Before walking into any branding project, one must first make sure they are looking at the right problem.

Next time you're in a meeting and someone says, “Great! Let's design a logo for that”, I suggest you stop, drop, and roll out of the room.  If they are able to drag you back in, don't leave until they have clearly explained to you how this “logo” will solve the problem at hand.  Chances are you'll need to spend a lot of time trying to define the problem.  And if you get to the point where this problem is not only clearly stated, but all decision makers agree that this is the real problem, there's a good chance your solution will be quite different than the original idea.

You have to clearly define the problem.  Otherwise, there's a really good chance that all the time and money spent “designing a logo” will be a waste.  And if we care at all about minimizing waste, we'll spend the extra time up-front understanding the real issue at hand.  Being a good steward of resources doesn't just apply to natural resources, but also making sure we're not spending money on wasted services and wasting our own time in the process.

As inventor Charles F. Kettering said, “A problem well stated is a problem half solved.”

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