Have you ever wondered what one of the differentiating factors are that make certain companies so successful? Great products or exceptional service are definitely factors, but there is one major factor that can help set a business up for success: branding. Branding consists of the overall identity of your business - from a design aesthetic, tone of voice, core values, and product offerings. Branding helps your business become recognizable to a customer, and allows a new customer to instantly understand your business upon first sight. When it comes to visual branding, there are three preliminary design essentials you must hone in order to elevate your brand identity: color, typography, and imagery.
Color
Does your brand have certain colors that you stick to across your graphic design materials and digital platforms? If it doesn’t, you definitely should - the colors of your brand are so important! Different colors are associated with different feelings, values, and ideas. For example, the color green signifies health, well-being, or food, and is often used by health foods brands or grocery stores. The color gold symbolizes the idea of luxury, and is often used by jewelry brands or high end boutiques. Because colors can symbolize premeditated ideas, it is important that the colors used in your branding make sense for your business. If you owned a spa, you probably would not want to use an exciting color like red, and rather use a color that promotes a feeling of serenity, like ocean blue.
Typography
Typography (font choices) is a branding element that is often overlooked by businesses but is so important! Just like colors, certain typefaces can portray different brand ideas. For example, a clean, sans serif typeface promotes an idea of modernity and is often used for technology or healthcare brands. A funky handwritten typeface holds a lot of personality and is often used for niche boutiques. A classic serif typeface promotes a feeling of establishment and is often used by luxury brands or professionals. If you owned a dental practice, you would probably be inclined to use a modern sans serif typeface, and not a handwritten cursive font!
Imagery/Photography
If you are a retail business or e-commerce store, photography may be the single most important branding area you could invest in, but it is also important across all industries! In the digital age, a customer has the ability to browse your product offerings via social media and your website. Your photography should showcase your product offerings in the most appealing way possible, while also portraying an aesthetic distinct to your brand. For example, a boho clothing boutique’s photography would most likely consist of overall warm tones, with maybe some added grain for flair. An electronics retailers’ photography would be clean and crisp, with true to life coloring. No matter your type of business, consistent, quality photography is essential to your branding!
Are you an Atlanta business looking to hone in on your branding and design aesthetic? Let’s chat!
