Negosentro| Today, we are living in an extremely visually-intense world. We are constantly being bombarded — from all angles — with various images and visual cues of all sorts. So much so, that we have become totally dependent on our sensory abilities to discern whether something is of great or poor quality just based on looks; yes, we do judge books by their covers! This is especially true for brands.Even a small glimpse can help us determine whether or not we want to conduct business with that company. So, what can you do to boost your brand’s visual identity?Take a look at these neat tips down below and find out!
Compelling Logo
Your logo is the face of your business. As such, it will be the first thing that comes to your customers’ minds when thinking about your company; it’s the way they recognize your brand — visually. Hence, you need to come up with a design that is both unique and memorable to stand the test of time. For instance, take a look at Apple’s enduring design — it has a distinct, yet clean, image that is easily recognizable; so much so that the brand’s name is not even included in the logo.On the other hand, there is Coca Cola, for example, which makes use of distinct typography for its design — the logo is made out of a single straight line of single-font text without any additional graphical elements. Whichever pattern you choose, make sure it embodies the very essence of your brand; a soulless logo calls for a soulless brand.
Appealing Colour Pallet
After you come up with a suitable design for your logo, you need to choose 1–3 primary colours to complement your brand’s overall character (more than that will overwhelm your audience). However, don’t pick just any colour on the fly — think about colour psychology first!Different colours evoke different emotions. For instance, blue is the most appealing colour in the spectrum and often denotes trustworthiness and stability. Red, on the other hand, stands for excitement and passion; perfect for brands that cater to a younger audience (think Coca Cola). Decide on what you want people to feel when they come in contact with your brand and choose the appropriate colour to match that experience.
Distinct Typography
Next on our list is choosing a primary typeface for your brand (and all accompanying texts) that also synergizes well with your colour pallet and your logo design. Most brands often pick the standard serif or sans serif fonts that are pretty easy to read and not too distracting for the eye. However, this does not mean that you cannot be creative and opt for a different design, such as script or display fonts. For example, Disney uses the script font rather well; it does an exceptional job of evoking the sense of nostalgia for those long-gone school days when you used to scribble down notes in your workbook and play outside all day without a single care in the world.
Well-Made Promotional Material
Once you determine the Holy Trinity of your brand’s visual identity — your logo design, colour schemes, and font types — it’s time to design the perfect business cards for your brand to stock up on. In essence, a well-crafted business card will not only create a sense of trust but will also reinforce the idea that your brand is both genuine and professional. For most people, the quality of the business card also plays a huge role in determining the prestige of a brand, as was the case with Patrick Bateman and his co-workers in the cult movie American Psycho. Now, as for the design itself, don’t do anything too out of the ordinary; keep it nice and neat, with your main contact info accompanying your brand’s logo on the side.
Professional-Looking Website
Whether or not your business actually has anything to do with selling online products or services — you still need a website to showcase your brand’s expertise and character to the world. In fact, its design can reveal a lot about the brand. For example, a neat and clean design instils confidence in your professionalism and competence; it makes you look organized and coordinated. On the other hand, a more artistic approach showcases your brand’s creative side and gives it that distinctive flair. Overall, no matter how you choose to design your website visually, the standard web-designing rules still apply. In other words, your website needs to be easy to navigate, responsive, and user-friendly.
Visual Consistency
It’s very off-putting when an actor can’t stay in character; it’s the same with your brand. People attribute certain character traits and features to your brand. Being inconsistent — just like our actor above — means customers won’t recognize your brand or identify with it on a more personal level. Now, consistency itself does not mean monotony — or posting the same things over and over again. It means staying true to your brand’s distinctive character; especially so when imagery is involved. For example, Garfield comics have existed for over 40 years, and even though each episode stands for itself, it retained its recognizable art-style throughout the years. Stay true to your character, stay true to your brand, and the visuals will do the rest of the work for you.
