If you run a business, you've probably heard the magic words: small and big. And you might still be wondering, "Which one do I need?" Spoiler: neither. At least not like this.
Once upon a time, an entrepreneur typed into Google an innocent question: "What is the difference between a small face and a big face?" A minute later, he was browsing a 2008 blog about how he should order letterhead and envelopes with company logos. What he didn't understand, poor thing, was why he needed them when the last time he was at the post office was around the time when anyone used a fax machine.
In this post, we'll look at why this division no longer works and what are the truly relevant design elements in 2025.
Small and big brand image - concepts that have lost their meaning
The classical division used to mean something like this:
- Small brand image: logo, business card, letterhead, envelope, stamp, (and a little Word template for the daring)
- Big brand image: anything else that might be associated with your brand (poster, packaging, flyer, signboard, PowerPoint template, etc.)
This division worked when print dominated and if you had a good envelope, you were cool. But the world has changed. Today, brands don't live on envelopes, but primarily in the online space.
So what matters in a modern image today?
Today's brands, businesses, live mostly online. Of course, offline presence still exists and is not negligible (billboards, bus stop posters, flyers, etc.), but for a small business they are less relevant. Brand is a feeling. A feeling that your customers and clients recognise immediately - even if they only give you half a glance. These are what your business needs today:
- An easily recognisable logo
- Memorable profile picture and cover photo sets for social platforms
- Social media templates to help you communicate in a consistent way
- A transparent, fast, mobile-compatible website
- Colour palette and fonts that not only look good, but match your brand
- A clean visual language that all your materials follow: website, post, ad, even a TikTok overlay
- And by the way: brand strategy basics, because it's not enough to be pretty
- Business cards aren't completely out of date, but a digital business card is much trendier
Of course, beyond these, there are many other offline things you might need, you need to think about them carefully.
How can I help you as a graphic designer?
I strive to deliver a complete, working brand image, rather than an image package. This means that:
- Together we will look at what your purpose is, who your brand is for, i.e. who your target audience is
- We select and design the brand elements that you really need, that are relevant to you (if it's an envelope, that's fine too)
- I help you create a consistent, professional impression across all platforms
I help tell your brand story - visually. Because your logo matters. Design is important too. But branding is the end goal, what people feel when they encounter your brand.
If you want your brand to be not just beautiful, but memorable, professional and likeable, get in touch,and let's start designing your future identity! 😉
