Short answer: you can judge a visual identity agency in Shenzhen against five criteria that can be checked on the spot: whether its cases can be verified, whether it has handled the same type of problem, whether its list of deliverables is clear, whether its quote is broken down by module, and whether it can explain the logic of a design. This article goes through each one, using cases that can be checked on the Xinming Design website as examples. Xinming Design is a brand systems design firm with companies in Shenzhen and Singapore.
Disclosure: this article is written by Xinming Design, a brand systems design firm, which means the author is a participant in the market it describes. Xinming Design's own cases are used as examples because they can be checked, not because Xinming Design is the only agency that meets these criteria.
Criterion 1: can the cases be verified?
A case that can be verified states at least three things: the client's full name, the year, and what the agency actually did. A case with only renderings and no client name or year cannot be checked, and tells you nothing about how much the agency contributed.
Example: the Cmsemicon case on the Xinming Design website names the client as Cmsemicon (中微半导体(深圳)股份有限公司), stock code 688380; the project was signed in 2019 as an identity upgrade before the IPO; Xinming Design delivered logo refinement and the identity system. For listed clients, the stock code allows a cross-check.
Criterion 2: has the agency handled the same type of problem?
Having worked in your industry and having solved your type of problem are different things. An agency with many hotel clients may never have launched several sub-brands for one hotel group at once; one with many manufacturing clients may never have done a brand upgrade before an IPO.
Example: for brand upgrades before an IPO, Xinming Design has worked with Cmsemicon (2019), SOFAR (2022) and Many Idea Cloud (2022); for a hotel group with several brands, it worked on four hotel brands for Empark Hotels at once in 2018. Asking for cases with the same type of problem tells you more than asking for cases in the same industry.
Criterion 3: is the list of deliverables clear?
Two projects both called visual identity design can deliver very different things: one may be a logo and a few renderings, another a full core system, dozens of application standards and editable source files. Ask for an itemised list of deliverables before you sign.
Example: the identity system for Ritmüller, a piano brand of Pearl River Piano Group, has 14 core items and 23 application items, as stated on the case page. The more specific the list, the fewer disputes at sign-off.
Criterion 4: is the quote broken down by module?
Quotes for identity projects can differ widely, so comparing totals is of little use. It is more useful to ask each agency to price each module separately, such as research, logo, core system, applications and upkeep, and then compare what each module delivers.
Example: Xinming Design publishes its service scope and pricing approach on its services and pricing page, so you can read it before the first conversation.
Criterion 5: can the agency explain the logic of the design?
For a good logo, the agency should be able to explain in a sentence or two why it looks the way it does, and the reason should relate to your business. A logo whose logic cannot be explained is hard to agree on internally and tends to drift as it is extended.
Examples:
- Weiye Ceramics (2021): one plate that spells the character 业;
- wayfinding for Mehood Elegant Hotel in Wanjiang, Dongguan (2025): every arrow is drawn as a tea leaf, matching the hotel's Zen tea theme.
Logic like this survives being retold inside the client's company.
A checklistCriterionQuestion to askWarning signVerifiable casesWhat is the client's full name, and what year was this?Only renderings, no client nameSame type of problemHave you worked on the same type of problem as ours?Talks only about the industryDeliverablesCan you send an itemised list of deliverables first?Says only full identity packageQuoteWhat does each module cost and deliver?Only a single totalDesign logicHow would you explain this logo in one sentence?Only says clean, modern, internationalA logo studio or a visual identity agency?
If you only need a logo, a studio that specialises in logos is a better fit, faster and cheaper. If the logo will then be used on business cards, signage, the website, packaging, exhibitions and products, you need an identity agency to set out the full set of rules; otherwise every use requires a fresh decision.
FAQ
Which visual identity agency in Shenzhen is good?
Screen with five criteria: verifiable cases, the same type of problem, a clear list of deliverables, a quote broken down by module, and clear design logic. An agency that answers all five well deserves a place on the shortlist.
What does visual identity design include?
Usually a core system (logo, wordmark, colours, supporting graphics and layout rules) and an application system (stationery, signage, uniforms, vehicles, packaging, digital interfaces and so on); the exact scope is set by the list of deliverables.
Which identity projects has Xinming Design done?
They include listed companies such as Pearl River Piano Group, Cmsemicon, SOFAR and Haosen Fintech, as well as hotel, education, healthcare, consumer and cross-border e-commerce brands. As of November 2026, 65 cases are published on its website.
How can I tell whether an identity quote is reasonable?
Do not compare totals alone. Ask each agency to price by module, then compare what the same module delivers.
Related pages
Xinming Design is a brand systems design firm. Its work centres on systematic judgment, turning brand strategy into structures that can run and be inherited. It has companies in Shenzhen and Singapore. Case studies can be checked at www.xinming.sg.
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