theme 3 identity strand 2 localities / globalities keywords abstract author(s) Daniel Raposo draposo@ipcb.pt CIAUD, Faculdade de Arquitetura, Universidade de Lisboa / Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco The graphic speech of the Brand In visual identity context, graphic designer has the difcult task to optimize the emission of an intangible message, and give it graphical form, trying to communicate complex information to the audience by the most understandable way possible. During graphic signs selection, the designer’s intention attends to the Corporate Visual Identity goals concerning the public’s perception, in order to control the Corporate Image. In a globalized and increasingly digital world, small businesses appear to be large, markets are broader and brand communication strategies appear to be on the customization and fascination of the masses. However, in Portuguese context it isn’t strange to fnd companies that do not know themselves, they haven’t done a work of inner refection on their values, mission and goals. In this system, the designer has assumed greater responsibilities in brand communication process, both in defning strategies and in graphic codes selection and orientation. This paper is based on literature review, seeking to contribute to knowledge about the graphic designer role during the materialization of brand speech, including how the graphic signs personality expression in a cultural context. Introduction The notion of brand presents some complexity for bringing together an intangible dimension (culture, values and brand image) and a tangible one (Brand mark). Following the premises of Communication Design, the designer is the interface optimizer, the mediator between the corporate messages from the company to the audience. The designer concerns about the Corporate Visual Identity project, selecting and manipulating the inter-subjective codes required for the proper decoding in a given context. The Corporate Visual Identity project refers to a system of integrated graphic signs that gain a new semantic meaning when drawn together. From the Design’s perspective, the expression of Signs of Corporate Identity determines the graphic-semantic positioning of the brand according to notions of value. Designing a brand is not a task to chance. Brands have to ensure the distinction, diferentiation and recognition. As stated by Zimmermann (1998, 84), opposing to being fashionable, which is to share the same language with a group, “to have style it is to be unique, to be diferent”. In the scope of Corporate Visual Identity, the concept of style refers to “a quality or a characteristic way of expressing itself” (Schmitt & Simonson, 1998, 111), and with this way of becoming public it could use all the expressions of communication design. brand mark, connotation, brand personality, culture, encode Blucher Design Proceedings Dezembro de 2014, Número 5, Volume 1 www.proceedings.blucher.com.br/evento/icdhs2014 Raposo, Daniel; "The graphic speech of the Brand", p. 445-451 . In: Tradition, Transition, Tragectories: major or minor influences? [=ICDHS 2014 - 9th Conference of the International Committee for Design History and Design Studies]. São Paulo: Blucher, 2014. ISSN 2318-6968, DOI 10.5151/despro-icdhs2014-0063