Brand Design 101

Let’s paint a picture of a scenario that might be somewhat familiar…

You’ve had your business up and running for over a year now. You’ve got some connections, added some jobs to your P&Ls, and are refining your offerings and creating processes to better deliver on your goals. Maybe you’ve made a little money and are starting to invest in the actual growth and development of your business.

You started off with a logo you purchased on the cheap, a website you boot-strapped or maybe even built yourself. You’re active (as much as you can be) on social media but lately, you feel that what your company looks like to everyone doesn’t match the products or services you provide. 

You feel a bit disjointed and frankly ashamed of how you’re presenting “your baby” to the world.

Experiencing any of the above? You’re not alone. Especially with recent events, there are more and more budding entrepreneurs with great ideas and the expertise to create real results in their businesses. But branding takes a bit of a back seat when you’re first starting out. And that’s one area that eventually bites you in the ass if you don’t get it right.

If you’re new to me and what I offer, you should know that clarity and having a business strategy is the very start to proper branding (and if you’re in an affluent, high dollar industry I’ve got a great brand strategist I can refer!).

But if you feel the disconnect is more with how your company is visually represented, let me share a little about the essentials when it comes to your brand design package. When you’re starting your company, revamping or rebranding, consider setting the resources and time aside to develop the following list.

BRAND
Brand design begins with your logo. It is your headline, your megaphone, your first impression for your target audience and it must reflect the style and aesthetics of your customer, not of you.

COLOR PALETTES
Your color palette follows right after the logo and begins to relay the feeling and style behind the strategy. Color palettes shouldn’t be full of trendy colors and shouldn’t be solely your favorite colors either. Instead, your primary and secondary palettes should be thoughtful choices that help to foster the consumer connection.

FONTS
While designing the logo, fonts should also be considered and as the next few branding assets are developed, font selections should morph into a palette or branded family.

Typography (the way in which your written message is arranged and displayed in your marketing pieces) can be considered another brand graphic. Fonts can have nearly as much visual authority as any graphic, color, or pattern so it’s important to choose fonts you can readily use in your marketing creative.

BRAND GUIDELINES
Most likely, this is probably an item that doesn’t exist for your brand. What’s sad is that it maintains the most important thing with successful branding – consistency. Your brand guidelines outline everything from how your logo is used, to the codes for your color palettes, to the naming of your brand fonts. This is extremely important information to have in order to maintain consistency so that your brand is always recognized and does not confuse current or prospective customers. Not maintaining a consistent brand can often make or break trust and loyalty, two key factors in the emotional connection between brands and consumers. Often referred to as a Brand Bible, your brand guidelines should be shared with anyone who markets or develops any creative for your company.

IDENTITY SYSTEM
Your identity system (business card, letterhead, and envelope, thank you cards) is next on stage and is the first tangible delivery of your initial brand elements in practical use. Because few businesses are using letterhead/envelopes anymore (at least pre-printed ones) your business card has become your main and sometimes only greeting card. It should be more than just your name, logo, and phone number. Let it begin to tell your story whether that be through how it feels in your hand, the boldness of bright colors, or a unique cut out or shape. VistaPrint is great when you’re in a bind but if you invest a bit more in your card printing, I guarantee your business partners and customers will notice and your competitors will be just another card in the pile.

WEBSITE
Your website is another key to your brand design as well as the brand-building process. In our digital age, if your website doesn’t communicate your message, relay how your company can help your customer and validate trust, you might as well pack it up. Considering 92% of buyers will peruse your website before they even look at what you offer says that addressing their pain point, establishing your solution, and making the emotional connection is more important than your shop or services page. User experience and organization is paramount in web design so be sure you’re effectively communicating your brand, both verbally and visually.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Never before has it been easier for new companies to gain exposure and find their customers. On the flip-side, it’s increasingly difficult to cut through the chaos that seems to flow across the feed of whatever platform on which your customers are engaged. Sounds like a win-lose situation, doesn’t it? What’s going to set you apart at first glance? How will your message get through? It’s all about brand recognition. The adage that we have to see something 7 times in order for it to truly resonate with our brains is all the more reason to have a consistent visual brand. Repetition is effective communication and if you look different every time you get in front of your customer, you’re never going to achieve that magic 7th time.