There is no doubt that a great brand requires a clear visual identity, but what
does it mean in practice? The objective of this study was to investigate the tech
startups perception of the value of the visual identity. Through semi-structured
interviews, with nine respondents from nine different tech startups, as well as a
business coach, the study analyses how tech startups evaluate the visual identity
in relation to how they have been working with it.
The general view, based on the interviews, showed that the visual identity is
important, where all respondents have updated the visual identity one or several
times thus, the visual identity has evolved over time.
The study also revealed that tech startups whose founders had a background in
design or communication found its visual identity on a early stage, albeit
smaller updates have been done.
Although all respondents emphasize the importance of the visual identity, they
see measureability of design, as a problem. As startups in general, but tech
startups in particular, have limited resources, prioritizing the visual identity is
seen as a risk. Therefor tech startups tend to prioritize other aspect above the
visual identity.