Humans are visual creatures and visual cues help to remember and recognize better than any other senses. The obsession with beauty, aesthetics, and attractive approaches is noticeable in all eras and in this digital age, visual content is the only thing that can keep online users hooked. Therefore, it is no surprise that brands need to develop a strong visual identity in the market that helps them stand out in the market and endure. Iconic graphic designer Paul Rand once said, “Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.”
Let’s dig into the matter to push your brand forward.
What is Visual Identity?
Visual Identity refers to a collection of visual elements that helps to represent and differentiate a brand. It can be a logo, colors, or any visual element that helps to embrace your brand and let customers easily identify it. By adding a cohesive aesthetic, it helps to develop brand recognition. Visual identity is built based on the foundation of brand identity. Constantly working on the visual identity while keeping a consistent design and color, your brand will eventually gain more customers who are oftentimes triggered by visual cues. As a result, your business will gain more online activities, engagement, and brand recognition from the market.
What makes a Good Visual Identity?
Suitable – Only creating a visual identity is not enough since it has to be relevant to your brand as well as should be able to evoke the right emotions among the customers.
Distinct – Your brand’s visual identity must be different from the potential customers or else they will not remember your brand among the horde of others. It should carry some individuality.
Simple – Complex designs are not easy to recognize or to remember. It is also critical and expensive even if you hire a professional. A simple design promotes clarity and it is easily recognizable.
Timeless – The visual identity needs to be flexible and adaptable which allows the brand to evolve.
Functional – The visual identity should be easy to reproduce in every medium no matter what kind of visual assets you want for your brand.
Why Visual Identity Matters?
Visual Identity helps to create brand perception and also leaves a lasting impression. It is beneficial to brands for various reasons. Such as,
Differentiation – Creating a unique visual identity helps to set the brand apart from others and promotes differentiation
Relatability – With visual identity, the target audiences will find your brand more alluring and easy to interact with
Consistency – Consistency is an integral part of branding and the same goes for visual identity as well. Keeping the same visual assets is what help consumers recognize your product
Loyalty – More than 84% of customers are more likely to stay loyal to a brand that understands their needs and whose values align with theirs, the values that reflect through identity
How to Create a Strong Visual Identity?
1. Use the Brand Identity
A well-defined brand strategy can help you create an identity that blends with the purpose, values, and goals of the brand. Such kind of frame work allows for anticipating the visual identity of the brand and keeping it aligned. You need to utilize visual assets that are easy to recognize and help to embody the brand’s identity.
2. Understand Your Target Audiences
Know your target audiences first as only then your visual identity can help the brand communicate better with the desired customers or target audiences. However, in order to do that; you need to think from a buyer’s perspective rather than a seller's. Develop a buyer persona and think of the elements that you find attractive. Once you are able to create clear guidelines for whom your brand is interacting with; you can come up with a better design and visual that attracts them instantly.
3. Know the Purpose of Your Brand
It is highly important to understand what is the purpose behind establishing your brand. What is the brand’s vision and mission? How it is going to help the customers? These are questions that pave the way for a clear purpose or goal of the brand. When you know, what goals your brand is trying to achieve you can come up with a better visual identity that is more attractive to all kinds of customers.
4. Adapt Your Visual Assets
To optimize your visual identity, one must know how to adapt to visual assets. Your brand can have a very clear brand style guide and learning how to use it effectively is highly important. Different visual designers work on different assets and they also need to understand the the core visual identity in order to adapt to each asset accordingly. It can be as simple as tweaking size and resolution for logo design or something. When you have your digital assets sorted for different mediums; it gets easier to adapt with.
5. Stay Consistent with the Identity
Consistency is the key to visual identity. If Coca-Cola finally decides to switch to some other color than red; it will be quite hard to figure out as the brand color is already instilled in the mind. Consistency helps to ensure the fact that all branding collateral is homogeneous. When you stay consistent with the visual identity; it resonates well with consumers, stakeholders, investors as well as potential competitors. Consistent branding also helps to improve customer loyalty. However, consistency doesn’t mean rigidity so; it should evolve with time to gain more momentum or create a buzz in the market.
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