Branding: In Five and a Half Steps

The ultimate guide to creating a successful brand by a world-class master of the art, Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson is one of the world’s leading graphic designers and brand consultants. His studio, johnson banks, is responsible for the rebranding of many notable clients, including Virgin Atlantic, Think London, BFI, Christian
Aid and MORE TH>N. He has garnered a plethora of awards in the process.

In 'Branding', Johnson strips the most famous, everyday brands down to their basic components, enabling us to understand why we select one product or service over another and allowing us to comprehend how seemingly subtle influences can affect our key life decisions.

The first part of the book shows how the birth of a brand begins not with finding a solution but rather with identifying key questions: what does the brand mean? What does it want to be? The second half focuses on the design and implementation of the brand. Step 2.5, Johnson reveals, is the most important stage of all. It bridges the all-too-neglected gap between research and design, and guides you through the vital moments where the creation of brands can go wrong.

With more than 1,000 vibrant illustrations showcasing the world’s most successful corporate identities, Branding is an authoritative guide to creating the simplest and most compelling brands.

Michael Johnson set up the creative design studio, johnson banks, in 1992. Since then, he has received eight ‘pencil’ awards from D&AD, 13 Design Week awards and four NYADC ‘cube’ awards, among many others. Johnson has been
cited as one of the most notable British designers by the Guardian and the Independent, and has been featured in Design Week’s ‘Hot 50’ list of prominent figures in design on three separate occasions. He is also the author of Problem Solved.