Q. Please introduce this project.

In 2022, with the unveiling of the joint brand "Samsung Financial Networks BI" created by financial affiliates under the Samsung Group, and the update of the Samsung Securities CI, Samsung Securities needed a comprehensive visual identity overhaul and the establishment of corresponding guidelines based on its integrated organizational identity for a leap forward. Using the new BI and CI as a foundation, we organized the brand's comprehensive identity system into four categories: 'Basic Guide,' 'Applications,' 'Design Resources,' and 'Sub-brands.'

We developed and applied the visual identity system across various applications such as Samsung Securities' visual identity, internal and external documents, display fonts for subsidiary brands, image direction for internal and external use, icons and promotional materials for external customers, and building interior and exterior signage. The design and visualization were tailored to enable universal usage, showcasing professionalism, and conveying a sense of trust to the customers.

Q. How did you participate in the project?

The project began at the request of Samsung Securities' marketing strategy team, who highly praised our development of a practical system while creating the brand guidelines for Kia. The objective was to maintain visual consistency for a company with numerous branches nationwide, including subsidiary brands. The initiation of the project was marked by a strong commitment to collaboration and adaptability to change, evident during discussions on the directional aspects of the guidelines tailored to internal needs from both parties.

Q. What were the most important parts of making design manuals for large companies like Samsung Securities?

For large companies like Samsung Securities, the pathways through which the brand's impression can be conveyed via visual media are incredibly diverse in terms of format and layout. In this project, the key focus was on seamlessly managing a consistent visual impression by conducting in-depth desk research, physical field research, and collaborating with the marketing strategy team. The goal was to create an optimal identity system that effectively communicates the brand mission and story.

Project management involved the organic progression of activities such as analyzing real-world application cases, designing strategies based on the visual medium, incorporating brand elements, testing, and sampling. Maintaining a consistent visual impression across various mediums was crucial. Additionally, we proposed guidelines with content structure and editorial design that were user-friendly, ensuring easy understanding and application for anyone involved.

Q. In the previous answer, you said that this guideline consists of a total of four parts. What does the first basic system cover?

The Basic Guide, serving as the foundation for the entire brand guideline, encompasses fundamental principles and regulations for managing and maintaining the brand image through essential elements such as brand structure, logos, slogans, etc., for both Samsung Financial Networks and Samsung Securities.

Addressing fundamental yet crucial aspects that determine the brand's impression internally and externally, the Basic Guide includes regulations on brand missions, stories, logo design explanations, spatial regulations for logos and their variations, combination usage regulations, designated fonts and their utilization rules, basic and secondary brand colors, and the narratives encapsulated within each color. It reflects considerations on how these elements can convey professionalism and instill trust in various visual media.

A significant aspect of the project involves defining and regulating the usage of graphic motifs that express the core values of Samsung Securities - stability, systematics, and the pursuit of customer value. The definition and usage regulations of these graphic motifs play a crucial role in presenting the core values to internal employees and existing/potential customers of Samsung Securities. In-depth discussions on improving existing motifs and addressing any inconveniences in their use took place. The regulations were defined with consideration for the characteristics of visual media where graphic motifs are employed and the practical application by internal stakeholders at Samsung Securities.

Q. What does the application guide contain?

The Application Guide builds upon the rules defined in the Basic Guide and outlines how to apply brand elements across various visual communication mediums, ensuring consistent internal and external brand image. The system is designed to encompass a wide range of fields where the brand is utilized, from internal stationery and documents to external promotional materials, signage, and more.

Covering around 110 items, each application and its variations are explained with clear production specifications (size, material, production methods), detailed font regulations, and information about the use of colors, accompanied by example images. Significantly, for elements like signage, adjustments were made for visual correction in both the Korean and English CI and BI. This involved distance identification and three-dimensional representation to enhance the legibility of signs, whether large or small, used both indoors and outdoors on various buildings.

"To convey the values of expertise and trust, which are the core values of Samsung Securities, through the evolved identity to customers, we took a comprehensive approach, carefully observing the entire spectrum to maintain a consistent impression. This involved designing from the overarching elements down to the pixel-level details of application design."

Q. There are a huge number of sub-brands as large as Samsung Securities' company size, and I wonder how you organized this part.

"The sub-brands, including the integrated asset management brand POP offering differentiated portfolio investment strategies tailored to customer needs, the service brand HONORS for Samsung Securities VIP clients, and the wealth management service brand Samsung Securities SNI providing investment solutions for ultra-high-net-worth clients, were developed based on the brand identities of Samsung Financial Networks and Samsung Securities. Considering the hierarchy of the overall brand, we established a systematic brand system.

For POP, which has its own sub-brand structure based on the brand's purpose and nature, we meticulously regulated the combination of Samsung Securities CI, POP BI, and sub-brand names. Taking into account a visually consistent impression and legibility when combining these elements, we specified precise adjustments in spacing between elements."

"The Samsung POP brand extends into a powerful brand experience that unifies the numerous sub-brands within the Samsung Financial Networks BI under a single impression."

"Samsung Securities SNI possesses a graphic motif visualizing its unique slogan, 'A window presenting a new perspective.' The graphic motif exists independently, and its utilization is defined in five ways. Considering scalability and applicable mediums, we redefined the application guidelines specifically for Samsung Securities SNI."