In this post, we’re going to examine the key elements necessary for creating & deploying a unique brand design and identity.
Using these brand identity guidelines, you’ll be able to design a complete brand identity package that is both clear and compelling.
If you’re ready to build a memorable and impactful brand identity for your business, then this post is for you!
Let’s dive right in..
How do you define brand identity?
A brand identity includes all of the unique elements necessary for you to recognize that brand.
Some obvious brand identity examples include the brand’s visual elements such as the:
- name & logo
- color palette
- font pairings
- and so on..
But there are quite a few ‘not so obvious’ examples that help identify a brand, such as the:
- slogan / tagline
- voice or tone
- reputation
- authenticity
Understanding what components make up a brand’s identity is pretty straightforward, but the question we really need to answer is: What is brand design?
What is brand and identity design?
This is where you use all of the elements above as a sort of ‘brand identity design template’ and combine them into a coherent and cohesive brand identity.
The objective is to create a unique look, feel, and message that accurately reflects what your business is all about.
To design a strong and memorable brand identity, you’ll need to incorporate all of those things.
Why Your Brand Identity Matters
Your brand design and identity are what makes your business stand out from everyone else.
Taking the time to get this right is vital. It shows that you have put in the time to determine precisely what your business offers.
Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.
When this design is clear and compelling, you help foster brand loyalty; your audience and customers know what to expect.
How To Deploy Your Brand Design And Identity
This is where the work begins. The first two areas focus specifically on discovering your brand’s unique identity, and the last two will show you how to design it.
It’s important to first get clear on who you are before you begin to showcase what you are.
Like this infographic? Create yours with Visme
1. Set Expectations
The first step is to set the right expectations for your brand. It’s about honesty and integrity.
Make it clear what your audience is going to receive, and make sure that this is what they are actually going to receive.
Setting the right expectations is about brand integrity. It shows that you are someone who can be trusted; that you keep your word.
In the same way you would write a catchy blog title, you need your brand to stand out; just make sure that their expectations are met.
This next step will show you how to broadcast these expectations.
2. Find Your Voice
This part of your brand’s identity is all about being specific and authentic. It’s speaking about what you know and from who you are.
As you develop your voice, you will establish your own style, cadence, vocabulary, and tone. Having this unique voice and message helps you stand out from everyone else in your niche.
Stand behind your knowledge and experience. If you don’t know something, either say so or say nothing and put the focus on what you actually know.
Take the time to get this step right. Don’t copy others, find your own words to convey your messaging.
3. Design Your Website
Now it’s time to focus on the graphical elements of your brand’s identity, and the first place to start is your website’s design.
Your website is the home of your business, and it’s crucial to get your house in order before you focus on external matters like marketing and advertising.
How do designers create brand identity?
This step is where your brand’s identity is first expressed. It’s like a business card or billboard, and the first impression matters most.
A website should be designed with the users in mind. This starts with your WordPress theme, but extends to every other aspect of your site as well.
Your site needs to look great, load quickly, and be easy to navigate.
Consider the actions you want visitors to take, and then design your site to help facilitate those actions.
Your site also needs to feature your brand assets, but we’ll discuss how to create those in the next section.
Recommended Resource
With Thrive Suite you can easily turn your WordPress website into a full-blown online business.
4. Create Brand Assets
This step is where you give your business a unique look; everything from colors, fonts, a logo, and more.
A few distinctive brand assets examples are:
- pairing fonts within the same family
- designing a matching logo & favicon
- choosing a color scheme with Paletton
- creating consistent social media headers
These brand assets are the building blocks of your brand design. Keep things simple, easy on the eyes, and strive for excellence.
Once you have these assets in place, you can deploy them everywhere; on your site and within all of your promotional graphics.
Branded assets help your audience and customers recognize your brand wherever they encounter it.
While this step tends to be the focus when talking about brand design and identity, make sure the first 3 areas are perfected before these final touches are put on your brand’s design.
Recommended Resource
Visme gives you all the templates & graphics you need to create brand assets with minimal effort.
Final Thoughts
In summary, your brand’s identity is more than just a logo and color scheme, it is the all-encompassing personality of your business.
Set clear expectations (and deliver on your promises), speak with your unique voice, and create unified brand assets for every aspect of your organization.
The brands that really stand out successfully deploy all 4 of these components.
What about you?
What elements make a brand stand out to you?
Let us know by leaving a comment below..
It’s a little hard to describe, but if it looks like a brand is using stock templates that stands out in a bad way for me.
I feel the same way, Chad. It looks like they’re still in their brand’ s infancy.
One thing that stands out to me is when a solopreneur DOESN”T build himself up as an expert, but instead focuses on the brand’s mission/vision. That makes his brand seem more credible to me.
100%, Rod! If they can show me that they are an expert, that’s different. But if they keep telling me they are, I’m pretty skeptical.
To me, consistency is huge. I see a lot of brands that use random templates for graphics & color schemes. This seems like they aren’t professional and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Exactly, Les! When the branding is inconsistent, it will turn off a lot of people.
When I see a brand “parroting” stuff I’ve seen elsewhere, I move on. It’s clear that they have nothing original to say. You call it “Finding Your Voice”, and I tend to agree on its importance.
Thanks for commenting, D! Even if they’ve come to the same conclusions as everyone else, it will make them stand out if they talk about it in their own words.
Having custom brand assets really makes someone stand out to me. Anyone can use free templates, but when someone has a consistent branded look, I see them as very credible.
Great point, Morgan! Creating a consistent branded look will take your business to the next level.
I like your first point best: setting good expectations and having integrity. Everything after that is a bonus in my opinion.
Good insight, Geoff! That’s why it’s point #1 of this post!