How to Hire a Designer Objectively

If you have a good sense of fashion or a job that requires professional attire, you may have at one point gotten a custom-fitted suit. I’ve done this myself, and it felt great to have a jacket and pants that had been tweaked to fit my measurements. But the next level up is something I’ve never done, and that’s getting a custom-tailored suit made from scratch, with full customization of every detail. Unless you’re lucky and have a very specific body-type and build, you probably won’t find an existing garment that fits you as well as a bespoke suit would. I had a friend who got this done right after college, and I remember thinking, “Boy, I buy my shirts at TJ-Maxx, but he’s a real adult.” Here’s the application: Getting a custom-tailored suit signals personal maturity. In a similar way, getting a custom-tailored visual identity signals organizational maturity. For a visual identity to be custom-tailored means each part is carefully crafted to fit your organization. The logo is designed to represent your vision. The wordmark is tweaked and hand-picked to evoke a particular feeling. The colors are harmonized to stand out in your local context. Getting a bespoke visual identity signals organizational maturity. Bonus: If you have a custom-tailored suit with a very specific look, you probably don’t have to worry about theft - It won’t fit just anyone who tries it on.

Carefully crafting color categories can catalyze cohesion. Alliteration aside, the categories or buckets you sort your colors into will determine the overall look and feel of your church’s brand. If you try to use too many colors spread out across different channels, your visual identity can start to feel incoherent and disjointed. Core colors Keeping the visual identity unified is why we normally pick 2 to 4 “core colors,” which are the duo, trio, or quartet that glue your whole brand together. Core colors can help focus the look of the brand and make it recognizable by a particular combination of colors alone. This also means core colors must be used and guarded more carefully than other colors. Supporting colors Supporting colors are generally taken from other parts of the color spectrum. We do this to add a certain level of variety and depth to the overall brand. Having supporting colors sprinkled in throughout your brand helps prevent it from being strictly monochromatic, which can come across as flat or boring. Even if your core colors aren’t monochromatic, they can be easy to overuse, diluting their impact and handicapping their ability to grab attention. So, to sum up, distinguishing between core colors and supporting colors is all about proportions and ratios. Disproportionate use of even the perfect palette can send the wrong message, so prioritize which colors you want to stand out and maintain that balance. P.S. This week I’m focusing on church brand color selection principles, which I’ve gathered the hard way from years of church rebrands. If you want the complete guide, I’ve collected all of the principles into a single post here.

A couple of years ago, I tried to talk a church out of hiring me for a rebrand. The church had an outdated logo and the leadership had a new vision/mission statement they were beginning to push. Here’s why I hesitated: the church was running 400+ members/regular attenders and I couldn’t believe they didn’t have someone from their own congregation with design expertise. Here’s how the conversation went with the pastor (we’ll call him Jake). Braden: “So why rebrand with my help? Isn’t there anyone in your church already who is a graphic designer?” Jake: “We’ve got a couple of people with a creative background, but nobody who’s up to the task of a complete rebrand.” Braden: “Surely they could work as a team to design it?” Jake: “Here’s the thing: we don’t want to put people in a position where they’re stepping on each other’s toes. We want this to be a unifying thing for our church - not a divisive thing.” Braden: “Hmm… if you’re sure…” Jake: “Bringing in an outside expert helps us avoid those situations. Plus we know we’ll get a better result in the end that we won’t have to second-guess in a few years.” Now, a few years later, Jake is still using that brand identity to reinforce his vision and communicate effectively in their thriving church. It turns out, he wasn’t the only one who feels that way. For many church leaders, bringing in a believer with expertise and an outside perspective is the clear best choice.

Sometimes we need to be confronted about how bad a situation really is. It’s too easy to develop blind spots over time, and your branding isn’t an exception. Like an untended vine, it can quickly get out of control. So here are ten warning signs that you might need help reigning in that branding. You cringe when you hand out a business card or flyer Your social media pages all have a different profile picture You have to hunt for your main logo file on a regular basis There are more than 3 fonts used on any given flyer, banner, or bulletin You don’t have the original HEX codes for your core colors Outdated materials and web pages still surface every few months to haunt you You’re seeing more unofficial logos than official ones used in the wild Your staff or volunteers don’t feel equipped to make the church “look good” online Your website, wayfinding, and bulletin look they’re from three different eras You’re constantly reinventing visuals, changing styles, or revising logos because nothing sticks If several of these sound like you, it might be time to consolidate and clean up. Or, it might be that you’re transitioning, and you need to start from scratch with a new and fresh look as you start this new chapter. Either way, consider getting professional help. I work with churches specifically to solve those problems with their branding. Contact me here, and we’ll talk about what it looks like for me to help you design an identity that reflects your God-given vision and lasts for decades.

Recently I shared a story about a church who was threatened with a lawsuit due to a similar logo. But that was probably just a fluke - is spending the time and money on a trademark really necessary? As it turns out, there are other cases of trademark battles involving churches, and more nuanced reasons to venture down the trademarking path. I’ve been learning about this process lately, so I figured I would share what I’m learning here and contextualize it for churches. With that, here are five reasons you might want to trademark your church name and logo. 1. You’ve been confused with other organizations This first one should be obvious, but trademarking your church’s name and logo is the best way to prevent organizational identity theft and brand abuse. In 2010, the International House of Prayer (IHOP), faced a trademark infringement lawsuit from the restaurant chain International House of Pancakes, also known as IHOP. The restaurant chain alleged that the ministry’s use of the acronym “IHOP” and the website domain “ihop.org” caused confusion and diluted its brand. Although the lawsuit was eventually dropped and settled out of court, the ministry agreed to rebrand itself as IHOPKC to distinguish itself from the restaurant chain. 2. You sell merchandise If you’re selling books, shirts, or creating digital resources under your church’s name, a trademark can help you maintain control over the brand. As soon as you start putting your name or logo on merchandise like shirts, mugs, hats, books, etc., you’re entering the realm of commerce. A trademarked image and name helps you protect your church’s right to sell those products without worrying about knock-offs or competing merch. Otherwise, another church could copy your image for their own merch and start profiting off it. Online platforms like Amazon, Shopify, and Etsy will sometimes even require you to trademark your brand, rather than run the risk of stores impersonating you. 3. You create media resources Similar to physical products, digital products can be replicated, resold, or changed without your permission, which can quickly turn into a huge headache. In fact, digital products are even more vulnerable than physical products because they are easier to make and distribute copies of. Media resources like trainings, devotionals or Bible-reading plans, and paid digital content (even if it’s just raising support for a campaign) can all be exploited without trademark protection. 4. You’re expanding digitally In that same vein, creating content online can become more complicated as your brand and audience grows. Even if there’s no money changing hands, your church’s reputation is an asset that can be maligned or challenged. All that to say, if you’re expanding online (websites, social media, podcasts), you probably want to think about trademarking sooner than later. 5. You’re expanding geographically If you’re starting satellite campuses, or gaining regional/national recognition, trademarking helps protect your brand across state lines. At the end of the day, without proper trademark protection, your name or logo can be used by others, leading to confusion or association with unrelated or even opposing groups.

We often think of form and function as a dichotomy. Sacrificing beauty for efficiency is putting function over form. Making something sleek and attractive at the cost of performance is putting form over function. Here’s my hot take: The form-function dichotomy is wrong. Form and function are two sides of the same coin. The name of the coin is elegance, or more simply “goodness.” And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. — Genesis 1:31a We don’t assess beauty in a vacuum. If a thing doesn’t accomplish its purpose, can it be beautiful? The Roman aqueducts were built with masterful craftsmanship and still stand to this day, 2000 years later. They transported millions of gallons of water over a hundred miles, making them extremely functional. But would they be beautiful if they didn’t work? If a thing’s only purpose is to be beautiful, does it matter if it can do anything else?

A few months ago, Crossway released The Dyslexia-Friendly Bible, featuring a new font they called “Grace.” The design team took a data-driven approach, carefully studying and testing what tiny details makes a font more accessible for dyslexic readers. This Bible also featured special design touches to make the reading experience more approachable, and less fatiguing. The team working on the design used existing studies, focus groups, and user testing to optimize things like paragraph spacing and line height (and other technical specs we designers are thinking about all the time). The end result was a beautiful product that is already changing the way thousands read and access God’s Word. This brings me the same joy as when the Scriptures are translated into a new language. Praise God! It’s also a good reminder that intentional design can make your localized vision and message accessible to a previously “unreached” people group. Are you studying what prevents your congregation and community from "getting" it?

If you have a good sense of fashion or a job that requires professional attire, you may have at one point gotten a custom-fitted suit. I’ve done this myself, and it felt great to have a jacket and pants that had been tweaked to fit my measurements. But the next level up is something I’ve never done, and that’s getting a custom-tailored suit made from scratch, with full customization of every detail. Unless you’re lucky and have a very specific body-type and build, you probably won’t find an existing garment that fits you as well as a bespoke suit would. I had a friend who got this done right after college, and I remember thinking, “Boy, I buy my shirts at TJ-Maxx, but he’s a real adult.” Here’s the application: Getting a custom-tailored suit signals personal maturity. In a similar way, getting a custom-tailored visual identity signals organizational maturity. For a visual identity to be custom-tailored means each part is carefully crafted to fit your organization. The logo is designed to represent your vision. The wordmark is tweaked and hand-picked to evoke a particular feeling. The colors are harmonized to stand out in your local context. Getting a bespoke visual identity signals organizational maturity. Bonus: If you have a custom-tailored suit with a very specific look, you probably don’t have to worry about theft - It won’t fit just anyone who tries it on.

When God's people gather for corporate worship, we've always looked for ways to beautify the space in which we meet. Sometimes you don’t have a choice for what your meeting space looks like. Many churches and church plants share a building with someone else. Others might own their building but just don't have the budget to start knocking down walls. However, the design and layout of common spaces in your church building will either help or hinder people feeling welcome and at home in your church. When my wife and I bought our first house, we were excited to host people for meals and fellowship. You can imagine that I was disappointed when I realized that the layout of our walls and floor plan made fellowship difficult. A wall separated the kitchen from the living room, and the dining area tried to straddle the two rooms, which made it awkward to socialize while we cooked food for our guests. Conincidentally, we're standing where you would have to stand while talking with someone in the kitchen. When we decided to build a house, we designed the floor plan to be open and spacious. Not being interior designers or “feng shui” experts, we were expecting that this new layout would solve our problem. It did - but not perfectly! After all that, there are things I would still do differently to make our home as welcoming and supportive of fellowship as possible. Our new house, still a work in progress. If you own your church building and can afford it, seek out a professional for help creating a space that is beautiful and inspiring. Regardless of your situation, don’t take for granted opportunities to beautify the place you're gathering for corporate worship. At the end of the day, there's nothing that is more welcoming than a friendly, genunine person. Inspire your congregation to be that hospitable through their environment.