What is the difference between corporate identity and visual identity?

Corporate identity is the whole of who an organisation is (its vision, values and story) and how consistently it expresses that in how it looks, speaks and behaves. Visual identity is the visible part of that whole: logo, colour, typography, identity elements and the guidelines for using them.

How long does a visual identity project take?

About four weeks, from the briefing meeting to the delivery of the brand guidelines.

What do we receive at the end of the project?

Logo and variations, colour palette, typefaces, identity elements, application examples, stationery such as business cards and letterheads, and brand guidelines that collect every rule.

Do you only design logos?

We always design a logo as part of a system. Without colour, typography and guidelines, a logo cannot stay consistent across different media.

Do you work with brands outside Turkey?

Yes. We work in English, German and Turkish and run projects remotely with brands in the DACH region, the UAE and Turkey.

Can you refresh our existing logo without replacing it entirely?

Yes. In our first meeting we decide together between a refresh that keeps your brand’s recognition and a completely new identity.

Corporate identity and
visual identity design

A logo is a brand’s signature. Visual identity is the system that defines how that signature behaves on a business card, on packaging, on signage and on screen.

Visual Identity

A visual system of logo, colour, typography and identity elements, defined by guidelines. A project delivered in about four weeks.

Corporate Identity

A long-term partnership that defines who an organisation is and carries it into how it looks, speaks, meets people and behaves.

Visual identity and corporate identity

Visual identity is part of corporate identity. The difference is scope before time: one defines how a brand looks; the other defines who the organisation is and how it shows, says and lives it.

Corporate identitylong-term partnership

Corporate personalityVision · values · story

Visual identityHow it looksLogo, colour, typography, identity elements

Verbal identityHow it speaksName, messaging, tone of voice

TouchpointsWhere it meets peopleWeb, signage, spaces, exhibitions

BehaviourHow it behavesPrinciples, brand ambassadors

Visual identity can also be commissioned on its own: a project of about four weeks.

	Visual Identity	Corporate Identity
Question it answers	How does the brand look?	Who is the organisation, and how does it live that?
Scope	Logo, colour, typography, identity elements, guidelines	Strategy, visual and verbal identity, spaces, behavioural principles
Starting point	Brief	Corporate personality: vision, values, story
Duration	About 4 weeks	Long-term, ongoing
Model	Project	Partnership

Visual Identity — the visible face of the brand

A visual system of logo, colour, typography and identity elements, with its rules set out in guidelines. A project with a clear start and end, delivered in about four weeks. For new brands, product launches and companies refreshing their look.

Corporate Identity — who the organisation is, consistently

A holistic process that defines an organisation’s core (vision, values, story) and carries it into four areas: how it looks, how it speaks, where it meets people and how it behaves. It starts with strategy and continues as the organisation grows. This is how we work, long-term, with organisations such as Taşmektep, Furkan Gedik Architecture and Artvest.

What we
deliver

For visual identity
At the end of the project, a set your team and suppliers can use straight away:
- Logo and variations — primary logo, horizontal and vertical versions, symbol, single-colour and reversed use
- Colour palette — primary, secondary and neutral colours with print and screen codes (CMYK, RGB, HEX, Pantone)
- Typography — headline and text typefaces, hierarchy of use
- Identity elements — brand-specific patterns, graphic language and visual devices
- Applications — examples showing the identity in its real-world contexts
- Stationery — business cards, letterheads and other print materials as needed
- Brand guidelines — every rule in one document, the reference for your team and suppliers
For corporate identity
The full visual identity set, plus work that defines the organisation’s core and its other forms of expression. Scope is agreed with each organisation:
- Corporate personality and strategy — vision, values and positioning workshop; competitor and sector analysis; brand story
- Verbal identity — naming, tagline, messaging and tone-of-voice guide
- Visual identity — the full set above
- Spaces and touchpoints — signage, interior graphics, exhibition and trade-fair spaces, website
- Behavioural principles — principles that carry the identity into the everyday language of staff and the customer experience
- Stewardship — ongoing design and review that keeps the identity coherent across new products, branches or markets

Start a project

Process

Visual identity · about 4 weeks
1. Understand (week 1) — In a briefing meeting we get to know your brand, audience and competitors; if you already have a logo, we decide together whether it needs a refresh or a new identity.
2. Position (week 1) — We filter out the visual clichés of your sector and find the space your brand can own.
3. Concept (week 2) — We present two to four identity concepts in different directions and explain the idea behind each.
4. Develop (week 3) — We turn the chosen direction into a system of logo variations, colour, typography and identity elements.
5. Deliver (week 4) — We hand over applications, stationery and brand guidelines as ready-to-use files.
Corporate identity · long-term
Corporate identity starts inside the organisation and works outwards:
1. Research — interviews with management and staff; audit of current communication, competitors and verbal language.
2. Strategy — vision, values and positioning workshops; brand brief; naming where needed.
3. Identity design — visual and verbal identity (messaging, tone of voice, tagline).
4. Touchpoints — web, packaging, signage, interiors, exhibition and trade-fair spaces, stationery.
5. Management and stewardship — launch, behavioural principles, guidelines; linking every new touchpoint to the same core as the organisation grows.

Selected work

ALL WORK

Mimoo

Packaging DesignVisual Identity

UniversaCos

BrandingVisual IdentityWeb Design

Artvest Yacht Carpet

BrandingLogo DesignMedia Planning and Buying

Our Awards

We are a young team, and we can’t get enough of awards.

Kategori

Ödül

Yıl

Our Partners

We believe in building strong relationships with our clients and working hand in hand to bring their visions to life. Our team listens carefully, asks the right questions, and applies our expertise to deliver solutions that exceed expectations.

Frequently asked
questions

What is the difference between corporate identity and visual identity?

Corporate identity is the whole of who an organisation is (its vision, values and story) and how consistently it expresses that in how it looks, speaks and behaves. Visual identity is the visible part of that whole: logo, colour, typography, identity elements and the guidelines for using them.
How long does a visual identity project take?

About four weeks, from the briefing meeting to the delivery of the brand guidelines.
What do we receive at the end of the project?

Logo and variations, colour palette, typefaces, identity elements, application examples, stationery such as business cards and letterheads, and brand guidelines that collect every rule.
Do you only design logos?

We always design a logo as part of a system. Without colour, typography and guidelines, a logo cannot stay consistent across different media.
Do you work with brands outside Turkey?

Yes. We work in English, German and Turkish and run projects remotely with brands in the DACH region, the UAE and Turkey.
Can you refresh our existing logo without replacing it entirely?

Yes. In our first meeting we decide together between a refresh that keeps your brand’s recognition and a completely new identity.

Let’s talk about your brand

In our first meeting we clarify together whether you need a visual identity or a corporate identity. info@hollgraphic.com · +90 232 246 44 63