Brand Identity: five essential aspects

Which are the important elements to be considered when bu lding a brand identity? Let's look at five aspects that are undeniably essential for the success of a project.

1. Brand Colours

The most striking element is also the one we dutifully treat first. Colour gives character to design and allows users to get an idea of the brand with just one look.

It's necessary to use two to a maximum of three colours within a project so as not to create confusion. One can choose between several pairs of colours, for example, similar colours or complementary ones. Pastel colours for a brand with a peaceful and relaxed character or bright colours to catch users' attention. Adobe offers a convenient colour wheel to find interesting colour harmonies ready to be used.

 

2. Typography

Typography, the textual element of a project, is often taken lightly by non-professionals. In reality, it is among the most important aspects of a graphic design project. The wrong choice of font can, in fact, affect the whole brand identity. As with colour, it is important that the font reflect the company's character. For example, a modern, grace-free font could be the right choice for a pharmaceutical company, while a retro-looking font, reminding hand-written words, could be perfect for a pastry shop.

One must always take into account the readability of the text, especially on the web. A too-baroque font could affect readability when inserted in a paragraph. One shouldn't choose more than two fonts per project, or it will get confusing and lead to a lack of internal coherence. Google offers a lot of optimised web fonts to choose from. 

 

3. Graphic style

Choosing an appropriate graphic style is another fundamental aspect to consider when building a good brand identity. Which graphic style to use depends on various factors. The main two are the sector in which one works (e.g., a website of an architects' firm will have a different graphic style from a grocery e-commerce website) and one's visual sensitivity and the one to be given to the project.

 

4. Tone of voice

A brand's tone of voice is given by its values and objectives. What is a tone of voice? It's the way one addresses their audience and the kind of language in which one speaks and writes. Some companies adopt a more informative style, others a more inspirational or entertaining style, and so on. Finding one's own tone of voice is fundamental to creating a solid and coherent brand identity over time, making users feel at ease when interacting with the brand.

 

5. Uniqueness

Last but not least, it's important that within a brand identity project there is an element of absolute uniqueness, able to let the company arise from competitors, and that is instantly recognisable and memorizable. It could be one of the above-mentioned elements: a bold and functional combination of colours, a custom font, an unexpected tone of voice, or an innovative graphic style; but it could also be something else, for example, a particularly powerful logo design. The importance lies in finding that unique brand's element and making it stand out in the eyes of users.

 

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