Visual Identity Systems: Why Your Brand Identity Needs More Than a Logo
“Visual Identity System” is a marketing term that refers to all your brand’s visual elements. Graphic imagery, colors, typography, and, of course, your logo are all part of this. Having a defined brand identity will help you produce messaging and communicate it to your target audience in a consistent manner.
Let’s think about one of our favorite brands for a moment. The first thing that comes to mind is likely a logo, storefront, color, or memorable advertisement. These are all visual identity elements and prove that visual identity plays a crucial role in a brand’s storytelling, building customer loyalty, and generating revenue.
A compelling visual identity can tell a story without words, if it is designed and implemented properly.
So how do you ensure you hit the mark right from the start? It all starts with thinking strategically and broadly about what great visual identity means.
Designing brands people truly care about means thinking about more than just your logo. Branding & identity go hand in hand. They are inextricably linked and mutually dependent, and your visual identity is the intersection of brand strategy and creativity.
Several things form a brand’s visual identity, but let’s take a deeper look at some important brand visual components.
Components of a Brand’s Visual Identity
Logo
After deciding on a company name, your logo is most likely the second item on your branding to-do list. It’s possibly the most important aspect of any visual identity system, and it will help to establish quick public recognition for your business.
Logos are often made out of symbols or icons combined with words. Logos frequently contain hidden meanings that speak to the identity of their brand.
Eventually, as your brand evolves, its logo may become identifiable even without the name attached.
Nike’s logo is instantly known to its millions of customers globally. But it didn’t start out that way. Logos may and should evolve with the business. It is one rationale for a more comprehensive visual identity strategy.
As you can see below, while Nike’s logo did change over time, it stayed true to many of the characteristics of the brand’s visual identity.
Typography
Typography refers to the shape or styling of text used in branding. Beyond what your words say, the size, font, and layout of your text can all have an impact on your visual identity. Your typography should match your other design aspects while also speaking to your brand’s identity and personality.Typography, like handwriting, should be unique and distinct.
Don’t get too overwhelmed by the dozens of fonts available! There are only a few font classes (such as serif, sans-serif, script, and handwritten), and each has its own personality, ranging from classic to bold, elegant etc . Begin by selecting a font style and progress from there.
Color palette
Using color schemes with specific hues, shades, and tints, brands elicit powerful emotions from their audiences. In many cases, the logo serves as the starting point for the brand color palette, which should then be repurposed across all brand materials
Graphics
In the context of visual identity, graphics are images drawn or designed. A Lego block or Coca-Cola bottle serve as distinctive silhouettes to represent their brands or they can be complex icons, full-scale images or animations.
Imagery
Imagery refers to photography and video content, as well as any spokespeople who act as the brand’s living “image” in advertising. Designers must curate only those photos that are most representative of the brand’s personality and its customers
PRO TIP: People sympathize with faces and typically want to see themselves mirrored in the businesses they consume.
Physical brand assets
In branding, physical assets are the objects that contribute to a brand’s visual identity. This may not apply to brands who don’t have a physical presence, and the nature of these assets will vary even between businesses who have a physical presence. But as this is a vital element of visual identity for physical brands, it is worth going over.
An example of a physical asset is the layout and design of a store below (think of how Apple Stores have the same white interiors and glass storefronts).
Uniforms of customer-facing employees, and china, cutlery, and tablecloths used in restaurants. All of these send a specific message to consumers, including a lack of consistency.
How to design an outstanding visual identity
Define your brand identity
Your brand identity should guide the visuals.
While you do not need to have every component of your brand mapped out (since brands evolve over time), you should decide on the fundamentals of your brand strategy: what is your mission & vision statement? What are your guiding principles? How does your brand benefit others? Who are your buyer personas? What is your preferred mode of communication? These are all questions to answer as you iterate your brand identity on paper.
Tell an intriguing story.
Graphic design, like chemistry, is combining the right elements.
To create a visual identity that people will remember, you must understand how your visuals communicate or tell your story . This is where graphic design comes into play; it is sometimes referred to as “visual communication” for this reason.
While graphic design is essential for visually communicating concepts, those ideas must come together to form a compelling story about your business. Visuals have the ability to capture consumers’ attention, but stories have the ability to engage people.
Design for all mediums
No visual identity lives in a vacuum: visuals appear differently in various mediums — for example, a printed logo may appear darker than on a screen. As a result, it’s critical to tailor your images to the medium through which you’re promoting your business. Make sure you’re appropriately prepared for the journey, wherever your visual identity takes you.
Strive towards simplicity.
Clearly, your visual identity may communicate a wide range of thoughts, ideas, and tales. Having so many options may be both a blessing and a disadvantage.
To minimize confusion, concentrate on one message at a time. Customers will process visual information in seconds and, unless they are actively looking for your brand, may move on just as quickly.
You only have a few seconds to create an impression, so focus on the most crucial takeaway and center your visuals around that.
Once you’ve defined your visual identity, you’re ready to communicate your visual language with the rest of the world. People will eventually recognize your brand at first glance with time and consistency.
A visual identity system provides cues for your audience to associate with your business that transcend beyond just the logo. Visual identity is how you shape perception and create an impression through the visible elements of your brand.
We’ve been part of conversations where people claim that their logo should be able to tell a complete story of their company. While this is true to some extent, we tend to pause because a logo can only express the essence of a brand. However, it is not practical to expect it to convey everything.
Your logo, social media presence, typography, images, colour, physical assets, among others, instantly tell people who you are, what you do, and why they should be interested in engaging with you.
A well-designed visual identity doesn’t just support a brand — it elevates it. Customer-centric brands understand this, and it’s why they consult with us. Are you looking to build your brand from scratch or rebrand? Let’s help you figure out what it takes to build a visual identity system that will ensure that your brand stands out. Schedule a discovery call with Atarodo.
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