Recently we've been engaged to produce the end-to-end user experience of a business platform and we've been asked for some advice regarding its branding.
 
We are a studio focusing on user experience and design. At times we unconsciously tend to sell short the brand and focus our efforts more on the interaction of the product.
 
At its most basic definition, a brand represents the intellectual and emotional associations that people make with a company or product. It's the sum of all experiences.
User experience is seen more as a goal; it comprehends all aspects of digital products and services that users experience directly. All the design efforts are focused at accomplishing a task and providing the customer with a positive experience. Unfortunately, many designers think of user experience as unrelated to branding.
 
Much has been written in the past decade or so about the importance of user experience in the users’ perception of a brand.
 
- Recognizing that all touch points (online and offline) contribute to brand image.
- Highlighting the importance of a holistic consistency.
- Delivering the brand values we have led customers to expect.
- Realizing that a digital product is only one part of the complex set of interactions a brand has with its users.
- Acknowledging the fact that a brand is inherently something we can only influence, not control.
 
At Framefork, branding is a broad ideal, which encompasses different elements, including identity, usability, tone of voice, customer service, delivery and desirability. Designers have the responsibility to affect a significant number of these elements.
If you hope to develop a truly meaningful user experience, that goes beyond interface design or usability tricks, you must understand that interaction is always with the brand.
We found that the best way to think of user experience is at the core of a brand. Our work is to define all this dimensions consistently to present a brand message and increase the likelihood that a company or product is supporting the brand promise.