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A clearer direction. A practical identity system.

Skilld Design helps owners, founders and decision-makers clarify a brand problem and develop a coherent identity for the agreed applications.

You work directly with Neil de la Harpe, an independent graphic designer and practical builder based in Cape Town and working across South Africa and remotely.

01 / 03 Brand direction and identity design

Clarify the direction

Business situation

The business, product or offer is difficult to understand, has outgrown its identity or needs a coherent starting system.

Useful result

A clearer direction based on the business need, the offer and the agreed priorities.

Work can include

Offer clarification, positioning and message hierarchy, naming support and creative strategy where these are relevant to the brief.

Handover

An approved direction that gives the identity work a clear basis and an agreed route forward.

Evidence and boundaries

The work is defined around the specific business problem rather than a fixed package or unsupported commercial promise.

View Skilld Design capabilities

Build the identity system

Business situation

The brand needs recognisable visual decisions that can work together across its agreed priority formats.

Useful result

A coherent identity system that can be applied consistently without narrowing the business to a single logo or application.

Work can include

Identity systems, logos, icons, typography, colour, layout rules, templates and launch applications where specified by the project.

Handover

Approved direction, master artwork, editable templates, application examples and documented rules as agreed in the scope.

Evidence and boundaries

Relevant existing work includes Titanium Coffee, Scotz Auto, Volt Mobile, Funki, Anthem, Famous Red and the identity archive.

View Titanium Coffee case

Connect the agreed applications

Business situation

Brand decisions need to carry into packaging, websites, ecommerce or other practical materials without losing coherence.

Useful result

Identity decisions that can support the agreed applications and remain clear for the people using them.

Work can include

Selected packaging systems, iconography, digital applications, templates or launch materials can be connected when the brief requires them.

Handover

The agreed artwork, examples and rules for the defined project, with the relevant application boundaries made clear.

Evidence and boundaries

Skilld Design works across brands, products, digital experiences and practical systems as Neil de la Harpe’s direct independent design practice.

See the wider work

03 /Connected identity work

What brand direction and identity can cover

Brand direction

Brand direction can clarify the offer, positioning and message hierarchy before visual decisions are carried into a system. The Monzo brand voice and content system study examines a related verbal system.

Identity systems

An identity system connects the selected logo, typography, colour, iconography and layout rules across agreed applications.

Logo design

Logo design can form part of the wider identity system, with master artwork and application examples included where specified.

Packaging and digital applications

When relevant to the brief, identity decisions can connect with packaging systems, websites, ecommerce and launch materials.

03 /Ways to begin

Start with the business problem the identity needs to address.

  1. An identity that has been outgrown

    Clarify what is no longer working and which priority formats the identity needs to support.

  2. A business, product or offer that is hard to understand

    Connect offer clarification and message hierarchy to a coherent visual direction.

  3. A new identity starting system

    Define the business need and develop the agreed identity elements and application rules.

  4. A defined specialist workstream

    Bring independent design judgement to a clearly scoped identity project for an owner, team or agency.

Describe the business need, what is currently difficult and the priority applications you need the identity to support.

Discuss a defined brand identity project