When Deadlines and Guidelines are Lifelines

Having visuals and event graphics is great, but not just because those things make it easier to do promotion. The ultimate goal of an event brand is to make the experience “sticky” and memorable. To maximize that memorability, you’ll want to approach different types of events differently. There are tons of ways to categorize church events, but the one that matters for design and branding is timing. That said, here are the three different types of events (by timing) and how you can approach branding for each. Series Ongoing regular events in the life of your church that happen with a faster cadence (e.g. monthly or quarterly). For these, a new set of visuals for every event would almost definitely be overkill. However, there’s an opportunity for creativity. Instead of branding each event, consider giving the series a brand that persists throughout the year. If you need some variation to distinguish these regular events from one another, change something minor like a background color or a photo for each occurrence, keeping the design the same. Annual Annual events offer more flexibility and room to experiment with the unique event visuals. A lot of churches will approach annual events with an entirely new set of visuals each year, which is totally fine! As long as certain things about the event are consistent year to year, it can even become a beloved part of your church’s overall brand. Here’s what should stay the same for that to work: The event name Who the event is for What happens at the event (although there’s room to adjust this as well) You can also choose to treat Annual events in a similar way to Series events, keeping the core visuals the same and making minor tweaks. One-Off Do whatever feels right! One-Off events are an opportunity to go wild, but they’re also a chance to rely on the branding you use for everything else. If it’s an event you might eventually turn into a regular thing, then consider designing something simple to make it easier for people to remember. The goal of all event branding is to be memorable. If you don’t remember an event, it probably didn’t have an impact.

For creative decision-making, I’m a huge fan of the 3-person team/committee. But why? Proverbs tells us that in an abundance of counselors there is safety, so what could go wrong with a large committee? This is actually a serious mistake I’ve seen organizations fall prey to when it comes to creative-heavy projects like a rebrand. Here are a few of the downsides to a large team: Decision paralysis Studies show that the larger the decision-making group, the more individual members fear making the wrong decision. When no single person has authority, consensus is hard hard to reach and people feel overwhelmed by the consequences of the choice. Scheduling problems The obvious and most painful part of setting up a church branding team is finding a time when everyone is available to meet. Above a team size of 3 or 4, you can expect to add a week of lead time per extra person to every major decision throughout the project. Conflicting preferences Believe it or not, you actually want your church rebrand team to all have similar (but not identical) design taste. Mixing a few complimentary perspectives can have interesting and pleasing results. Involving too many people in the creative process is like mixing too many colors of paint. The result either won’t look unified (think Picasso) or it will be boring and generic (think brown sludge).

There’s a time for everything: A time to change your brand and a time to double down, A time to whisper with your logo and a time to shout, A time to plant seeds of your vision and a time to water them, A time to honor your heritage and a time to distance yourself from the past, A time to speak to your congregation and a time to speak to your community, A time to be bold and a time to be subtle, A time to plan communications and a time to wing it, A time to seek design help and a time to do it yourself, A time to repeat yourself and a time to say something new. Consider the times as you tend your brand!

A church rebrand can be a lot like cleaning the house: You know you need to do it, but it always takes longer than you thought. There’s not an exact number of weeks or months, but I’ve noticed some patterns that can give you a ballpark idea for how long a church rebrand takes. Here’s the formula: 12 Months or Hard Deadline / Designer Availability (1-4) + 1 week per committee member Hard Deadline This formula is part of why I encourage pastors to set a hard deadline for the launch. Without one, it’s easy to keep making minor tweaks for months, with diminishing returns. Many churches I've worked with have chosen to announce the rebrand at an annual gathering or upcoming church event. This gives you less flexibility, but it’s a great way to keep your eyes on the prize and push through sticking points. Committee Size The larger the group, the harder it becomes to schedule meetings, commit to colors, and review designs. Decision paralysis is a documented phenomenon that is amplified by more inputs. Only adding 1 week per committee member may not be enough, but it’s close. Designer Availability Using an in-house designer is going to be the most flexible and fastest way to rebrand, hands down. With a larger agency, you may be one of dozens of clients and might not get the fastest turnaround. I personally only take on a couple of new clients per month so I can focus my attention on the project at hand, keeping it on track. Transition Time Smaller churches may not have much in the way of merch, letterhead, or building signage. They may or may not have a website. In the design world, we lump all these items into a category we call "brand collateral" or "collateral" for short. For larger churches, the transition may take longer because they have more collateral to update. Building signs can take weeks to get printed or manufactured, the website needs to be redesigned, and merch probably needs to be created.

If you’re a church that does sermon series graphics, then you might have struggled with how far to push the envelope in those visuals. Do you download the latest free template from Free Church Media or Ministry Designs dot com? Do you design them in-house? For us creatives, it’s enticing to explore and use new visuals every few months. But I want to encourage you to curb that impulse. Here’s why: Those unbranded templates and graphics can ultimately work against your brand. But wait, they’re not permanent - what’s so bad about them? Over time, these graphics become part of your brand, whether you like it or not. Using templates that are fun, fresh, and modern might feel like a good way to keep things interesting, but over time that variety adds up into noise. Over time, too much variety accumulates into noise. Instead of your sermon graphics reinforcing your brand, they can start to pollute it. They start to appear disjointed and random when you sample them as a whole. To protect your brand, you need a common thread woven throughout. This is why brand guidelines are so important. They provide a fixed scope for visual styles. Robust brand guidelines will tell you not only what that common thread is, but how it should be integrated in different contexts. If you’re worried about your sermon graphics polluting your brand rather than reinforcing it, check your brand guidelines to see if there’s a way to bring that free template into alignment. If you don’t have brand guidelines, consider having some created. It’s a great way to get the most out of your existing logo and can help you add variety to your church’s communications, without feeling random.

No, not that kind. I’m talking about a crest or circular mark that adds a level of class to your overall brand. You might think, “Isn’t a seal something you press into wax on a scroll or an envelope? I can’t see our church needing something so… outdated?” I’ll grant that. Seals and crests have been around a long time. But their oldness is exactly what makes them such a useful form for a logo to take. For almost every organization, and certainly for a church, there are times when you want to present yourself with a bit more formality. Pop quiz: You‘re greeting someone you know. Do you…? A. Give a short nod B. Embrace them with a warm hug C. Offer a firm handshake The answer is, it depends on the context! Some situations call for a nod, others a hug, and depending on where you are, neither of those things might be appropriate. The logo seal is the firm handshake of visual branding. Having this brand mark in your arsenal is tantamount to elevate your brand for settings where more formality and gravity is required.

I’ve encountered confusion when I provide multiple versions of a logo for a rebrand project, especially regarding the scaled-down or “mini” version. Why do we need this one? Shouldn’t the main logo be just fine? It’s understandable. Designers love to be nitpicky and anal about things. And most logos can work at small sizes (ish). But you want to elevate your brand above just “good enough” right? The thing to understand about “mini” versions of a logo is that they solve a very specific problem: Most logos with any kind of complexity will start to lose their detail or integrity at a certain size when scaled down. Beyond that point (usually around 1in on the longest dimension), linework starts to appear thin, gaps begin to plug up, and the logo loses its presence. Every medium for rendering an image or a shape into the real world has its limitations. Digital screens are limited by pixels. Ink on paper is limited by the dot size and density. Embroidery is limited by thread and needle size. Laser etching is limited by tolerance in the machinery and surface material. I could go on with this list, but it’s actually not necessary that you understand these different techniques. The critical idea is this: Relative size matters more than anything else. Every medium comes with logo limitations. Relative size is what matters most. For a sunglasses company, they need at least a version of the logo which works in the tiny space on the stem of a pair of sunglasses. For a food truck with no website or merch to speak of, the logo can be more complex, and is only limited by what can be printed on a vehicle wrap or a menu. For most churches, having a website is enough of a reason to have a logo optimized to fit in that little square provided by the browser tab (usually called a “favicon”). It’s a common practice for many churches and other organizations to have a mini logo, and it’s why I recommend all of my clients use the mini version I provide them in their branding package. If you ever anticipate getting the logo embroidered on a hat, embossed on a journal, or printed on a lanyard, you will probably need a simplified brand mark.

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.

In the graphic design world, much of our time is spent on layout. This is because you usually have fixed content, and a fixed space where that content needs to go. If those two variables are set in stone, then it’s up to the designer to solve the Tetris puzzle - how can I fit X content into Y box? Sometimes this is easier said than done. As a brand designer who often continues to help churches “roll out” their new visuals following a rebrand, I want to make things as easy as possible for future Braden. What if we get a space where the logo doesn’t fit, or looks awkward? This comes up quite a bit, and it’s something that can be solved by having an alternate verison of your logo for just such scenarios. The need for a mark to fit into narrow spaces comes up more than you might expect. Lanyards Banners Table runners Outdoor signs Leather belts (just seeing if you’re paying attention) Creating a “wide” version of your church logo means your brand can look and feel comfortable in those spaces that are too narrow for a more squarish mark. The way you do this is pretty straightforward, with some caveats and a couple of bonus tips I’ll share at the end. Unstack multiple lines of text into one line Move the icon to the left or right side of the mark (sometimes it can go in the middle of the words) That’s it! Well, sort of… Below I’ve put an example of how to apply this in practice. Also, if your church does have leather belts with your logo, please stop it. Get some help.

I love magic. I’ve probably watched movies like the Prestige and the Illusionist more times than most people. But I recently learned the origins of a phrase that magicians love to say: “Abracadabra.” It comes from the Ancient Aramaic phrase, “Avra Kedavra,” meaning “I create as I speak.” We worship a God who is creative, the first sentence of the Bible tells us. But how does he create? We find out in the following verses that he does so with his speech. Words are how the God of the universe chose to express his creativity. We get to imitate his creativity using our own words. And it’s easier to do this now than ever. Because of AI, we live in a time where anyone can create anything - pictures, video, and interactive experiences - using just words. It feels like magic. With such a powerful tool at our disposal, should we not meditate on how this can be used to create things that will honor our Creator?

If a church is rebranding, it usually means they’re wanting to start something new. Sometimes that looks like focusing on a younger audience or rewriting the distinctives and core values. But many times, the goal is to create separation from a previous scandal, former leadership, or mission drift. If your goal in a church rebrand is to put the past behind you, you might not consider taking logo inspiration from your history… but maybe you should! In fact, it can be totally appropriate to draw on your history for branding ideas. Here are a few reasons to consider: Your past challenges were leadership-specific Your congregation and community still resonate with the legacy of your church Your church is especially old and its history is genuinely redemptive So what does taking logo inspiration from your church history actually look like? If your church has an archive of historical artifacts and documents, dig around and see if there’s anything interesting. You'd be surprised at how many times a simple artifact or document has been the inspiration for a killer logo design. Keep your eyes peeled for things like: Stamps and seals Building illustrations or paintings License plates Hand-made items Articles of formation Items that were important to the founding members/pastor I’ve personally seen all of these in a church archive at one point or another. And at the end of the day, you’ve gathered a greater appreciation for the legacy of your congregation, even if you don’t find something to integrate into your brand. P.S. If a rebrand is intended to create separation from the your past (especially a painful one) then drawing visual inspiration from that same past can send mixed signals. Even if the intentions are good (e.g., honoring long-time members or heritage), using symbols, colors, or design language tied to a difficult era can unintentionally reinforce what you’re trying to move past.

If you have a creative streak (or if you read this publication), you might occasionally notice the design choices made by your favorite brands. Think Apple, Nike, Chase Bank, etc. A majority of brand marks for the last several decades have followed a pattern when it comes to their logos: Abstract icon to the left, word mark to the right. However, nobody said you have to follow suit. In some cases, it’s perfectly appropriate to skip the abstract logo icon and go straight to a stylized word mark. This is a great approach when you have a short, unique name. That also means you’ll struggle if your church is named “First Baptist” or “Periwinkle Avenue Presbyterian Church.” Here’s a great example of a brand that leaned into their name with a strong word mark: Smirk - It’s clever, no? ;) Despite “icon-first” being the common approach to logo design in the corporate world, a well-crafted wordmark - like the one shown above - can bring a wealth of creativity and meaning to your brand, all on its own. Bonus Way: Monograms A second way to draw inspiration from your church’s name is to stylize and customize the first letter, also known as a monogram. Monograms have been around for centuries, so it makes sense that they would continue to be an effective means of identification. The monogram approach also helps with brand recognition because it stands for something very concrete: your church’s name. P.S. The tricky part about monograms is that they usually need a word mark to go with them. This puts you back at having a dualistic logo, except now the first letter of your church’s name gets repeated in the monogram and the word mark, which could be problematic.