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After finishing a rebrand project, I used to caution clients against using their new logo on everything, warning them about the dangers of "brand fatigue." I've changed my perspective on this now. It feels counterintuitive, but your brand should be 99% repetition and 1% novelty. As a ministry leader, you'll get tired of hearing your core values long before your audience even remembers one of them. You'll be dreaming in only your brand colors before anyone even notices that there's an intentional palette. In fact, there was a study done to see how well regular people could recall major brand logos from memory. The results were pretty shocking. If regular people struggled to remember the TARGET logo, then your church probably doesn't have to worry about "over-branding." That said, there's a simple principle that can help you give your church more brand "touchpoints" without going overboard and getting on anyone's nerves. I’ll talk about that in the next one. See you there!

Especially in the ministry world, we tend to think of a brand as a logo, color, or font... something flashy and new to get people's attention. But this is completely backwards. Brand is the gut feeling people have about your organization. Branding is how we shape and cultivate that gut feeling. By being intentional with your look, feel, and tone, you're associating those things with your church: everything it does and stands for. Hopefully, that association is one of trust and goodwill. Your logo, colors, and tagline are just a few of the ways that association can be made, but these things are not inherently a “brand.” They're tools for the purpose of making a repeatable association. That's why its so important to regularly tend your brand. With patience and intentionality, eventually you will see progress. Your church will start to identify with your brand because it signifies their shared history, values, and purpose. That’s when you can start to reap the benefits of your people’s trust, unity, and zeal.

Part of my process when I help a church to rebrand involves giving them what I call a “branding toolkit.” This is basically a set of logos, colors, fonts, patterns, textures, photography, etc. they can use to quickly create digital graphics or print pieces that look and feel like their church. In the past, I’ve handed this toolkit off as just digital files, stored on a hard drive or in the cloud. It worked, but it was a little clunky. Then I found out about Canva Brand Kits. These were a game changer… and the best part is, churches get Canva Pro for free. (Canva didn’t sponsor this or anything like that, in fact I despised it for a long time because of how simplistic it used to be... it’s a powerhouse now) With a brand kit, your whole visual identity is a living, breathing system. Your colors are live swatches rather than just hex codes. Your fonts are set up as different styles and apply with just a click. I think I’m behind the times on this, but I wanted to share it in case you or your staff haven’t taken full advantage of brand kits. Have you tried it? Hit reply and let me know how it went.

Energetic logo = energetic church? Not necessarily. Strong stable logo = strong stable church? Maybe sometimes. This is an easy, one-dimensional way to think about church branding. Here’s the problem: Logos aren’t supposed to speak for themselves. The purpose of a logo is to identify; not explain. If your logo is recognizable and memorable, it’s done its job. The explaining part is up to you. Thankfully, you can use other elements of your visual brand to help you do that explanation. The purpose of having colors, fonts, photography, and everything else in your branding toolkit is to flesh out the ideas that don’t fit inside your logo.

It’s easy to overwork the logo and pack as much symbolism and meaning as possible into the design. But here’s my hot take: Your logo should be the clean symbol that identifies your church (that positive gut feeling): not an infographic. Cultivating a healthy brand means putting in the work to connect the dots between what you look like and who you are. You might be saying, “But Braden, people will never connect the dots between the logo and our purpose/vision/mission on their own.” You’re right! The logo is just one tool in a branding toolkit, with a specific purpose (instant identification). Just because you have a hammer doesn’t mean everything is a nail ;)

For most people, the word “branding” brings to mind symbolism. Brands use symbols to convey a bigger message and create an association between ideas, people, and products. There’s also a strong Biblical precedent for visual storytelling and symbolism. Moses lifted up the image of a serpent in the wilderness. The Lord’s instructions for his tabernacle were packed full of icons and symbols. The early church used the ichthys to represent their shared Christian identity. Applying this to a church communications, we focus on the logo as the main visual symbol, and most people naturally want it to represent as much transcendent meaning as possible. Here’s my hot take: All the symbols in the world can’t make up for unclear foundational ideas that underpin your church identity. Symbolism in a logo means nothing without core distinctives. How do you know what those distinctives are? You have to do a little digging. Tending your brand sometimes means breaking out the shovel and getting to the root.

It’s easy to look at only your church logo in isolation and think “Our branding is taken care of.” Here’s the problem: Most churches aren't using their branding toolkit very well. Or worse, they don't have one at all. Their website and bulletins look like they could belong to any church. Even with their logo on it, it says nothing about their vision and identity. Having a roadmap and process is all some churches need to get through a rebrand. For others, they need someone to guide them past the traps and time-sucks that can slow them down or make them give up all together. If your church is stuck with a lacking or nonexistent branding toolkit, I can help you fix that, without all the technical headaches, delays, and uncertainty of a DIY rebrand. Not only does it save stress, having a trusted design partner makes sure that you launch the new brand sooner rather than later, and with lots of buy-in from your congregation. I have a couple of openings over the next month, so let’s talk soon to see what that could look like in your church.

Sometimes you’re stuck with a brand you inherited from whoever came before you. If the gut feelings and associations around that brand are good, then you don’t want to throw everything out and start over from scratch. As my dad would say: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s true… but… there comes a time when you could use a little refresh to make that brand more effective, without losing the trust and goodwill built up in the past. You need a good old Rebrand Lite™️ Color adjustments One option is to brighten up your color palette slightly, bringing a little more energy and vibrancy without losing the hues that are recognized by your congregation. Logo adjustments A second way to do a light brand refresh is to refine your existing logo. What is the core idea it represents? Is there anything that distracts from that core idea? What happens if you simplify it just slightly? If it’s multiple colors, is there a way to make it work in a single color? This is a more advanced option, but even a slight adjustment can help your logo look more clean and confident. Font adjustments There are two elements to typography: selection and application. Fonts can be tricky to navigate because there are so many bad ones out there. Rather than picking totally new fonts, think about how your existing fonts that could be used in a new creative way. If you’re pruning things that distract, and nurturing things that bear fruit, you’ll be able to make an outdated brand work for a long time! It’s not a forever solution, but hopefully these strategies can make a difference in the meantime.

As the ways to communicate online and with technology expands, so does the number of places your logo and colors need to be kept up to date. Your logo has to be replicated across every platform on dozens if not hundreds of profile pictures and thumbnails. And you’re probably using more online services than you think. In fact, the only thing holding some churches back from rebranding is the simple logistical costs of transitioning. That’s why it’s more important than ever to have a timeless visual brand. For every additional year your branding stays relevant, you’re saving ministry dollars on the costs of a rebrand. Conversely, a DIY or cheap logo that’s fresh but doesn’t stand the test of time is costing you money in the long run.

Where I live in Oklahoma is not too far away from Drummond Ranch. The Drummonds are a wealthy family with 433,000 acres of land in Osage County. I own 37 acres, which feels like too much some days. The Drummonds own more than 10,000 times more than that. It’s been said that at one point in the 1960’s they had an operation with 200,000 head of cattle. Those numbers are mind-blowing. If you’re a cattle rancher with 200,000 head, you can bet that branding (literal branding) is on your mind. Now let’s say you wanted to “rebrand” your ranch (I might be having too much fun with the wordplay). Even a tiny change would be massively costly. A ranch of that size would ruin its recognition (and finances) by rebranding every 5 years or even 10 years. If you truly needed to change your brand, there’s only one responsible thing to do: Spend the extra time and money to future-proof the rebrand. Upgrading your branding to something more timeless is a financially savvy move in the long run. Get a brand without an expiration date, and tending it will become easier.

If there’s a disconnect between your vision and your church visuals, you might have considered a rebrand at some point. There are different ways to approach a church rebrand, but there are two old ways of doing it that can be anywhere from “just ok” to a total disaster. The Bootstrapped Brand This seems like the intuitive way for a lot of churches. Here’s how this approach normally looks: Have a member design your logo Find a font that “looks nice” Rebrand again in 2 or 3 years when you outgrow it You don’t feel like investing much time and resources into the rebrand, so you rely on a home-grown approach instead. Here’s the problem: without a professional designer, what these churches get is probably not the best quality, and probably won’t last as long as they want it to. The Secular Agency This second way seems like it solves the problems inherent in the bootstrapped rebrand. Here’s what it often looks like: Go online and find a designer who does corporate branding Endure 6 months or more of revisions and tweaking End up looking, well… corporate… This approach invests time and money into the rebrand, recognizing that a DIY identity is probably not what you want. The problem with hiring a secular agency, is that they are probably not specialists in branding for churches. They may not understand the unique two audience dynamic of a church brand, and they probably don’t have as much practice capturing a distinctly Christian aesthetic. The Better Way Maybe I’m biased, but there’s a better, more effective, and less stressful way to rebrand your church. I truly believe it’s critical to have a dedicated, professional designer who understands and specializes in churches. You shouldn’t have to pick between an expensive, year-long process of a secular agency or the uncertainty of doing it yourself. I do just that, but don’t take my word for it. Look at the portfolio of churches I’ve helped.

Podcast logos are different from regular branding because they don’t have to work in as many contexts, at least not early on. Much of the skill in logo and identity design is making something extremely flexible. With a podcast that exists only online, you don’t need that level of flexibility. All you need is memorability. Unlike an organization or business, you probably won’t be printing, stitching, or putting your logo on top of other graphics and photos very often. This means your podcast can have a full color photo or graphic with plenty of detail. SO… follow these steps if you want a podcast logo that’s eye catching, memorable, and free. Distill the big idea Decide if it needs to match your church brand Identify who it is for and what they like Feed all that information to ChatGPT and ask it to write a Midjourney prompt that will give you a podcast logo Plug the prompt into your AI image tool of choice Refine the language in your prompt if needed Remember, all you need is memorability, so don’t be afraid to go outside the box!

I recently watched the movie Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch. It chronicles the genius work of Alan Turing to crack the Enigma cypher during WWII. Germany was using encrypted messages to send critical instructions to its ships and submarines via radio. The Americans could intercept the messages, but couldn’t decode them fast enough. The Germans knew that a message is useless if it can’t be understood by its recipient. When you’re crafting your vision, mission, and brand, how often do you evaluate if it will be understood by your audience? Are you putting it in language they’re familiar with? Does your logo capture something they resonate with?

If you’ve ever thought about redesigning your church’s logo (or even just giving it a refresh), then you might’ve realized a unique challenge: The hardest part is finding a designer who won’t mess it up. To solve that, there are questions you should be asking which will save you loads of wasted time and frustration. Ask you logo designer this: Have you worked with churches before? What happens if we don’t like the logo? When we decide on the new look, how do we transition from old to new? Do you check for unintentional symbolism? Will you license fonts for us to use? Will you wait to share the project online until after we announce it? Do you use templates or pre-made designs? I can tell you these are important questions because they’re all based on real-world concerns, goals, and experiences. Anything you would add to his list?

You’ve probably used and taught evangelism methods before. These tools make the Gospel easy to understand, remember, and share. Have you ever considered how your church brand works the same way? Evangelism tools introduce words, pictures, and frameworks to help people explain the Gospel message to someone. What are the words, pictures, and frameworks your members use to tell their friends, neighbors, and coworkers about your church? For most people, inviting someone to church is already nerve-racking enough. Part of that is your unique church identity - it’s hard to sum up on the spot! The solution is to give your congregation a framework with visuals to help them understand, remember, and share your church. Give them words to use. Give them memorable visuals. Use visuals that reflect who you are and who you want to be as a church body. These are all things branding effectively aims to do. We have a gift of eternal and unmeasurable value in the Gospel and in the fellowship we experience through the local church. Shouldn’t we be valuing that gift more highly and helping others do the same?

Tending your brand is so much deeper and wider than using your logo. That’s because a brand is much, much more than a logo. Look at the image below and tell me, do you recognize the brand it belongs to? Of course you do! But wait, there’s no logo to be found… That’s because Chick Fil A doesn’t need to put their logo on everything for you to know it’s theirs. The emotions and feelings they’ve created are more than enough to identify them. This is done with interior design, photos, colors, textures, and font choices, which are a critical part of what we call “branding.” The logo is the “tip of the spear” in a brand. The logo is the “tip of the spear” in a brand, but the other branding elements, the “shaft of the spear” are what should be doing the heavy lifting. They’ve curated a style that gives people a sense of joy, trust, and cleanliness. Here’s the question: Did Chick Fil A stumble upon their style of branding by accident?

Last year I had a jaw-dropping call with a church that was in some serious trouble - let’s call them Ridgeview Fellowship. The church had a good online presence, a functional logo, and a brand they had worked hard to build up over the years. They didn’t want to rebrand, but when they came to me, they felt like they had no choice. A local accounting firm that had opened nearby had a similar (almost identical) logo. The firm was threatening legal action if the church didn’t change their look. But wait, the church had been there longer? Yes. Hadn’t the church been using their logo out in the community already? Yes. Where did the church get their logo in the first place? Good question. Nobody was 100% certain, but they thought they remembered it had been designed with a small budget by someone on Fiverr. If I had to guess, I’d wager that the accounting firm went with a Fiverr designer too, and ended up with a not-so-unique mark… Here are the reverse-image search results that suggest the same thing (church logo not pictured). {{ comp.video({ src: "/img/posts/lawsuit-reverse-image-search.mp4" }) }} Now, the firm was threatening to sue for trademark infringement. Instead of spend untold sums of money and time imbuing themselves in a lawsuit (to defend a logo they didn’t even love), the church felt like they had no choice but to rebrand. This is a sad situation, and it happens more often than you might think. Here’s the takeaway: build your visual identity around the things that make your church unique, and you won’t have to worry about someone else stealing it. Also, you might think about trademarking your church logo.

One of the things I do with every client is ask for pictures of their church building. It’s is one of the most straightforward and safest approaches to designing a logo, because you’re working with shapes and motifs which are already familiar to a congregation. When I can, I’ll actually go to the church for a visit to get a personal, up close impression and take photos for inspiration. What I’m looking for is anything that stands out as particularly iconic, or that could be simplified into a recognizable mark. Here are a few examples: Prominent stained glass windows Unique staircases Floor plan of the sanctuary Front-facing Doorways Recognizable pillars Repeating shapes like arches Interesting brick patterns These are just the places I generally look for visual inspiration in a church building. Your church might have other unique features, and I’d encourage you to make note of those too! If you’re gearing up for a rebrand at your church, I would be glad to help you gather inspiration, nail down your brand strategy, and execute the design of your new logo so that you can roll it out to your congregation seamlessly. I put my calendar up here if you want to find a time when we can talk about what God is doing in the life of your church.

It’s not always clear right away, but drawing inspiration from a church’s mission, vision, and values can make for a rich logo design with layers of hidden meaning, done right. When I get with a church to design their brand, I make a point to talk face-to-face with them about their vision, and the core purposes or values that define the culture (and theology) they’re trying to shape in their congregation. For some, it sounds esoteric, but I’ve used a process for dozens of church brands that extracts the themes and threads woven into their church distinctives. I look for any of those themes that could be represented visually, and draw from the symbols that come out of that process to add meaning and depth to the logo. With this approach, there’s a danger of trying to pack too much into one single mark. Representing your mission, vision, core values, purposes, etc. in a single logo is sometimes not possible. But that’s okay, because the purpose of a logo is to identify - not explain (yes, I’ll keep saying it). Before you go and try this yourself, keep in mind that the actual execution is hard. Compared to the other methods I’m talking about today, this is probably the most difficult to pull off. That’s why it can be helpful to hire someone who understands churches and specializes in branding. I offer this service to churches through my design agency, Restore Graphics. Go to that website, book a call, and we can chat about the vision you’re wanting to weave into your church brand.

If your church is aiming for a culture of permanence and community engagement, something unique about your city or region is a great place to get visual inspiration that can be incorporated into your brand. Many churches try to be “for the city.” But how can they show this in a more tangible way? The answer is borrowing an element of their environment that identifies them as belonging to that unique location. Maybe your city in California or Florida is known for a particular species of palm tree. Maybe your county in Kansas has the largest export of corn or wheat in the U.S. Maybe your region in the northeast is known for its fishing culture. Maybe your town has a unique layout from an aerial view You can see why research is such a critical part of the logo design and branding process. You probably won’t know about golden tidbits of inspiration like this until you do some digging. If I discover something like this while helping a church rebrand, I’ll experiment with visual motifs that fit their target aesthetic. Usually that looks like a subtle nod to the city through a color or integrated shape, but occasionally I’ll be more overt. Whether or not you end up finding a specific piece of visual inspiration that’s pure gold, there’s a good reason to do this research anyway: You’ll learn more about your city and community, making it easier to resonate with them in the other parts of your branding.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A side adventure I’ve had for the last two years has been bringing Oklahoma Trading Cards to market. But this week, that adventure almost ended abruptly. Turning photos of iconic landmarks into a product for sale, we knew we needed to be on our toes when it came to copyright. We thought all our ducks were in a row until we stumbled on a goose; a very aggressive goose who was not happy about his trademarked pop bottle sign being featured. We thought we were in the clear, but trademarks are tricky things. Now we have to negotiate with the business owner on how to compensate him and whether we need to stop our sales. At the time of writing, we’ve sold them all over Oklahoma so it’s no small matter. If you’re taking inspiration from a well-known or iconic image of any kind for your church, check the trademark database and avoid the headaches we’re going through now.

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.