Best Books On Brand Identity For Small Businesses

Maybe you’re planning to launch a new brand or to renew your existing small business and you wonder where to start. Maybe you’d like to educate yourself about branding before jumping straight into the scary and unknown world of business and marketing. My favorite way to start something new is with some addition to my bookshelf on the theme! Over the years, as a brand and web designer, I’ve read many books on brand identity and branding in general. Whatever your reason for seeking more information about branding, today I want to share a few of the best books on brand identity to equip you with the knowledge you need to start a new project confidently.

1. Big Magic
2. How To Style Your Brand
3. Brand Brillance
4. Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits
5. Design Yourself

Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert

Even before getting to the nitty gritty of your creative project, this book will provide you with the courage you need to trust your gut and the wisdom for approaching the creative process. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a creative of any sort, I highly suggest this read to fully trust your ideas and connect with your creativity.

How To Style Your Brand – Fiona Humberstone

This book is written for anyone who has a project and needs the support of brand design. As a designer, I found it a very comprehensive read written in a simple approachable way. Whatever your field is, if you’re undertaking the way of brand design, this book will allow you to have a clearer awareness of the process whether you’ll be starting on your own or with the help of a professional.

Brand Brillance – Fiona Humberstone

From the same author of “How To Style Your Brand”, this book focuses more on branding and marketing. It gives a nice comprehensive view on all the different applications of branding with the purpose to teach you how to communicate your project with flair and intention. Both Fiona’s books are particularly curated on the pagination and image fronts, making them a real pleasure to read.

Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits – Debbie Millman

A collection of conversation and tips from famous people in the design and branding field. Debbie Millman poses the question “What is a brand?” to brilliant thinkers like Dan Pink, Tom Peters, Karim Rashid, Seth Godin, Brian Collins and Malcolm Gladwell. What comes out is an interesting and thought-provoking conversation to find different angles on what branding is all about. A book rich in concepts and full of inspiration.

Design Yourself – Giada Correale, Serena Giust (Italian only)

And obviously my book! Design Yourself is the book I’ve written with Serena Giust, a complete design journey to create your unique, personal, unforgettable personal brand. We’ve covered both the verbal and visual identity of a brand, to provide creatives, professionals, students and anyone with a project with practical tools to explore and visualize your brand. Jam-packed with examples and case studies, our mission with this book was to allow you to undertake the creative process of designing your own brand by thinking like a real designer. You’ll be left with the knowledge and awareness you need to support your idea with solid communication and design tools, or ready and confident to be guided by a professional through the process of branding.

Obviously, this is only a small list of branding books, and there are many more worth a mention out there (maybe we can do a second round?). But if you’re just starting out or ready to renew your existing brand, I hope this selection of best books on brand identity can help you in your process.