This agency created a brand identity based on the sticky note

Creating a compelling new identity - the logo, typography, colour palate, visual style, signifying images - it's hard stuff. How do you stand out in a market where everyone is trying to stand out? For the graphic designers and brand builders amongst us, it's a problem we grapple with every day.

Anyone working in advertising will often find themselves reaching for the 'brand book'; sometimes just to look up fonts and RGB values, other times to study guidelines on graphic design or logo usage. I myself was lucky enough to get a look at the Red Cross "Brand Guidelines" last weekend (all 59 pages), and for visual nerds, getting a peak behind the curtain is a pleasant treat. And so it's always interesting to see how agencies around the world approach branding - looking to innovate and impress us - yet aware of the challenges in aspiring to do so.

Here, Polish design and branding agency Minima Advertising People - who you may remember from their work on Apple - uses the sticky note as a key visual in creating a brand identity for business consultancy Ability Consulting.

Explaining their idea, Minima told Adland:

A standard yellow sticky note was used to build the brand of Ability Consulting. Devoted to improve communication and support processes in business teams, the company needed a simple and clear identification mark.

But why a sticky note? Well according to Minima it's based on something they noticed about the Ability process:

What do Ability’s workshops look like? The work of the coaches is based on different techniques. During a brainstorming sessions, when thoughts are appearing very fast, participants often take notes on yellow post-its. The most important questions and bothering issues are written down on them. On the basis of this observation, the Minima agency has developed the whole communications strategy for the Ability Consulting brand.

... In addition, the Minima agency is responsible for the company’s new name and claim: better relationships in business.

Looking around I can see bundles of sticky notes on my desk and the desks of colleagues, so they can hardly be called a rare or uncommon symbol. In fact they're almost ubiquitous to an advertising agency environment. And yet, such a humble object does seem a pretty good fit here - for a business based on improving business communication. The Ability Consulting website is well done, with responsive media; if perhaps a little text heavy.

Branding fans - let us know what you think in the comments.