All About Visual Identity
A visual identity, unlike a brand strategy, is pretty straightforward.
It’s a collection of visuals that represent or help identify your business.
Easy enough, right?
Sort of. 🤷🏽♀️
We figured. That’s why we’re writing this blog post after-all.
SO even if you already know what a visual identity is, you may still have a few questions. And we have answers!
What’s included in a visual identity?
Every creative studio works a bit differently, but for the most part, you’ll see the same core deliverables included in every brand design package. Here’s what we include in our core package -
Moodboard — Let’s not over complicate it, shall we? A moodboard is a collection of images, words and colors. After brand strategy, this is step one and it lays the foundation for any brand design or production that follows. When you look at it, you’re meant to ask yourself, “Is this the vibe I want my customers to get from my brand?”
Color Palette — one of the most fundamental elements of a brand's visual identity. It’s different for every brand, but a color palette is usually a collection of as few as two colors or as many as 8. It's one of the things that audiences remember most about an organization, which is why it's so very important to use them consistently. Think Coca-Cola red, Starbucks green, Lakers gold and purple, or McDonalds gold. (You’re imagining these colors in your head right now, aren’t you? That’s the power of branding, baby! 💥)
Typically, you’ll get some extra direction from your brand designer on exactly how you should use your brand colors to make sure your brand is consistent across all customer touch-points.
Primary & Secondary Logo Lockups — a symbol that instantly identifies your brand. A good logo is one that incorporates colors, shapes, typography, and sometimes a tagline to holistically represent a brand.
A primary logo is the MVP of your visual identity and should almost always be used to represent your brand. A secondary logo, on the other hand, is simply your hero logo in a few different positions, i.e. horizontal, vertical, a version with your tagline, a version without your tagline. Simple variations along those lines.
Oh! And “lockup” is just a fancy term for arrangement - the way words and images are connected to make your final logo.
Submarks & Brand Icons — Submarks are simplified representations of your logo that are typically used in situations where there isn’t enough space to clearly identify your brand with the full logo. Like when McDonalds just uses the golden arches instead of the full brand name, or when Nike just uses the swoosh.
Brand Icons are teeny tiny visual elements used to represent different concepts within your brand identity. The goal of icons is to convey abstract concepts, summarize an operation or action artistically, and indicate what is being offered. It simplifies thinking and allows viewers to make quick connections around your brand.
Graphic Patterns & Illustrations — exactly what they sound like! Graphic patterns and illustrations are both additional ways in which we visually communicate your brand to your audience. They’re a bit of fun really, and they certainly pack a punch. A pattern made of icons, illustrations and words related to your brand can make for great packaging design, or line the outside of your to-go cups. It can decorate the backside wall of your retail space or live on your website as a banner image. A brand pattern knows only the bounds of your imagination.
Font Suite — Why the heck does the font I use on my site matter? It’s actually quite simple. The letters of the alphabet, and the words that they create, are just as visual as they are textual. The way they appear on a page or screen suggest something about the meaning they hold, whether we intend it or not.
You guessed it. Your brand font (AKA a typeface) is another visual representation of your business, and another element that must be used consistently to make an impact. A few fonts you’d pick out for a lineup? FedEx, Coca-Cola, Amazon. Go ahead. Try and tell us we’re wrong.
Brand Guidelines — Okay, cool, you have a new brand. But how do you use it? That’s what your Brand Guidelines are for! It’ll break down the must-remember elements of your strategy, recap all of the visual elements included in your brand and tell you how you can and cannot use those elements for optimal recognition. It’s a great tool to share with your team and partners to ensure consistency company-wide and across platforms.
Brand Collateral & Packaging — Brand collateral covers everything from your social media templates to a social media banner, a business card, and a paper insert or mailer! These pieces of your brand in action are how we’ll begin to increase the quality of your customer’s experience. Have a unique brand collateral request? We’re listening… 🧐
Do I really need a visual identity?
From color palette and typography to imagery and layout, your brand's visual identity is central to how audiences will perceive, interact with, and share your content. End of story. So yes, that’s a yes. You really do need a visual identity.
WHY CAN’T I JUST DIY IT?
Well, you can, and we won’t stand in your way, BUT, creating a GOOD visual identity is hard.
A good visual identity…
⚡appeals to and engages your ideal audience.
⚡is unique and timeless (i.e. it usually avoids brand design trends).
⚡is simple to use and easy to understand.
⚡is functional and flexible across different mediums.
If you’re reading through that list and wondering how the heck you can check off all of those requirements, you’re not alone.
Even the most experienced brand designers don’t just come up with a great visual identity on a whim. Good design results from an in-depth brand strategy, trial and error, and, for lack of a better phrase, just plain ol’ brand designer's intuition.
Not to mention a bunch of education and experience. Seriously, we all have student loans.
Visual identity is a powerful tool for telling a brand’s story and connecting with customers. Because it is so effective at communication, the wrong message can have big consequences.
The best way to make sure your visual identity fits your brand and successfully communicates with your audience is to work with a professional brand designer that aligns with your business values.
