leave with.
- Where the identity will appear most: phones, signs, packaging or presentations.
- Three brands you like and three you don't, with a reason for each.
- The agreed number of revision rounds, and who makes the final call.
Name one person to collect feedback and decide, because conflicting comments from several people lengthen the project and weaken the result. You'll find a full template in how to write a design brief, and selection criteria in choosing brand colors and fonts.
Common questions
Is a logo enough when a company is starting out? For a while, if you also set two colors, one font and a post template. Finish the rest when more people start designing for you.
When should you change your identity? When your customer or positioning changes, or when the current identity can't work on the media you use. Being bored with the logo isn't a good enough reason.
Next step
Gather what you have and compare it with the checklist. If only the guide and templates are missing, finishing them may be enough without a new design. If you're starting from scratch, this list is part of what PlanKit's visual identity service delivers.