When a client brings a competitor's logo and says 'make it like this'

In most of the first working sessions, Sinh Vũ often hears something like: "I like the style of brand X, but I want it to be a bit different." That statement is not wrong. In fact, it is one of the most useful signals a client can provide if interpreted correctly. The problem arises when that signal is directly translated into a drawing command, skipping an important decoding step in between.

References are not drawings; they are questions

When you point to a competitor's logo and say "do it like this," what you are really conveying is often one of three things. One, you want to look as professional as they do. Two, you want to be positioned alongside them without falling short. Three, you like a certain characteristic that you don't yet have the words to name. All three are strategic information, not just formal guidelines.

Sinh Vũ does not start by drawing. Sinh Vũ starts by asking: "When you look at that brand, what do you feel?" The answers often reveal more than the reference itself. This is where the real process begins.

Step one: Deconstruct six layers

Every brand that appears "premium" or "trustworthy" is based on an internal structure. Sinh Vũ uses Jean-Noel Kapferer's six facets lens to dissect references layer by layer. These are: visible form (physique), personality, values and culture, customer relationship, reflection, and self-image of the user.

The results often surprise clients. The brand they bring in looks "professional" mainly due to consistency across all customer touchpoints, from business cards to how employees answer the phone, not because of dark colors or sans-serif fonts. The form is just the surface. What you really want to learn from competitors often lies in deeper layers.

The physique sets the stage; the other five aspects create meaning.

Jean-Noël Kapferer, The New Strategic Brand Management

Step two: Compare with your positioning

After understanding what competitors are doing and why, the next question arises. Where do you stand compared to them? And where do you want to be in the minds of customers?

This is a step that many design firms overlook. They take references, nod, and then design something that looks "similar but a bit different" in the literal sense: changing colors, changing fonts, while keeping the layout structure intact. The result is a brand that looks like a cheaper version of the competitor and is forever compared to them.

According to research by Jenni Romaniuk and Byron Sharp, distinctive brand assets create recognition in customers' memories. This is based on two measures: fame and uniqueness. A brand that copies a competitor's form voluntarily relinquishes both measures.

Step three: Separate principles from form

This is a crucial step. After understanding what competitors are communicating and why it works, Sinh Vũ identifies the design principles behind it. Then, we find ways to express those principles using your unique visual language.

Real example: a client in the financial consulting sector brought in the logo of a major auditing firm and said they wanted to "look as credible as that." Breaking it down, the elements that create a sense of credibility are three principles: ample whitespace, low information density, and absolute consistency across all materials, rather than specific colors or fonts. Sinh Vũ incorporated these three principles into the design for the client, using a completely different color palette and formal language that suited their unique characteristics.

The result looks nothing like the competitors. But it conveys the exact feeling that customers want. This is the difference between copying the form and learning the principles.

From references to strategic guidelines

At the end of the dissection step, Sinh Vũ writes a short guideline document, consisting of a set of strategic principles, rather than formal rules. This document answers three questions: What position does this brand want to occupy in the minds of the target customers? What does it need to convey at the first touchpoint? How does it differ from competitors in a way that can be sustained long-term?

Design comes from those three questions, not from references.

This process takes more time than "taking a reference and drawing right away." However, it avoids endless revision loops, as every design decision can be referenced back to the principles agreed upon from the start. You no longer have to judge based on the subjective "like or dislike." The question becomes: "Does this design convey what I want to say?"