Visual identity - brand images

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Consistency is the key to unlock brand success.

As you develop your visual communication across your marketing strategy and through social media, creating a style guide for your visual elements and applying them consistently will help you build your brand like a pro.

Key part of this process are the placement and choice of your colors, fonts, images and logo. Here are some useful tips you can apply to your brand´s visual assets.

Be unique for yourself and stand out from others

There are hundreds of brands that offers the same product or service. So how people choose their favorite clothing brand or favorite chocolate?

With the proper quality of a brand´s product or service, it is important to develop unique voice that will help your brand stand out. For new brands starting out, examine:

How do you want people to experience your service or product?
What makes you different from your competitors?
What kind of emotions do you want to evoke?

Developing your own answer to each question above will help you develop your brand identity that will consistently apply to your visual assets – your images, fonts, color and logo.

An excellent example of a unique brand is Corona. Marketing images of this brand often depict exotic outdoor scenes, sunsets, beaches and cold bottles of beer. Corona´s color palette use warm yellow color palette and many of its branded images feature a highly saturated filter. The consistent application of these visual features creates a distinctive look that leads many people to connect Corona with summer and holidays. This approach allows Corona to sell an experience – not just a bottle of beer.

Once you have a clear idea of how you want your brand to be perceived, it is time to start planning how to apply your visual assets consistently. Continue reading this text and find out how to develop a strong visual strategy.

1. Apply a color palette to all of your visuals

Once you have selected the right color palette for your brand, apply it to all graphic elements such as icons, text and backgrounds, but it is necessary to choose images that harmonize with your palette. For example, if your palette is softly pink it would be good to choose images with a similar tone.

2. Choose adequate fonts that reflect brand identity

The font you choose should reflect your brand identity.

For example, Nike consistently use uppercase, bold, sans sarif font across its social media graphics. This font is an excellent choice if you want to create an impact – a image that calls to action.

Limiting font selection in the pictures that appears on social media that do not need heavy amounts of text. If you decide to use only one font, like a Nike, choose one that is best associated with your brand.

To provide different design types, you should consider choosing two fonts for your brand and consistently use them on all of your materials.

Subtitle font and body font should be easy to read. For your subtitles is best to use the same font as your heading, with a different style or smaller size. This means using bold or italic style or increasing the letter spacing.

3. Apply a unique filter to your images

Whether you post pictures via social media or use them as background in your designs, use a filter to give them a unique look. Some filters will bring out certain colors, while other will brighten your image. It is important to have a clear idea about how you want your image look like.

Apply a unique filter to your branded images

After you select unique filter for your images, you should consistently use it on social media, website and all publications. Here you should have minimalist approach or “less is more” in order to create your brand on effectively way.

4. Position and size of logo affect on consistency

These two factors are important when you designing visual assets for your brand.

Position of the logo

If you are using logo over images, be sure that you can see it. You will often have alternate versions (white, black, color) so make sure you use one that will offset against your background. Consistency is the key to success. Because of that it is important that placement of your logo should be the same across your social post, with padding around each side for balance and aesthetic harmony.

Try to keep size and position of your logo consistent on all graphics.

Size of the logo

Your logo should never overpower your design, but it is important that it is not too small. Set a minimum size for your logo and be sure that it is still clear to read (taking into mind the different characteristics of your marketing channels).

How important is branding in your visual strategy?

Whether you starting your own business or creating marketing materials for an existing brand – branding is a fundamental part of a strong visual strategy.

Images, fonts, colors and layouts are elements of graphic design whose consistent application plays an important role in making your brand image stand out.