How to Create a Powerful Identity: A Guide for Visual Branding

Excellent visual branding is storytelling. To create a recognizable brand identity, the designer needs to consider the organization’s history, vision, services, and unique selling point. 

The brand manager needs more than a good grasp of color theory and design skills. A lot of planning, critical reasoning, and visual storytelling skills are essential to the building of every identity. 

Think of the most successful brands in the world. One factor that has elevated these brands over other competitors is their ability to project their personalities and create strong brand identities.

Reports suggest it takes just a few seconds for your business to make a first impression on your audience, which determines the future relationship with them.

Photo by Patrik Michalicka

 

What is Brand Identity?

Brand identity comprises the elements that define an organization. Your business name, logo, product design, service delivery, website, and video marketing strategies all work together to define your brand identity.

 

Benefits of a Powerful Visual Branding

There are many reasons your visual branding is vital to the survival of your business. Research by Lama Lawand, of the Arab Open University concluded that visual branding is very effective in marketing, and has a great impact on how people perceive a product or service.

Your visual branding is the first thing people see when they contact your brand. Let it be email marketing, SMS marketing or any other forms of marketing, projecting excellent visual branding creates a good first impression for your audience.

Again, visual branding is a brilliant marketing strategy that introduces your audience to your products and services. When you project quality visual branding to your audience, you help them develop trust that your products and services will be nothing less.

The following are ways you can create powerful visual branding for your business.

 

Business Logo

Some of the most successful brands in the world also have recognizable logo designs which have become synonymous with their business.

Below are ways to create a powerful brand logo.

 

Research - The first step to creating a business logo is to research your brand, your target audience, and also your competition.

Researching your audience is finding out who your products and services help. Remember, everyone is not your audience.

Researching your brand involves finding out the type of logo you want for your business. Your logo should reflect your ideals, values, history, and where you want to be in the future. When you understand your brand, it becomes easier to create a logo that aligns with the purpose of the brand.

Researching your competition does not mean copying their logo style, but determining what makes them powerful.

 

Get Feedback - Always remember that the vision of your logo lies squarely on your shoulders. Do not allow anybody to take that away from you.

It is vital to be open to salesforce feedback from people on making your business logo stand out. Consider suggestions that will help you achieve the business logo of your dreams, and reject those that will lead you away from it. You can understand customer feedback as it evolves over time by engaging customers and users with relevant, personalized surveys. And salesforce can do it pretty easily.

 

Hire a Professional Logo Designer - There are many benefits to hiring a professional graphic artist to design your business logo. Most designers undergo professional training and have the requisite skills to create that perfect logo you have envisioned for your brand.

The other benefits of hiring a professional designer include:

• It saves you valuable time
• Professional designers will create options to choose from
• Designers know what will work
• Designers will inform you of a design infringement.

 

Create your Logo - If you do not want to hire the services of professional designers, you can create your business logo with online tools.

Fortunately, there are several productivity apps available online for designing business logos. With these online tools, you do not have to be a designer to create your dream logo.

Businesses can use online tools to generate several logo ideas and designs they can customize to fit their taste.

 

Typography

Typography is the art of arranging typeface, fonts, colors, background, and numbers to make it more appealing to readers and viewers. Many businesses use typography to express their brand’s personality and identity. Unfortunately, many business owners do not know that typography can affect their visual branding.

The right typography should radiate the personality of your brand.

The typographic style you choose will determine the attractiveness of your brand. Below are ways typography affects your brand.

• It helps build brand recognition
• It conveys your brand's values
• Affects your customers' user experience

You will also need to research typography since it will play a role in your marketing efforts. For example, if you decide to develop a video marketing strategy, you'll have to try out different typefaces, point sizes, and line lengths in the online video editor before you can apply a font in your videos to make sure it looks good.But how can you choose the right typography that will enhance the visual branding of your business?

 

Have a clear vision of your brand – To select the right typography for your brand, you must have a clear vision of the personality you want the brand to radiate.

Some experts have identified five main brand personalities:

• Sophistication
• Excitement
• Competence
• Ruggedness
• Sincerity

Depending on what you want your brand to represent, you should create typography that matches that personality. Research shows that customers identify with brands with similar personalities to theirs.

 

Use the correct typeface and fonts – Every typeface and font has a purpose and personality attached to it. While some fonts are regarded as educational, others are seen as traditional. You should research to discover the personality of your fonts and typeface before using them to avoid sending out the wrong message.

 

Be Unique – Do not be a copycat. Instead, try to be unique. Being unique means distinguishing your visual branding from the competition.

 

Color

Another important aspect of your visual branding is color. A paper published by the University of Southern California noted that color helps businesses to stand out, and is essential in creating persuasive brands. 

One common mistake of business owners in creating their business visual branding is to select colors based on their personal preferences.

Because red is your favorite color does not mean it will be great for your business. Always go for colors that will best project the personality of your business. Many tools will provide you with information on different colors and their meanings.

Consistency is vital to visual branding. Be careful when choosing your branding colors. Once you use a particular color, people associate it with your brand.

Your branding color should appear on your products, website, logo, signposts, letterheads, and every other place people interact with your business. By using consistent colors in your visual branding, you strengthen your brand’s awareness among the people.

Some people believe that color is subjective and may mean different things. So do not be afraid to experiment with colors and see how you and other people react to them. If the color you choose looks right to others, it means there must be something good about it.

 

Graphics

Graphics in business are the things you create to identify your brand. A recent study has observed a strong relationship between graphics and successful branding. According to the study, graphics and other visual elements of a business must be consistent with branding to effectively resonate with the target audience.

In visual branding, graphics include shapes, icons, color blocks, illustrations, infographics, chart styles that distinguish your brand from others.

Graphics play an important role in attracting and engaging your audience. So how can you create designs that will enhance your visual branding?

Always ensure that your graphics march your message. What you are saying about your company must be consistent with what you are showing the world.

If you can afford it, the best way to create graphics for your brand is to hire professional designers who can help bring your dream designs to life.

But if you do not want to hire someone, some tools can help you create the right graphic designs for your business.

 

Imagery

Your corporate imagery plays an important role in the relationship between you and your customers. Corporate imagery is one of the first things people see when they encounter a brand. Most of the time, people’s further encounter with your business depends on how they perceive that imagery.

Experts believe that the shape, size, and general design of a brand’s image evokes some feelings that affect our purchasing decisions. Images are powerful because they deliver messages at once. 

Determine the purpose of your imagery. Every image you create to represent your brand must serve some particular purpose.

Your imagery must reinforce and be consistent with your brand’s message. Anytime you use an image is an excellent opportunity to showcase your brand’s unique identity.

To set your brand apart from the rest of your competition, avoid using generic images common in your business circle. People like to associate with brands that have genuine and unique features.

 

Final Words

Many businesses with excellent products and services are not generating enough leads or making enough sales because of poor visual branding.

If you have neglected your visual identity, you are doing your brand a great disservice. Your products and services alone will not take your business to where you want to be.

Before people experience your products and services, they form an opinion about your brand based on what they see.