All services · Sandton, Johannesburg · Serving businesses across South Africa
Brand design should help customers recognise the business and understand its offer. The Lead Agency brings identity and marketing design into the same conversation as the website and customer journey. We are based in Sandton, Johannesburg and serve businesses across South Africa.
Who this service suits
You may be launching a business, clarifying an existing identity, creating consistent marketing materials or preparing assets for a new website or campaign. The useful starting point is the audience, offer and real places where the design must work.
Some businesses need a focused set of assets within an existing identity. Others need a broader visual system. Distinguishing those needs early helps avoid commissioning a complete rebrand when a more specific design brief would be useful.
What the agreed work can include
- Logo and visual identity development.
- Typography, colour and supporting visual elements.
- Digital assets for the agreed website or campaign applications.
- Marketing materials and presentation assets within scope.
- Guidance on applying the agreed identity consistently.
The proposal confirms the applications, concepts or directions, revision rounds, final files and production responsibilities. Naming, copywriting, printing, photography, stock-asset licensing and other specialist requirements should be discussed separately rather than assumed to form part of every design project.
Make the brief specific
Describe what the business offers, who it needs to reach and how customers should understand it. Share the existing identity and useful examples, with an explanation of what each example does well. Competitor work can inform the discussion, but the final identity should be original and appropriate to your business.
List the required uses: a website header, social asset, proposal document or printed item each has different practical needs. Confirm who provides feedback and who can approve the work. Consolidated feedback and clear approval responsibilities make review rounds easier to use.
A practical design process
- Understand the business. Clarify the audience, offer, existing assets and intended applications.
- Agree the deliverables. Set the design scope, review process, dependencies and file requirements.
- Develop and review. Present the agreed work and gather feedback against the brief.
- Refine and prepare. Complete the approved direction for the specified applications.
- Hand over clearly. Confirm the final files and the guidance included in the engagement.
Connect the identity with the customer journey
Consistency should help a customer recognise the same business across an advert, landing page and proposal. The design still needs a clear offer and useful content around it. A strong visual identity cannot compensate for an unclear service, a difficult form or an unsupported claim.
When a website or campaign is part of the project, identify which assets and decisions those teams need. Our WordPress service and Google Ads service explain the related delivery considerations.
Cost, timing and examples of work
The number of applications, complexity, content readiness, production requirements and review rounds affect the fee and schedule. We clarify the brief before preparing a proposal. The proposal sets out the agreed scope, review rounds and delivery requirements.
When reviewing design evidence, look for the starting brief, the designer’s role and the applications delivered. Ask to see relevant examples in the context of the brief. A design image without that context does not establish a commercial result.
Questions before you enquire
Can you work with our existing brand?
Yes. Share the current assets, guidance and the specific applications you need. We can discuss a focused scope within the existing identity rather than assume a full rebrand is required.
What will I receive?
Your proposal confirms the agreed deliverables, applications, file formats and guidance. These vary by project, so they should be explicit before work begins.
Does every project include a logo?
No. Some projects concern marketing materials or digital assets within an existing identity. Logo or identity development is included only when it is part of the agreed scope.
What affects design fees and timelines?
The brief, number of applications, asset and content readiness, production needs, approval responsibilities and review rounds affect the work. A schedule is agreed once those requirements are understood.
What happens after a design enquiry?
We review the business context and the design need, discuss fit and clarify the deliverables before preparing a proposal. Use the marketing brief worksheet to gather the starting information.
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