Branding Beyond a Logo

Hannah Spearman
4 days ago
4 min read

Why we built a brand book for ourselves -and why we're helping others do the same

We created our brand book not because we had it all figured out, but because we didn’t!

We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in business, education, and innovation. But for a long time, our own brand didn’t reflect the caliber of work we were doing. Our design decisions were scattered. Our messaging varied depending on who was writing it. We were doing good work, but our brand didn’t always show it.

Ring any bells?

As our team grew and more voices contributed to our brand, it became clear we needed a single source of truth. When we onboarded a new CMO, one of his first questions was whether a brand book existed. It didn’t—yet. That moment validated what we already knew: we had a strong foundation, but we needed a clearer, more consistent way to express it.

Through that process, we aligned our visuals, refined our tone, and created a shared foundation that’s already changing the way we present ourselves. More importantly, we created a tool we can build on—and now, we’re helping others do the same through CREATE. by 4xi.

Take a look at our brand book:

How do you know it’s time for a brand book?

If your content feels inconsistent, your teams are designing things from scratch, or your brand doesn't feel cohesive anymore, it's probably time.

Most companies don’t prioritize branding until it becomes a problem. It gets pushed aside in favor of more urgent work. A lot of businesses assume their brand will evolve on its own. And it will, up to a point. But eventually, you hit a wall.

You grow. You change. But your brand stays stuck. We’ve seen it firsthand.

That’s why we built a simple framework to help organizations get back on track:

C	Clarity	Know what you stand for and make it easy for others to see it too.
R	Relevance	Make sure your brand reflects where you are now, not just where you started.
E	Execution	Show up consistently across every platform, asset, and audience.
A	Aesthetics	Be intentional about your visual choices. Design should support your message, not distract.
T	Trust	Build confidence internally and externally with brand standards people can follow.
E	Empowerment	Give everyone the tools to represent your brand well, even if they’re not a designer.

What happens on a Discovery Call?

When you book a Discovery Call with CREATE. by 4xi, it’s not a sales pitch. It’s a conversation.

We’ll ask about what’s working and what’s not.
We’ll look at how your brand is being used across your organization.
We’ll give you a quick diagnostic using the CREATE Method so you walk away with at least one actionable insight.
If it makes sense to work together, we’ll outline what the full brand book process could look like for your business.

What you’ll walk away with

We don’t just give you a document with fonts and logos. We create a living, breathing guide that helps every part of your company show up more consistently and with more confidence.

Your final brand book will:

Define your logos, colors, typefaces, sub-brands, and photo styles
Align your team around your tone, voice, and values
Set clear standards for how to design and communicate with consistency
Help your non-designers create with more confidence and fewer bottlenecks
Make your marketing faster, cleaner, and easier to execute

And if you want, we can even help you apply it.

Ready to see if this is a fit? We know how transformative this process can be because we’ve been through it ourselves.

If you're ready to take a look at your brand through a more strategic lens, we’d love to connect. Let's talk!

You don’t need a perfect brand to get started. You just need to start.

📩 Ready to begin?

Contact Hannah Spearman, 4xi's Graphic Design and Creative Services Lead to discuss how we can help you on your branding journey, learn more by visiting our Website.

CONTACT HANNAH

4xi Global Consulting & Solutions is a team of talented leaders from both the client-side and service provider side, impacting the Human Experience (HX) for people at work, in education, rest, and at leisure.

We believe in a people-first, experience-led philosophy. Whether client, employee, or guest – their experience is the fundamental foundation of success.

WHAT WE DO

We work with corporations, service providers, and innovators:

Strategic Advisory & Special Projects (SPx)
Headquarters Fractional Support On-Demand
Global Amenities Strategy, Design & Operations
Market Research Reports & Benchmarking
Project Management Office
Food Craft Culinary Consulting
CREATE. : Graphic Design and Creative Services
DATAxi: Data Ingestion and Visualization
Explorers Innovation Directory: Gateway to Innovation

4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy.

Our Strength is in the Power of Our Collective.