A strong visual identity is crucial for any business, as it helps to establish brand recognition and sets your company apart from competitors. A well-defined visual identity includes several key elements, all of which should be carefully considered and executed in order to effectively communicate your brand to your target audience.
Here are 5 pieces that your business needs for it’s visual identity:
Logo
Your logo is often the first thing that people will see when they come across your brand, so it’s important that it accurately represents who you are and what you do. As we’ve already discussed, well-designed logo should be simple, memorable, and easily recognizable. It should also be versatile, able to be used in a variety of contexts, from your website and business cards to packaging and signage.
Color palette
The colors that you choose for your brand should be consistent across all of your marketing materials. Your color palette should be carefully selected to align with your brand’s values and message.
For example, if your brand is associated with luxury and sophistication, you may want to choose a palette of rich, elegant colors. On the other hand, if your brand is energetic and fun, you may want to go with a brighter, more playful palette.
There is psychology behind colors, and colors can help evoke emotions and feelings.
Recommended
Resources
Plenty of companies have discussed color psycholog. Here are some of my favorites:
Typography
The font that you use for your brand should also be consistent across all materials. Your font choices should reflect your brand’s personality and tone of voice.
For example, a more formal brand may want to use a serif font, while a casual brand may opt for a sans-serif font.
It’s important to avoid using too many different fonts, as this can be visually overwhelming and make your brand appear unprofessional. Actually, too many fonts is one of the common DIY website mistakes.
Imagery
Like I’ve already talked about, the images that you use in your marketing materials should be high-quality and reflect your brand’s values and message.
For example, if your brand is focused on sustainability, you may want to use images of nature or eco-friendly products. Similarly, if your brand is all about luxury, you may want to use images of sleek, stylish products or people living the high life.
Keep in mind, that the images that tend to generate the most attention and be the most eye catching are those with people. We are trained from a very young age to look at faces, and that includes in photos.
Brand guidelines
A set of brand guidelines is a document that outlines how your brand should be used across all materials. Having guidelines is even more important once your business starts to grow and you bring on a team – either in-house staff or outsourced and freelancers – that will be assisting in any aspect of your business.
This includes details about your logo, color palette, typography, imagery, and any other elements of your visual identity. Having a set of brand guidelines ensures that your brand remains consistent.
As part of my branding process, our team goes beyond the usual brand visual guidelines and also establishes a complementing brand voice and messaging guide, which becomes critical for entrepreneurs working towards 7-figures and beyond.
Making sure that you have strategically considered all five of these visual elements for your brand will help you achieve the biggest impact.
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