--- title: "Brand Identity Design & Design Systems – Sweet Lava" description: "Brand identity design – logos, brand manuals, brand books and design systems. Guidelines also in an AI-readable format. Kraków studio, 22 years of practice." url: https://sweetlava.eu/en/services/branding-design-systems/ lang: en alternate_pl: https://sweetlava.eu/pl/uslugi/identyfikacja-design-systemy/ --- Services # Brand identity design & design systems **Key answer:** We approach identity design systematically – every mark, brand book or other element is created with thought and precision. We also deliver brand guidelines in a format AI tools understand, so every new asset stays true to the system. Table of contents 1. [01A brand is a system, not a logo](#a-brand-is-a-system-not-a-logo) 2. [02Problems we solve](#problems-we-solve) 3. [03What we actually do](#what-we-actually-do) 4. [04How we work together](#how-we-work-together) 5. [05Why Sweet Lava](#why-sweet-lava) ## A brand is a system, not a logo The logo is only the beginning. A real visual identity answers the hundreds of questions that come afterwards: what does an offer header look like? What spacing does the email footer use? Which shade of green is the buy button? Companies without a system answer these questions differently every time – and the brand dissolves month by month. We approach identity design systematically: every mark, brand book or other element is created with thought and precision. Your brand now also communicates through AI tools, which is why we deliver the guidelines in a format AI understands right away. All of it so that every new asset stays true to the system. ## Problems we solve - **The brand looks different in every material:** we build a system of rules and templates that ends the chaos. - **The identity fails in digital:** a logo designed for print often breaks as a favicon, in an app or on social media; we design natively digital marks. - **Teams reinvent everything from scratch:** a design system provides ready, tested components. - **AI-generated graphics break brand consistency:** guidelines in an AI-readable format keep new assets on-system. - **After a rebrand, the website and materials drift apart:** with us, the identity and its digital implementation are made by the same team. ## What we actually do ### Company logo design We design marks and logotypes in a considered process: two or three substantiated directions instead of a lottery of fifty proposals. A company logo has to work everywhere – from a stamp, through a favicon, to an in-app animation – so we test it at every scale and in every medium from the start. ### Brand manual and brand book We write brand rules down so they can actually be used: mark versions, clear space, minimum sizes, colours, typography, examples of correct and incorrect use. A brand manual ends the "can we do it this way" debates and lets every vendor work consistently with your brand. ### Brand guidelines for AI tools We enrich the identity package with AI guideline files: a brand book prepared also in a format the AI tools your team uses can understand. Every future graphic, text or mock-up generated with AI then stays true to the brand. This is our differentiator – 22 years of design practice combined with daily work with AI models. ### Design systems We turn the identity into a living library: design tokens (colours, typography and spacing stored as data), interface components with variants and states, and usage documentation. Delivered in design files and, this is what sets us apart, in production-ready code. Designers and developers then work from a single source of truth. Want to see one in action? This very site runs on its own design system – [browse our living library of tokens and components](https://sweetlava.eu/design-system/). ### Rebranding and brand evolution We take brands through change safely: an audit of the current identity, a change strategy, the design itself, and a rollout plan across all touchpoints – so customers don't lose recognition and the company doesn't drown in one-off replacement costs. ### Implementation in materials We translate identity into concrete artefacts: stationery, presentations, offer templates, trade-fair materials, signage, catalogues. With our DTP background we also supervise print production – from file preparation to press checks. ## How we work together 1. **Audit and strategy:** brand, competition and customer touchpoint analysis. 2. **Mark concepts:** two or three substantiated design directions, not a lottery of fifty logos. 3. **System development:** typography, colour, layouts, composition rules. 4. **Brand manual / design system:** documentation, AI guidelines, component library. 5. **Implementation:** templates, materials, website, print supervision. ## Why Sweet Lava Our designers are Academy of Fine Arts graduates who think about brands as one system: the same hand that draws the mark can translate it into an app's design system and make sure the offset-printed green matches the brand book exactly. The full spectrum, from a leaflet to an application, in one team. ## What does it cost? - Core identity package (mark, typography, colour, key materials) €4,000–9,000 - Full identity with a brand book €9,000–20,000 - Brand manual as part of an identity project €1,200–3,500 - Design system (built in stages) €7,000–20,000 Net prices. The scope depends on the number of touchpoints and the size of the organisation. [ See the process: visual identity step by step ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/blog/visual-identity-step-by-step/) ## Related projects ![Miasta Gwarków brand identity](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pgdlccfz/production/328bc9aba2f4c94eacae46e399c035c73e8c7165-8000x4500.jpg?w=1600&q=90&auto=format) Culture & tourism ## [ Miasta Gwarków – brand identity for an industrial heritage trail ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/work/miasta-gwarkow/) A full brand identity for a tourism brand, from the mark to a system of carriers. Logo, typography, colours and rules that let the brand speak with one voice in print and on screen. ![The Sinfonietta Cracovia logo reversed on black](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pgdlccfz/production/13d53441677cf07f2c595ac4eb58b2838dd2718b-2400x1351.jpg?w=1600&q=90&auto=format) Culture ## [ Sinfonietta Cracovia – a new logo and identity for an orchestra ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/work/sinfonietta-cracovia/) A new mark for the Orchestra of the Royal Capital City of Krakow: a baton cutting through a circle, a brand book and signage for the orchestra's home. Since 2019 this system has held together 50+ projects we've designed for the ensemble. ![Brands of the Coal Mining Museum in Zabrze – the Guido Mine and the Queen Louise Adit](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pgdlccfz/production/fb0d5e7599e722b07b5449dc7d630bd5dc9917ca-2400x1351.jpg?w=1600&q=90&auto=format) Culture & tourism ## [ Coal Mining Museum in Zabrze – 7 years of building a brand from the inside ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/work/industrial-museums/) A different kind of story. Before Sweet Lava existed, Jerzy spent seven years building the brands of the Guido Mine, the Queen Louise Adit and the museum itself from the inside. Three identities, hundreds of print pieces, photo sessions and 7 advertising campaigns. ![The Novacura rebrand – identity and UI components](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pgdlccfz/production/db4c77dfdeead58fd5131f2b77a98d0281aa5de0-2400x1351.jpg?w=1600&q=90&auto=format) B2B technology ## [ Novacura – a rebrand and a UI component library ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/work/novacura/) A brand refresh for a Swedish technology company. A light logo correction, an entirely new colour palette with blue in the lead, a linear-wave key visual and a UI/UX component library, still being rolled out across Novacura's products. ## Related articles Branding & typography ## [ Brand manual examples from real projects – and what to look for in them ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/blog/brand-manual-examples/) Three brand manual examples from our own projects, from a cultural institution to an orchestra. What a good manual contains, how to read other brands' PDFs and how to spot a document that actually works. Branding & typography ## [ Brand manual – what it is, what it contains and what it costs ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/blog/brand-manual/) A brand manual is the instruction manual for your logo – mark versions, clear space, colours, typography, examples of incorrect use. We explain what it should contain, how it differs from a brand book and what it costs. Branding & typography ## [ An AI-ready brand book – how to prepare brand guidelines for AI tools ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/blog/ai-ready-brand-book/) More and more brand materials are created with AI, and a classic PDF brand book is unreadable to the tools. We show how to prepare brand guidelines in a format AI applies directly. Branding & typography ## [ Typography in digital design – how typeface choice shapes brand and conversion ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/blog/typography-in-digital-design/) Typography is 90% of web design – almost everything a user sees is text. On how typefaces build brand character, readability and sales results. Product design ## [ What is a design system and when does your company need one ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/blog/what-is-a-design-system/) A design system is not "a nice kit in Figma" but a shared source of truth for designers and developers. We explain what it consists of, what it costs and when it pays off. Branding & typography ## [ A company's visual identity step by step – from logo to design system ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/blog/visual-identity-step-by-step/) How a professional visual identity is made. The process stages, what a good brand book contains, examples from real projects, prices and the moment it's worth growing the identity into a design system. ## Related terms - [Brand book](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/brand-book/) - [Design system](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/design-system/) - [Design tokens](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/design-tokens/) - [Key visual](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/key-visual/) - [Logo vs logotype](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/logo-vs-logotype/) - [Rebranding](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/rebranding/) - [Visual identity](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/visual-identity/) ## Frequently asked questions How much does a brand identity cost? A core package (logo, colour palette, typography, business stationery, document templates) typically costs €4,000–9,000\. A full identity with brand book, company materials and digital guidelines runs €9,000–20,000\. Large-organisation rebrands are quoted individually after an audit. What is the difference between a brand book and a design system? A brand book documents brand rules (logo, colours, typography, tone of voice) – mostly for print and communications. A design system goes further – it is a living library of digital components (buttons, forms, cards) with production-ready code, used to build websites and apps. You read a brand book; you use a design system. When does a company need a design system? When more than one person or team creates the brand's digital products – website, store, app, campaigns. A design system eliminates inconsistencies, speeds up work by 30–50% and means new pages or features no longer start from scratch. What does an AI-readable brand book mean? Besides the classic brand book we deliver guidelines in a format AI tools read directly – structured files with brand rules, palettes, typography and tone of voice. When your team generates graphics or copy with AI, the tool follows the brand instead of guessing it. It is our differentiator, and one most studios don't offer yet. Can you refresh our existing logo instead of designing a new one? Yes – an evolutionary redesign is often the wiser path – it keeps brand recognition while improving legibility, scalability and digital performance. We advise honestly after auditing your current identity. What exactly do we receive at the end? Complete production files (logo in all variants and formats, palettes, fonts), a PDF brand manual or brand book, guidelines in an AI-readable format, material templates and – with a design system – a component library in code with usage documentation. ## Have an idea in mind? Let's talk. Tell us about your idea and we'll recommend the best route from concept to a working product. [ Get in touch ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/contact/)