What should a (basic/good/very good) visual identity include?

So you’re looking to get the visuals behind your brand popping like popcorn in microwaves.

But you only want what you truly need right now.  
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I’ve got you.
 

Here’s what a visual identities should include and why:

Bare minimum:
‍Visual direction, logo, colour palette, and typographies:

Your Possibilities:
You’re going to be able to do basic brand applications. Add your logo to contracts, invoices, and minimalist decks. Alone, you’re really going to see the limitations of this identity when you start to create more customer-facing things for your brand - social media content, website, packaging, sales decks.  A good designer can use this foundation and (with some experimentation), “work out” all of the other elements missing from your brand. 

Good:
‍Visual direction, logotype, logomark, usage guidelines, social media icon, colour palette, typographies (primary, secondary, tertiary), type hierarchy, illustration system, UX/UI system, licensed brand imagery, marketing collaterals, application tutorials, and applicable templates for sales and socials.
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Your possibilities:
You’re going to be able to do all of the brand applications necessary for a small to medium-sized brand. Alone, you’re going to see limitations of this brand at the limitations of your marketing, design and development team’s technical capacity. With a OK designer, this foundation is going to create good-looking content, event collaterals, landing pages, and pitching materials. A good designer will do wonders with this foundation. This level of identity will be really valuable when the time comes to create customer facing assets - packaging, websites, decks. 

Very good:
Visual direction, logotype, logomark, usage guidelines, social media icon, colour palette, extended/seasonal colour pallette, typographies (primary, secondary, tertiary), type hierarchy, illustration system, UX/UI system, licensed brand imagery, marketing collaterals, application tutorials, applicable templates for sales and socials, branded photography and video assets, packaging design system, event branding materials, merchandise design, corporate documents, digital asset management system. 
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Possibilities:
This is the kind of visual ID to purchase when all of your ducks are in a row. When  you have processes in place for marketing, sales, internal comms, invoicing, socials, and yes, even design, this will: 
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1) Elevate what you can do branding-wise
2) Create consistency in your visual style across departmernts

Now, who to work with, for each: 
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- Bare Minimum: junior freelancer

- Good: Senior freelancer, Design/Marketing Agency, Specialist Branding Agency
- Very Good: Specialist Branding Agency or Multiple Specialist agencies.

Does that make sense? Let me, Oliver, or Oli, know in the comments or a strongly worded email (hello@mused.design). 

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The Free Branding Movement is a fund sponsored by Mused that selects one brand, based on the merit of its core mission and founding team, for a full visual identity, free of charge. You can find registration details here.