Insights
What’s included in a brand identity?
What you should expect from a brand identity project, what usually isn’t included and how to tell whether you need a refresh or a full rebrand.
Updated 30 October 2026 · Drew Kilpatrick · 3 min read
The short answer
A brand identity is the complete visual system that makes your business look and feel consistent everywhere. A proper identity project includes a logo suite, colour palette, typography, supporting graphics, imagery direction and brand guidelines, plus the templates you need to use it. A logo on its own isn’t an identity.
What’s typically included
| Deliverable | What it is |
|---|---|
| Strategy and positioning | Who you’re for, what makes you different and how you want to be seen. Often the first stage. |
| Logo suite | A primary logo, secondary versions, a symbol or monogram, and lockups for different spaces. |
| Colour palette | Primary and supporting colours, with values for print and screen. |
| Typography | Typefaces and how they’re used for headings, body copy and digital. |
| Graphic elements | Patterns, shapes and icons that make the brand recognisable even without the logo. |
| Imagery direction | How photography, illustration and video should look and feel. |
| Motion | Logo animation and motion principles for video and social, where it suits the brand. |
| Brand guidelines | The rulebook that keeps everything consistent for your team and suppliers. |
| Templates and launch assets | Business cards, social templates, presentations, email signatures and signage. |
What usually isn’t included
- Copywriting and messaging, which is often quoted separately.
- Your website. It’s usually its own project, though it’s best planned alongside the brand.
- Printing and production costs.
- Trademark searches and registration. That’s a legal step, worth doing through IP Australia or an IP lawyer.
Refresh or full rebrand?
A refresh keeps your foundation, usually your name and the parts people already recognise, and fixes what’s holding you back. It’s quicker and often the smarter move.
A full rebrand starts again. It makes sense after a merger, a name change, a big shift in direction, or when the current brand is actively working against you. A good designer will tell you honestly which one you need.
Cost and timing at DD Design
Most brand identity projects take 8 to 12 weeks and cost $10k to $30k+ (plus GST), quoted as a fixed fee. A refresh sits at the lower end; a full identity with strategy, guidelines and launch materials, or a system covering several brands, sits higher. Once the final payment is made, you own the approved deliverables.
For an example of a larger system, see the Equitifund masterbrand and its five sub-brands.
Want a straight answer for your business?
Tell me what you’re working on and I’ll come back with honest advice and a fixed quote. Or start with a free scan of your current site.