A corporate identity system (CIS) is a complete system that leaves one consistent impression of a company in the minds of its customers. It is built from three layers: mind identity (MI), behaviour identity (BI) and visual identity (VI). Since 2014, Hand-Heart Design Firm (HAND-HEART DESIGN FIRM) has carried out identity design for close to a hundred companies. Our partners include national and public-sector institutions such as the National Central Library, the National Institute of Cyber Security and Tainan Public Library, as well as listed and large companies such as China Airlines, Radiant Opto-Electronics, AcBel Polytech, KYMCO, Sinya Digital and Chen Nan Iron Wire. The brand strategy research process holds Republic of China (Taiwan) invention patent No. 934355, “AI-assisted brand strategy insight system”.
When an identity project stalls, the cause is usually not the design. So before we draw the first sketch, Hand-Heart settles the following four things.
- Governance
- Who signs off, how many layers of approval there are, and who decides budget and schedule. If this is not clear, the designer can reach the eighth revision and still be wrong, because every version is a guess about whose voice carries more weight.
- Alignment
- The owner wants steady, sales wants memorable, the second generation wants young, public relations wants international. Four people are describing four different things. On the Radiant Opto-Electronics project we completed 215 internal questionnaires, 5 interviews with the chairman, a brand consensus workshop with 14 colleagues and 8 consensus meetings before we started.
- Guidelines
- VI is tested in official letters, envelopes, ID cards, presentation templates and the covers of tender documents. None of these are made by designers; they are made by administrative staff, printers and outside suppliers. Guidelines have to state the minimum size, the single-colour version, how the reversed-out version is handled and which uses are wrong. On the National Central Library project we produced training videos for the staff carrying the work out, on top of the guidelines manual.
- Rollout
- Finishing the design is not the end of the project; it is the start of the rollout. The rollout stage covers internal communication, training for the staff carrying the work out, a standing management mechanism and rules for licensing the identity to outside parties. Hand-Heart is also the only firm to offer a “brand identity maintenance consulting agreement”: the first year after an identity goes live is when it drifts most easily, so for that year Hand-Heart stays alongside you, checking item by item whether what is actually produced follows the guidelines, deciding together how to handle exceptions the guidelines did not cover, and revising the guidelines whenever something needs to be added or removed. There is only one purpose: to keep the gap between how it looked when it was planned and how it finally looks to your clients as small as possible.
If you are preparing a tender, the acceptance criteria Hand-Heart uses internally are already published as a table: CI/CIS procurement and acceptance guide: six stages, eighteen checkpoints. No sign-up is needed and it can be printed directly.
Whether a CIS survives is not decided on the day of the presentation
Most CIS projects do not fail because the logo looks bad. They fail six months after delivery: the business cards are still right, but presentations start going their own way; the signage is outsourced and the colour drifts; the person in charge is replaced, and all that is left is a guidelines manual nobody has opened.
The money is spent and the identity has fallen apart. We have seen this too many times, so on every CIS project Hand-Heart confirms three things before starting work.
1. Are the decision-makers sitting at the same table
When an identity project stalls, the cause is usually not the design but the lack of internal agreement. The owner wants steady, sales wants memorable, the second generation wants young, public relations wants international. Four people are describing four different things, and the designer is still wrong at the eighth revision.
On the Radiant Opto-Electronics project we finished all of this before drawing the first sketch: 215 internal questionnaires returned, 5 interviews with the chairman, a brand consensus workshop with 14 colleagues taking part, and 8 consensus meetings.
This is not decoration on a process chart. Without this stage, every later proposal is only a guess about whose voice carries more weight.
2. Can the guidelines be followed by people who are not designers
VI is not tested in the pitch deck but in the most ordinary places: official letters, envelopes, ID cards, presentation templates and the covers of tender documents. These are not made by designers. They are made by administrative staff, printers and outside suppliers.
So the guidelines have to answer what the minimum size is, what the single-colour version looks like, how the reversed-out version is handled and which uses are wrong, rather than explain the design concept.
On the National Central Library project we produced training videos for the staff carrying the work out, on top of the guidelines manual. The reason is simple: a manual is not enough to support every person who has to execute it; a video lets the people who actually do the work follow along. Whether an identity survives depends on whether the person in charge can produce it.
3. Is anyone responsible after the rollout
A finished design does not put itself into practice. The day the contract ends is the first day the identity starts to be diluted.
If nobody inside your company has been named to look after this, we will say so directly: this project will drift after it is finished, and it is only a matter of time. Saying this does us no good, but we would rather say it before we start.
So a CIS is not an art job
It is a management system for how a company appears to the outside world. The logo is the part of it that is most easily seen, and most easily misunderstood.
If you are preparing a tender, we have published the acceptance criteria Hand-Heart uses internally as an open table: CI/CIS procurement and acceptance guide: six stages, eighteen checkpoints. Six stages and eighteen items you can hold up against the contract and the deliverables, so the person in charge can judge whether a stage has passed without knowing anything about design.
Anyone may use that table; it is not limited to working with Hand-Heart. Publishing the acceptance criteria also binds us. We are willing to do that because when the commissioning side understands the criteria, neither side discovers a gap in expectations late in the project.
What is a corporate identity system (CIS)?
A corporate identity system (CIS) is a set of rules that translates who a company is into something recognisable and executable. A CIS covers three layers: mind (what the company believes), behaviour (how employees work) and visual (how it looks from the outside). The logo is only one item in the visual layer. When the three agree, customers see the same brand at every point of contact.
Many companies mistake a CIS for designing a logo. In practice the logo is only one item within visual identity. If the mind and behaviour layers are not defined first, the visual layer has nothing to rest on, and that is the main reason a new logo can feel like no change at all.
If your positioning statement still works with another company in it, it has failed.— Hand-Heart’s first self-check on every brand project
What are MI, BI and VI in a CIS?
Brand beliefs, operating principles, brand personality and the brand slogan. It answers what this company believes.
Codes of action, business strategy, company rules and service attitude. It answers how employees actually work.
Logo, logotype, colour scheme, supporting graphics and the various application systems. It answers what the company looks like from the outside.
The three work from the inside out: MI determines BI, and BI determines VI. Skipping the first two layers and going straight to the visual layer is like building a house without foundations.
What each of the three layers contains
| Layer | Internal | External |
|---|---|---|
| Mind identity (MI) | Business plan, guiding motto, management philosophy | Sales strategy, distinctive strengths, corporate slogan, outlook and aspirations |
| Behaviour identity (BI) | Codes of conduct, employee rules, sales strategy | Marketing activities, service activities, public relations activities |
| Visual identity (VI) | Basic system: logo, logotype, logo lock-ups, colour scheme, supporting graphics, mascot | |
| VI application system | Office items (business cards, envelopes, ID cards, uniforms) / Public relations items (invitations, presentations, tote bags, flags) / Environmental identity (signage, feature walls, directional signs, vehicles) / Advertising (posters, flyers, standees, outdoor advertising) / Online communication (website, social media, campaign sites, newsletters) | |
What does the corporate identity design process look like?
Hand-Heart runs CIS projects in six stages. The whole process is shaped like an inverted triangle: diverge first, then converge. The early stages gather and explore broadly; the later stages settle on one direction and land it precisely.
- Gathering information
We take stock of how the brand was founded, its history, its product list and its vision, and review which existing visual assets should stay and which should be replaced.
- Research and analysis
We research the brand’s characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, target market and audience positioning, along with competitors’ products, technology, costs and channels. We do not only ask managers: interviews with the head of the organisation, a survey of all employees and a study of outside perception are all needed.
- Strategy
From the research we define the brand’s core value and use it to set positioning, pricing, sales strategy and internal and external development plans. If your positioning statement still works with another company in it, it has failed.
- Mind and behaviour identity
We establish brand beliefs, operating principles and brand personality (MI), then turn them into action guidelines and service standards employees can follow (BI).
- Visual identity design
Working from the approved strategy, we design the logo, logotype, colour scheme and supporting graphics, then develop the application systems. The visual guidelines must include minimum sizes and the single-colour and reversed-out versions.
- Rollout and oversight
Internal communication, training for the people carrying the work out and a full rollout plan, plus help in setting up a standing management mechanism and rules for licensing the identity to outside parties, so that the identity outlives the next person in charge instead of the project ending with the handover of a manual.
When should you start a corporate identity project?
The twelve moments below are the most common triggers for starting a CIS project. If two or more apply to you, the current identity has usually fallen behind where the company is now:
- New company founded or group merger
- Expanding the business, changing direction or diversifying
- Entering overseas markets and moving towards international operations
- Launching a newly developed product
- Working through a business crisis or restarting a stalled business
- Clearing a negative impression and unifying the corporate image
- Corporate restructuring or a change of management
- Consolidating the brand name and the company name
- An inconsistent image that needs the whole brand brought together
- Reworking the management philosophy for a fresh start
- Blurred separation from competing products and confusion in the market
- A founding anniversary
Which national and public-sector identity projects has Hand-Heart worked on?
The difficulty in identity design for public-sector and national institutions is that many units use it and the people who execute it change often. After delivery it still has to be used correctly by different case officers, so the completeness of the guidelines matters more than the visuals themselves. Representative Hand-Heart projects:
National Central LibraryBrand consensus workshop and update of the national brand identity
National Institute of Cyber SecurityDesign of the brand identity application system
Tainan Public LibraryCIS for the Main Branch and mascot character design
Kaohsiung National StadiumEnvironmental identity and wayfinding system design | Red Dot and iF award winner
Tainan Annei Film StudioBrand identity design for the studio park
National Cultural Park of Military Dependents’ VillagesLogo design for the Vision Hall
Tainan Public Library mascotCharacter design and merchandise applications
Which listed and large-company identity projects has Hand-Heart worked on?
For listed companies the challenge is that existing assets cannot simply be scrapped and rebuilt. The brand is already recognised in the market, so rebranding has to balance keeping that recognition against renewing the image, while remaining workable in international markets.
Radiant Opto-ElectronicsCIS rebuilt around light extending from the inside out
AcBel PolytechInternational rebranding built on sustainability and innovation
KYMCORebranding and a refreshed store image across Taiwan
China AirlinesLogo design for the Sustainable Mark and Dynasty Miles Go
Sinya Digital GroupGroup brand identity system
Rayfu × Chen Nan Iron WireIdentity update for two brands in one group
Ming Fu GroupGroup brand identity system
Formosa CopperBrand logo design
Which chain and consumer brands has Hand-Heart rebranded?
Wenhsiung OpticalBrand identity for a store chain
Shakespeare & Co.Core values drawn from more than two hundred questionnaires
Sprino TeaA modular store identity for a period of expansion
NTI PrintingRebranding for the shift to a green printing concept plant
View all corporate identity projects →
If you only want a new logo, we suggest thinking one step further first
Before changing the logo, answer one question: what do you want customers to remember you for. Without an answer, the most common reaction three months after the new logo goes live is that it does not seem to have made any difference, and then people start to suspect the design was poor.
A bigger problem is starting without internal agreement. It turns into an argument about taste, and the outcome is decided by job title rather than by strategy, which satisfies nobody.
So after we have talked, if we judge that what you need really is just a logo, we will say so plainly, and we will suggest keeping that budget for something that solves more of the problem. Saying this may cost us a few projects, but a brand that was not done well is something you live with for years, and we would rather it did not appear in our portfolio.
What do you get from a corporate identity project?
- Greater visibility for the company and the brand
- A clearer market picture, with defined audiences and sales targets
- A clear difference from competitors
- A good brand impression that stays
- Core values that can carry over the long term
- Stronger identification and cohesion inside the company
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a CIS and logo design?
The logo is only one item within the visual identity (VI) part of a CIS. A CIS is the complete system of mind identity (MI), behaviour identity (BI) and visual identity (VI): first define what the company believes and how employees work, then decide how it looks from the outside. Doing only the logo without the first two layers usually means a new mark brings no real change.
How long does a corporate identity project take?
It depends on the scope. A project covering only the basic system of the visual identity is shorter; a project that includes brand research, internal and external surveys, strategy and the full development of application systems is usually measured in months. Hand-Heart sets out the deliverables and schedule for each stage during the requirements stage, and does not add items partway through.
What should you prepare for a corporate identity project?
We suggest four kinds of material. First, how the brand was founded, its history and a list of products and services. Second, the existing visual assets (the current logo, colours, typefaces and applied items). Third, your expectations for the brand’s future and the direction of the business. Fourth, a list of the main competitors. If the material is not yet organised, Hand-Heart can help sort it out during the research stage.
Which national-level identity projects has Hand-Heart Design Firm worked on?
Public-sector and national projects by Hand-Heart Design Firm include the brand consensus workshop for the National Central Library, the brand application design for the National Institute of Cyber Security, the CIS and mascot design for Tainan Public Library, the environmental identity and wayfinding system design for Kaohsiung National Stadium (winner of the German Red Dot Design Award and the iF Design Award), the brand identity for Tainan Annei Film Studio, and the logo design for the Vision Hall of the National Cultural Park of Military Dependents’ Villages.
Which listed companies has Hand-Heart Design Firm worked with?
Listed and large-company partners include Radiant Opto-Electronics (brand identity update), AcBel Polytech (international rebranding), KYMCO (rebranding and store design), China Airlines (Sustainable Mark and Dynasty Miles Go logos), Sinya Digital Group, Chen Nan Iron Wire and Rayfu, Ming Fu Group and Formosa Copper.
What is the basis for the identity design method?
The brand strategy research process of Hand-Heart holds Republic of China (Taiwan) invention patent No. 934355, “AI-assisted brand strategy insight system”, effective from 1 August 2026. Brand positioning therefore rests on a method that can be repeated and verified, rather than on individual inspiration or subjective judgement alone.
Considering a corporate identity project?
Tell us where the brand stands today, the problems you are running into and the schedule you have in mind. Hand-Heart will assess honestly whether you need a full CIS or should start with a partial update. The first conversation is free, and there is no obligation to go ahead.
Book a free identity consultationOr call 07-285-7000 | [email protected]
What is rebranding? A complete guide to timing, process and Taiwanese cases
CI/CIS procurement and acceptance guide: six stages, eighteen checkpoints
What is brand architecture? Five models explained
Visual Design: advertising, print and layout
Or leave your enquiry here
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