In today's business landscape, differentiation is everything. It doesn't matter how good your product or service is, if you don’t have a strong brand then you are going to struggle to stand out in the market and grow. Communicating your brand value effectively through visual design can help to bring your business forward and help it develop that all-important competitive advantage.
Design has changed over the years.
Design has changed over the years. As it grew, designers began to realize that they could use their talents to communicate ideas, feelings and even influence what people think about brands and products. Today, design has become such a powerful tool that it's used in almost everything from advertising to websites.
Design is everywhere—from the television you watch your favorite show on to the chair you sit in at work every day. Designers are constantly creating new things for us using visual cues or “signifiers” that help us understand what something is all about before we even know what it is!
Effective Design is more tricky than you think!
When it comes to design, it can be tricky to know what is most effective (that's why we help you figure out what works lol!). The reason why is that design is subjective, and what one person likes may not be the same as another person’s preference. As a result, using design to communicate an idea that resonates with everyone can be difficult and will likely require testing multiple options before you land on the right one.
However, there are some general rules for creating visual designs that resonate with people:
Visual design should not be based on personal preference. You might think certain colors or shapes look great together in an image or logo but if no one else does then it won't have any value as an identifier for your company.
Visual designs should reflect how you want people perceive you and your brand values (e.g., Apple has always had clean white backgrounds with simple fonts while Coca-Cola uses bold colors). If this isn't reflected in your visuals then they won't convey those values properly either!
Design power
Design can also be used to help people understand something quickly. It's amazing how a simple visual design can communicate information, ideas and emotions in a way that words alone cannot.
Design has the power to create moods and emotions. The ability to create such effects is what makes good design so powerful for brands: it allows them to bring more meaning into their brand identity by creating an emotional connection between themselves, their products and services, and customers. The result is a stronger brand identity for your business because it gives you an opportunity to reach out directly with customers through visual design that speaks directly from your business.
Neurun is one of our portfolio clients that has tasted and seen the power of design. Read Neurun's story here and how we used design to raise funding.
The art of letter-forms
One of our approaches to design is the use of typography, the art of letterforms! Typography is a powerful tool in communicating a brand's personality, credibility and message.
Typography can be used to set a mood or communicate information. For example, Coca-Cola uses typefaces that are playful, fun and friendly in order to convey their brand personality - an important part of their strategy as they are trying to appeal to people who want something "new" yet familiar at the same time.
Typefaces can also be used to communicate different messages depending on what you're trying to say or convey with them! Consider this example:
If you want something serious: try using serifs (the fonts with little feet at the bottom). This will give your text more authority because it makes reading easier on our eyes - plus it looks professional!
Design Principles • Design Thinking • Business Growth • Branding
You are your signature!
Icons and Wordmarks form a brand's signature. They can help create a more memorable, consistent and cohesive brand.
For example, Pepsi's logo features the company's name in distinctive red lettering outlined by an Art Deco-style "Pepsi" design. The arrow-shaped contour of the “e” and the negative space within its borders are reminiscent of an earlier design era when Pepsi was first introduced as Brad's Drink in 1893. In contrast, Coke uses white block letters on a red background with diagonal lines extending from its upper right corner to form an abstract stylized letter “c” that symbolizes both Coca-Cola® as well as being universally recognized by consumers around the world.
See how we have created some cool signatures to help brands look more memorable and consistent here.
The use of color and texture.
Color and texture can be used to create a specific mood or emotion. For example, red is often associated with excitement or urgency, while green can be used to indicate calmness. Textures such as linen and wool are associated with luxury products, while plastic and leather are associated with lower-end products.
Visual design is cohesive
Visual design is a way to organize information and make it easier to understand. It’s also a way to make your presentation more cohesive, which can help you communicate brand value.
With visual design, you can create a layout that organizes all of the information you want people to see in an easy-to-read, easy-to-scan format. This can make your audience feel like they’re getting a lot of value out of what they are seeing so that they will keep reading or listening until the end.
To create this effect, first ask yourself these questions:
What do I need my audience members (customers/patients/etc.) know about?
How can I arrange this information so that it is easy for them to understand?
These questions form part of an approach we have to creating presentations of all sorts needed for brand engagement and communication, from pitch decks to style-guides. Check out some of them here!
In today’s world, it’s imperative that you know how design can be used to communicate your brand. This is especially true if you have a product or service to sell. Knowing how design can help make people feel a certain way about your company is an invaluable skill that will set you apart from the competition.
As always,
Dare to Shift!!
Design Principles • Business Growth
