Ken Blankinship, Art Director, HG Design, is a graphic designer with 19 years of experience in design. Ken spends 40-50% of his time designing for the web while the rest of his time is spent designing corporate identities and helping clients build their brand.

In 1997, when the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce decided to strengthen its presence on the Internet, Ken’s web design put Wichita on the map. At the 1999 American Chamber of Commerce Executives national convention, the web site was the Grand Award Winner in Electronic Communications and was chosen Best of Show competing against all entries in all categories – print, web, and television.

Ken serves on the Advisory Board for the Wichita Area Technical College and the Parade Committee for the Wichita River Festival. In addition, he has served for the last three years as the Cubmaster of his son’s Cub Scout Pack and recently served on the Task Force to upgrade Camp Kanza, a local area Scout camp for the Boy Scouts of America.

Ken is a native of Wichita and received his BFA in Graphic Design at Fort Hays State University.

You can reach Ken at kblankinship@hgdesign.com with your questions and check back later in the week for updated answers.

Q – Why is branding just as important for businesses that markets primarily B to B as it is for businesses that markets B to C?
A – Branding for B to B customers is just as important, because your brand needs to communicate your business’ promise to its business customers. Just like a consumer buys a product in a retail setting based on the package label, your corporate brand is your label. It represents the character and commitment that identifies your business with your clients.

Q – What are the key elements of an effective corporate brand?
A – An effective corporate brand begins with a strong mark. And, the key to a strong mark is simplicity. It is important that the mark is not over designed. A clean mark is a memorable mark and is most often timeless. I follow the creative sentiment of Jerry Garcia, the legendary guitarist for the Grateful Dead, “Keep it simple, make it great.” A strong mark is like the roots of the tree from which everything else grows. It is the repetition of the shape, the color, and the aesthetics of the mark that create the brand.

Q – How does the creative process begin when you’re creating a corporate brand?
A – If it’s an existing company, I first try to determine what has contributed the most to the company’s success. I also consider the target audience and what the company wants to communicate about themselves. I ask simple questions like “What are you trying to do?” “Where are you trying to go?” “How are you going to get there?” “What sets you apart from your competitors?” It’s also important to determine if there’s any equity built in the existing mark. But, with all that being said, creativity often comes from unexpected inspirations – something in nature, maybe something in architecture or something we see or use in everyday life. For a Designer, gathering inspiration is a continuous process. Good design is using that inspiration to develop a corporate brand that helps a business communicate its promise to its customers.