Nothing beats standing out in today’s overcrowded and highly saturated digital landscape. So as a brand looking for new customers, or trying to make your presence felt, you need to stand out. and what better way to do that than a focusing on good brand design.
But it’s more than just a logo. Brands need to be memorable and evoke emotions. Resonating with an audience goes deeper than just viral moments and opportunistic marketing. When building your brand design, you’re thinking with the future in mind.
Now, if you’re hearing the word “brand” here and are thinking big business or corporate, let’s set you straight. You can be a college student, or even just an aspiring business owner or designer. Learn how to brand yourself as you watch the movers and shakers at their best will inspire you for peak. Without further ado, let’s get into some brand design 101!
Crafting a Brand That Lasts - Where to Start and Where You Are Going
It is often said that the difference between an iPhone and an Android phone is the branding. Maybe that’s true, but customers being customers, will always associate great branding with great value. So, you need to build a lasting impression. Here are 5 essential tips to elevate your brand design and ensure your presence is truly felt:
1. Define Your Brand DNA
That means Know What You Stand for. Before diving into aesthetics and the picture of things take a step back. A strong brand starts with a clear understanding of its core identity. Ask yourself:
What are my brand values?
What problem is the brand solving, or maybe a need it is fulfilling?
Who is my ideal customer?
What emotions do I want to evoke?
Think of Nike, known for everything athletic and with an empowering message. Now think of Michael Jordan, NBA great with six championships under his belt. Niek may not make the nicest shoes on the planet, but with good quality and a larger-than-life brand, they’d be selling shoes forever.
That doesn’t mean that you should go and copy Nike, Apple or any of the other big brands making billions in revenue. Instead, find something that is unique about you, your business, or your brand. How do you want to project this to customers? What should they see or picture first when they think of or hear your brand name being called?
The answers to these questions will help you craft your brand identity slowly and meticulously while keeping your audience in mind.
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2. Telling Your Story Like Nobody Else Would Tell It
Still on crafting a brand identity, every person, not just a person or a company, has a story they can share. As a brand, this is the narrative that connects you to your audience on an emotional level.
For example, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company, with a brand that revolves around environmental sustainability and adventure. With Patagonia, you will find earthy color palette (browns, greens, blues), imagery showcasing breathtaking landscapes, and other messaging coded towards sustainability. Similarly, for a law firm web design, the story might revolve around trust, expertise, and client advocacy.
So, when telling your brand story, make sure to weave it into every aspect of your design. Let people see your story when they see your logo, visuals, web design, and other elements of UI.
3. Unlocking the Power of Typography and Color
Color and font are two elements that brands don’t get to play around with every day. Thus, there needs to be a thought process that’s aware of what the brand should represent. As already mentioned with Patagonia, earthy colors work for its brand identity and story well since Patagonia aims to tell a story of sustainability.
The font and typography should be consistent across your different brand marketing channels. These include your website, apps (if any), brochures, and other formats. Remember too, that colors are evocative, and they can arouse emotion. For example, red evokes excitement, blue signifies trust, and green represents growth.
Think about white space, and how the different elements represent you. Think of how Apple uses clean lines, a minimalist sans-serif font, and a sleek black and white color scheme to project a sophisticated and modern image.
Don’t fall for the trap of going for overused fonts and designs. Use white and clear space efficiently and to your advantage.
4. Make Your Logo a Statement
Your logo is the face of your brand. It should be memorable, versatile, and scalable. That last bit means it should look good on all sizes, from a tiny app icon to a billboard.
If you can’t invest in professional logo design, then you need to start learning tools like Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape and Pixelixe. Avoid complex designs that convolute your message.
Your logo may also consist of a picture or photograph that precisely captures your brand’s essence. As you aim to create memorable visuals, taking high-quality images is crucial. Pay attention to lighting, composition, and background settings to ensure that every shot aligns with your brand identity. Great merchandise photos can significantly improve how customers perceive and engage with your product, making your logo truly stand out.
5. Be Consistent Across All Platforms
So far we’ve mentioned fonts, colors, design, and a bunch of other stuff that goes into creating your brand imagery. However, consistency still needs to be adhered to. Your brand should look the same across all mediums, from your websites, apps, brochures, email blasts, signatures, etc.
That makes you instantly recognizable, and makes users or customers proud to be part of your community. Remember to A/B test your designs to ensure that you have the one that best captures your brand values and voice.
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Some Last Thoughts
So, there’s really no expert in brand design if you think about it. You can find a billion-dollar business with poor brand design and you can have a basement-strapped startup with amazing brand design. That means brand design needs a great product behind it if it is to work.
But, assuming you have a great product, service or offer and are ready to roll, then brand design 101 was just for you. Take these lessons such as consistency, finding your brand voice, and investing in a professional if necessary to help you create a memorable brand. Best of luck!