They say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, or a movie by its thumbnail, but we can’t avoid the impression made by seeing something for the first time. The same thing happens when we look at a branded object or service; there is an instant emotional response that has, after all, been carefully developed and intertwined into the composition of the visual identity of said brand.
But how do brands evoke that emotional response? As referred to on our last blog brands, firstly, need to have a clear understanding of their purpose and core values, unique products, distinct selling points & target audience. Once this is established, then it is time to develop the visual part of the brand’s identity. This is usually the first thing potential customers see, what grabs their attention, makes them stop and take a closer look.
Below are the 5 main components of a well-designed visual identity:
Logo
Just think about the great ones: Apple does it with a bitten apple, Starbucks does it with mermaids and Coke does it with a word. Your logo is the “face” of your brand — your major mark. The symbol that is unique, easily recognisable, memorable and evokes a strong emotional response to you and your clients. If you think about the aforementioned examples, they all share the same characteristics: never too busy or detailed, normally a free-standing design or illustration, or a simple type form.
Colour palette
Related to logo design is the colour palette. It has been proven many times that colour and different tones have an effect of our mood, our decisions, and even our perception of products and brands. A lot of colour psychology is intuitive, like blue expressing calm, and red and yellow expressing passion and energy. Knowing a bit about the emotions conveyed by certain colours can help you select the right ones. Depending on the tint or shade of a colour you use, that emotion can be adjusted.
Typography
Fonts are powerful. The most famous fonts are recognisable even when taken out of context. You'll want a single primary typeface to lead your brand design, and it should work well with your logo and your colour palette. It should also, like your logo and colour palette, be simple. Typography includes all the fonts that you use and the way that your text is stylized. It’s important to use fonts that complement your brand, are visually-pleasing and - most of all - readable.
Imagery
Whether you're using stock images or shooting your photos in-house, the images you choose for your marketing and advertising efforts should be consistent and have the same look and feel, no matter what it is. The photos you share can be one of the quickest ways to either set you up to appear professional, or make you look inexperienced. If you’re shooting your photos in-house, the editing style must be uniformed. Creating branded filters is a fantastic way to ensure comparable photos.
Supporting graphical elements
Once you have your logo and other elements established, think about incorporating secondary elements to really tie together your identity and pack an extra punch. These can include icons, shapes, patterns, textures and lines that are used to complement your brand — to pull out pertinent information, break up text and add additional dimensions to your designs.
In sum, a well-designed visual identity should successfully get across to potential consumers, its unique style, it should be easily recognisable, pleasing to the eye and consistent throughout all its communication to their target audience.
Did you find this helpful? Are there any other questions regarding branding that you’d like us to tackle? Please leave all your comments below. We can’t wait to read them!
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Happy Musings!!
