Set the purpose and boundaries
Before opening a design file, write down why the identity is being reconsidered. Perhaps it is difficult to apply across formats, no longer reflects the work, or produces inconsistent results when different people use it. Keep these concerns as questions rather than treating them as conclusions. “Does the logo work at small sizes?” gives an audit something to test; “the logo is outdated” does not.
Agree on what the audit covers. A small team might examine its logo, type, colour, imagery, layouts and templates across a website, social posts, presentations and printed materials. Note who needs to use the findings and what decision comes next: a minor update, a new set of guidelines or a broader redesign. This keeps the exercise proportionate and prevents an audit from turning into an open-ended collection of preferences.
Collect the identity as people actually see it
Gather examples from current use, not only polished files in a brand folder. Include a website page, a mobile view, a social post, a slide deck, an email and any frequently used printed piece. Add examples made by different team members where possible. For each item, record where it appears, who created it and whether they had a template or guidance. Screenshots and photographs can help preserve details that may disappear when a page or campaign changes.
Make a simple inventory with columns for format, visual elements, purpose and observed difficulty. Separate official assets from improvised solutions: a team member’s substitute font, for example, may point to an accessibility or availability problem rather than careless application. Look for repeated patterns. One unusual poster may be an exception; the same layout issue across several formats deserves closer attention.
Evaluate clarity, consistency and usability
Review each example against a few practical questions. Is it clear who it comes from? Can a reader find the main message? Are type and colour choices legible in the formats where they appear? Do photographs or illustrations feel connected, even when their subjects vary? Does the system leave enough room for different kinds of work? An identity can be consistent yet too rigid to support everyday communication.
Test elements in context rather than judging them only on a presentation board. Place a logo on a narrow mobile screen, try a headline of realistic length in a template, and check how a colour combination holds up on a busy image. Note where guidance is missing as well as where an element fails. If people repeatedly make their own layouts, the system may need more useful templates—not necessarily a different logo.
Invite feedback without letting taste take over
Ask a small group of people who create, approve or encounter the materials to respond to specific examples. Useful prompts include “What do you think this page is asking you to do?” and “Which part was hardest to make using the existing assets?” Avoid asking only whether someone likes the look. Feedback about a difficult task or confusing message is easier to act on than a vote for a favourite colour.
Keep observations, interpretations and suggestions separate. “Three recent presentations used different heading styles” is an observation. “The type guidance may be unclear” is an interpretation. “Create a presentation template” is a possible response. This distinction makes it easier to discuss disagreements and stops one proposed solution from being mistaken for the problem itself. Record strengths, too: a recognisable colour, flexible grid or familiar image style may be worth preserving.
Turn findings into a redesign brief
Summarise the audit on one page. Group findings into what works, what causes friction and what remains uncertain. Then prioritise issues by how often they occur and how much they affect communication or production. A hard-to-read text style used every day may need attention before a rarely used decorative mark. Be explicit about constraints such as existing assets, team capacity and the range of formats the identity must serve.
End with a short brief that describes the job of the redesign without dictating its appearance. For example: “Make project stories easier to read across web and presentations while retaining the identity’s recognisable colour.” Add a few ways to judge proposals, such as testing a long headline, a mobile page and a presentation made by someone outside the design team. The audit has succeeded when it gives the next design decision a clear basis, including a reason to keep elements that already work.
