Visual Identity Makes a Difference: Product Identity Guidelines for Delta’s Industrial Automation Products

Our persistent efforts on branding activities started with Delta’s "brand inauguration year" in 2010. By mid- 2013 Delta’s Industrial Automation Business Group (IABG) had initiated the Product Identity (PI) project. After a year of hard work and effort, the industrial design team (ID team) presented concrete implementation principles with a new Product Identity Guidelines (PI Guidelines) for Delta Industrial Automation Products. After analyzing the features, advantages, and disadvantages of the product designs of major industrial automation competitors, the ID team concluded that Delta could achieve a strong, consistent brand identity by adopting corporate colors and applying specific exterior lines and shapes to our own brand products. It would reinforce our products’ brand linkages, highlight Delta’s branding, and establish high product identification.

From Brainstorming to Product Design Elements

The ID team involved colleagues from different departments of the IABG, including product R&D, Sales & Marketing, and Customer Service, who participated in interactive brainstorming activities and small-group discussions. In the brainstorming process, the ID team prompted participants to express spontaneous associations and observations on Delta brand images and Delta IA products. By viewing photos of product designs or architecture, and describing colors, lines, and shapes, the ID team guided participants in transforming concepts or verbal descriptions into corresponding solid design elements for IA products that best represented the Delta brand image.

Currently, Delta IABG has developed broad and complete product lines that include "Motors & Drives", "Power Quality Solutions", "Industrial Motion Solutions", "Industrial Control Solutions," “Sensors” and other industrial products that fulfill various demands for different applications and environments. After data collection and investigation, the ID team analyzed the characteristics and features of Delta IA products and concluded that most of the designs of current IA products applied rigid and straight lines and oblique angles, which give the impression of being too rational, dull, monotonous, and inflexible.

Through the process of brainstorming, discussion, analysis and summarization, the ID team extracted the most important traits and corresponding design elements and also found the features that link current IA products to enhance recognition for consistency and user impressions. To create a new product identification exclusively for Delta IA products, the ID team proposed a new PI guideline: “Adopt smooth curves, polished angles and small rounded corners to generate distinctive features and models”. The new PI not only can soften the boring and heavy image of IA products, but can also enhance the durability of product structure and prevent damage from impact or accidents.

Step-by-Step Roll-out - Strengthen Product Identification

Consistent application of colors to products can enhance users’ brand recognition. Delta’s IA products, especially component-type products, have changed colors from white to dark gray to help adapt to harsh, high-temperature and dusty working environments. System type products such as robot arms are designed in light colors such as white and Delta blue for high visibility that enhances operation safety. The nameplate of the product uses metallic material for easy recognition. All these color application guidelines allow users to easily recognize Delta IA products at first sight. The benefit of applying consistent colors in design not only enhances a user’s impression but also optimizes material stock management. Considering material stock management and utilization, clear rules of design will unify product specs and types of raw material applied for processing and will bring costs down for the overall expense of manufacturing.

Looking into every detail for highly refined quality

Broad consideration and interpretation went into every line and detail. The unified design guidelines will enhance Delta’s brand image and improve user’s impressions with a more refined appearance and product quality.

The ID design team further elaborated on design guidelines for the relation between logo and products that will create a uniform image and style for different product lines. Metallic nameplates are used on general products to enhance the image of refined quality. Other products such as panels are required to be waterproof and have high operation flexibility. They are designed with metallic colors for the push buttons and styled in rectangular or oval shapes. The next step will be to standardize warning signs and symbols including font, color, style, and descriptions on the product case.

The ID team summarized the future design direction of the next generation of Delta’s IA products, and the systematic implementation of the new PI Guidelines. The new PI Guidelines reinforce the connection between products, finding common design elements, and delivering brand attributes that express the positioning proposed by IABG such as high precision, high speed and high efficiency. Implementation of the PI Guidelines will enhance brand awareness and recognition for customers and end users, collect positive feedback on Delta’s IA products, and build our own brand product identity that customers will easily recognize and quickly associate with Delta, and which will create the most impact in the marketplace.

About Delta Industrial Automation

Since 1995, the Delta Industrial Automation Business Group (IABG) has focused on automation technology with quality, reliability and precision to realize our promise of “Automation for a Changing World”. Our innovative automation products include AC motor drives, power quality improvement devices, sensors, and control and motion devices.

Delta’s industrial automation solutions find application in a broad range of machinery, including: metal processing machines used in industries such as food, textiles, chemicals, electronics, and plastics; automation equipment used in pharmaceuticals and printing; and energy-saving air-conditioning and water supply facilities used in buildings.

Our mission is: “To elevate our living environment through advanced automation technology and value added innovation”. With Delta’s innovative, reliable, energy-saving automation solutions and rapid global service, we help make the world “Smarter. Greener. Together.” with our partners and customers.

For more information, please go to:
Delta Electronics: http://www.deltaww.com/
Delta Electronics Industrial Automation: http://www.delta.com.tw/ia/

Contact
Claire Ou, Tel: 03-3626301 ext: 7165
e-mail:claire.ou@delta.com.tw