How Can Graphic Design Grow Brand Identity?
Graphic design is something we see and use every day and has become integrated into our daily lives as it gives a brand its visual identity. Graphics are used all over business, from logos, fonts, all the way through to UI (user interface). In this journal entry we’ll be looking at how graphic design can help brand identity to grow and how it represents a brands personality. We’ll also look at how the graphic design skillset is the starting point for most visual brand assets.
Might be of interest – Fellow’s Graphic Design Service
What is Graphic Design?
Graphic design is a skillset used to convey a message through imagery and content. Graphic design is used throughout business to make brand assets. These brand assets can be used as the visual identity of a brand. This is partly the reason we see graphic design in so many of our favourite brands.
The graphics help build, portray and reflect the brand identity.
What is Brand Identity Design?
Brand identity is everything that makes up the visual elements of a brand, from colour palettes, fonts to images and video style. All these elements make up something that we remember about a brand: we immediately associate the brand with a visual identity and from this we know what the brand looks like. This brand identity design can be represented in many ways, from their social media style through to their psychical product.
Having a good solid brand image conveys trust and familiarity between a business and a customer or consumer. For example, we associate red sports cars with Ferrari, with their brand identity concerning exotic sports cars typically in Rosso Corsa.
Types of Graphic Design Within Brand Identity
We’ve previously stated how brand identity and graphic design are linked, but what aspects, in particular, do we see, and how can they enable brand identity to grow?
A Brand’s Visual Identity
How graphic designs link to a brand’s visual identity can directly impact the overall brand. From the use of striking assets that represent a brand, the use of graphic design can attract attention and improve memorability. A brand is a connection between a business and their customers/audience. Making this connection more memorable can help improve the brand’s performance and further its appeal.
Improving Identity Through Visuals
If the visual identity in the form of logos, colours, fonts etc. are right, they can improve how customers interact with the brand. A strong identity forms the building blocks of any brand and is crucial to the success of the overall next steps.
Visual components of a brand hold a place in the minds of customers, a stronger visual identity invokes feelings and ideas associated with the brand. Graphics can be used to point the visuals in the correct direction, making it stand out from competitors, or look more professional.
Graphic Design in Marketing
Consistent graphic design throughout a business is important as it shows unity and ensures that the same message is always portrayed to a target audience.
How Does Marketing Improve Identity?
The reason businesses perform marketing is to increase awareness of their business or brand. As part of this marketing strategy, graphic design complies with branding guidelines whilst also being memorable, further enhancing the extent of the identity. Without good graphic design for banner ads, magazines ads etc., the marketing efforts would be wasted or would yield few results.
User Interface
Considered still more of a niche route, though in the coming years will grow in importance, the user interface of many brands is becoming even more important than ever before. We’ve touched on UI in a few previous articles, one in particular is the use of skeuomorphic design which we mentioned in our 3D to flat blogs.
UI is now being used throughout our daily lives and the importance of good graphic elements within this design is the difference between a UI that is easy to use and UI that individuals move away from.
How Does UI Affect a Brand’s Identity?
Brands such as Apple and Android have had a constant rivalry between their respective UI systems. Whose is better is up to you. However, each have gathered a following that has led to brand loyalty. The brand identity of these systems has spread the understanding that Apple is typically easy to use but less customisable, whereas Android is typically more in-depth and customisable but has a steeper learning curve.
Might be of interest – Apple vs Android UI Design
Packaging and Graphic Design
Graphic design and packaging have shared a bond due to its opportunity to enable the brand to stand out from competitors. Ensuring your product looks different and unique from alternatives is one of the easiest areas to understand the need for graphic design and how successful design is for brand identity.
How Packaging Improves Identity?
Businesses and brands modify their products to stand out, and this can leave lasting impressions. We can see packaging styles and almost instantly associate the design to the brand who created it.
Take Cadbury, one of the largest chocolate producers in the UK. The packaging of almost all their products is unique, with rich dark purples and gold writing. Throughout years of producing products, this colour and font combination of Cadbury’s designs has been ingrained into the minds of every child and adult for just over 100 years now.
How Can You Use Graphics to Improve Your Brand Identity?
Use graphics that fit with your existing brand. Consistency is important to maintain a clear message to your users. Use styles of designs, colours and fonts that match this, but also stand out.
If your product or service is digitally based, then play close attention to how users will work with your interface. Make this unique, not confusing, and learn from what the elites of the UI world do. What can you do differently to your competitors to make your identity standout?
If you’re looking for more information on graphic design and how it can improve your brand’s identity design get in contact with us here at Fellow. Use the contact information below or check out our graphic design page.
