A brand identity is the first thing that people associate with your business when they hear your name, it is the main thing that sets you apart from your competitors. The main aspect of the brand identity is its visual identity that includes logo, color palette, font etc.
A visual identity is the identity or the brand name that a company has made for itself; it is through this identity that people recognize the company. It consists of all the elements that make a company a brand using various channels while also revealing the vision/mission, goals and objectives of the company.
Some pointers that should be kept in mind regarding this visual identity are:
- The visual identity should resonate with the nature of your business and must have a consistent design as it is the one thing that helps you make loyal consumers.
- It should justify the goals and objectives of your business and must only show what you have claimed to offer.
- Always design according to the needs and requirement of your clients. The colors, font and typography should all be uniform throughout the entire asset for the visual identity.
- Never exaggerate about your product or design it in a false way as an unsatisfied consumer can make your reputation go bad quickly.
Here are some tips that can help anyone be a beginner to build a smart visual identity:
1. Research about the company
To create a visual identity, you need to know about the company and its consumers as visual identity make the brand, and brand is what the company wants to represent. Be it audience, competitors or the company itself, without proper research you can’t even think of designing a visual identity. In this process, you have to analyze the following factors:
Audience: Know the needs and requirement of the consumer with your brand and creating the logo and other visual assets in a manner that helps the company deliver the message about creating a product exactly as they needed.
Exiting brand– whether we are updating the brand through new visuals or creating a new one, we need to know the current state of the brand in the market and whether it aligns with the long-term goals or not. For this, talk to consumers, employees and the head of the company.
Competition: knowing about them is important so that you don’t create a visual identity that matches them.
2. Logo- the main element of visual identity
A logo is the most important tool of branding and is also the hardest one to get right. That’s why it needs time and patience. Create a logo that goes with the ideologies of your business and also reciprocates with the consumers, design it simple yet unique delivering the core message of the company. You can use the Canva logo maker tool for designing the logo. The tool lets you design a decent logo without spending a single penny within minutes. But if you are looking for something expert level, you can always hire a professional web designer.
Also, this logo should be on everything from the website to business card and also design it keeping in mind the different channels it will appear on. Never use too many colors or font or make it so complex that people can’t remember it. Your logo should be neat, must render properly on all types of devices. It should represent your brand in the best possible way.
3. Color palette
Decide upon a color palette that has enough color to give creative freedom to the designer but also not to overwhelm them. Also, the colors should be according to the business’s nature and goals. Did you know each color reflects different messages on the user’s mind. Choose colors according to your business. If you are into creative sector, you can look for funky colors but if you belong to some non-creative work, it’s better to stick with basic colors. All the elements of the identity must be consistent with their color and use the color decided in the scheme.
4. Typography
Experimenting with typography is a good thing- for instance, Coca-Cola, which used a new typography which has now become so famous that people have been trying to copy it for decades.
Don’t get stuck on the common typeface and fonts like Arial and Times New Roman, try a different and unique font but remember that it should be visible and readable.
5. Have a guideline
Make a brand guideline that describes your color scheme, the use of your logo in various elements like a website or social media etc. It must also include the size of the font, photographs, and graphic that is appropriate like stock images or original ones.
If there are clear instructions, it will make easier to design the visual identity.
Branding and visual identity are crucial for the success of your business, so don’t ignore it or do it quickly. Take time and plan ahead so that you can reap the benefits later. These tips will definitely help you to create a visual identity that will last forever.
