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Redesigning Identity
By Catharine Fishel
Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers, Inc., 2000 160 pages, $35.00
Reviewed by Martin Gaffney
With its well-illustrated identity case studies, Catharine Fishel’s
Redesigning Identity reinforces the importance of identity
design as an essential corporate resource during times of strategic
change. The multitude of reasons for redesigning identities is neatly
categorized into five types of business scenarios that make up the
chapters of the book: repositioning, modernizing, managing change,
promoting growth, and starting over. Each chapter contains five
cases, augmented by step-by-step outlines to illustrate the development
of identity designs. Redesigning Identity offers revealing
descriptions of designers' experiences. In each case, we are given
real-life, behind-the-scenes insight into the before, middle’ and
after of each redesign. This approach gives the reader a sense of
expectation and of surprise as the new design is revealed in each
case.
The book’s main premise is that an identity-regardless of
why it is being changed-should be a reflection of a company's inner
self. The companies featured will be familiar to designers the world
over, and some of their design briefs will seem just as familiar-for
instance, Polaroid’s order for the redesign of its electronic
imaging identity: Rework this, but don’t change a thing! The
diversity and challenge of identity design are revealed through
the case studies, which include examples of both large and small
enterprises and international as well as regional design consultants.
Landor’s work for Canadian Airlines, for instance, maintains
the visual equity of CA’s old identity while repositioning
the airline with a dynamic visual identity that helps attract savvy
business travelers. The work of design firm Dogstar for recruitment
company Heavy Talent is shown with extensive background sketches
providing a reminder of the craft of design-something all too often
forgotten in the computerized design world of today. Other well-researched
and amply illustrated examples include Coca-Cola, Steel Reserve
Lager, Eagle Star, China Youth Press, and Nando’s restaurants.
I am sure that this book will offer young designers useful guidelines
for the identity design process and provide more experienced consultants
with reminders of best practices for identity design. For design
creatives, design managers, marketing managers, and others, Fishel’s
entertaining and informative book is an excellent view of identity
design.
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