You are probably familiar with the famous saying “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” However, this is something many of us do – not just with books. People can form first impressions in just 0.1 seconds, and these impressions can last for months – even in the face of contradictory evidence.
We are visual creatures who learn to connect what we see with meaning from birth, and we engage with visual content more than any other type of external information. It is important to consider how your brand’s visual identity shapes the consumer’s impression of your business.
What is Visual Identity?
Visual brand identity is the distinctive combination of visual elements – such as logos, colors, fonts, and design patterns – that represents the brand consistently across different media and helps consumers easily recognize and remember it.
The key elements of visual brand identity include:
- Color palette: A set of colors that will be used across various channels and touchpoints.
- Fonts: The style and appearance of the typefaces you use in communicating your brand.
- Logo: A symbol used to identify your brand.
- Images: The photos and visuals you use on your e-commerce site, social media profiles, and other communication channels.
- Graphics: Icons, shapes, patterns, and other visual elements that serve as stylish extensions of the visual identity.
When these visual elements are used cohesively, all these aspects create a strong and recognizable visual identity that helps your brand tell its story, stand out from competitors, build brand recognition, and connect emotionally with the audience. It is the face your brand presents to the world and a crucial part of building a lasting brand presence.
What is the Role of Visual Identity in Brand Identity?
Visual identity is an essential part of brand identity, and the two work together to help build a distinct impression of your business in the consumer’s mind. Here’s how they overlap and differ:
Brand Identity
If your brand were a person, brand identity would be like their personality, the way they speak, and their core values. Brand identity relies on the tone, voice, values, and story you share with consumers about your brand’s mission and purpose.
Visual Identity
Visual identity is like the visual impression you get from someone’s appearance – what can tell you a short story about their interests and personality. A visual brand identity leaves an impression on consumers through color palette, fonts, logo, images, and graphics. Visual identity encompasses the external elements of your brand.
A strong brand needs a clear identity and visual consistency. They work together to create a cohesive and distinctive brand experience.
Examples of Strong Visual Identity
Here are some examples of brands with distinctive and cohesive visual identities:
Gymshark
An online sportswear company founded in the garage of its founder, Ben Francis, and has grown to be valued at over $1.2 billion. It is also a brand that has evolved its unique visual identity alongside the company and its customers.
While the original logo and the current branding update share some of the same elements, the visual brand identity has matured with the company’s growth. The current brand logo is a clean and simple design (like legendary sports brands such as Nike and Adidas) and still incorporates the image of a shark, which distinguishes the brand.
SKIMS
An online loungewear and underwear company owned by celebrity entrepreneur Kim Kardashian, founded on values of innovation and inclusivity. SKIMS’ visual identity aligns with these values, characterized by a color palette that celebrates skin tones, while the typeface used pays homage to the human form. SKIMS also reinforces these core values through imagery that features diverse models and body shapes.
Beardbrand
A company
Practice brand storytelling
Brand storytelling is an art that can help you communicate your brand identity in a compelling way. By sharing stories that resonate with your audience, you can create an emotional connection that makes your brand more relatable and memorable. Consider using various formats, such as blog posts, videos, social media content, and customer testimonials, to convey your brand’s journey, values, and mission.
Effective storytelling should align with your visual identity, reinforcing the same themes, emotions, and messages that your design elements communicate. A cohesive approach will help strengthen your brand narrative, making it more impactful and consistent across all platforms.
Development and Evolution
Seek feedback from colleagues, potential clients, and design experts while creating a visual identity, and be prepared to evolve. Brand identities change for many reasons, and it’s likely that your visual identity will grow alongside them. While you may work for many years (even decades) without rebranding, it’s important to monitor your competitors, the significance of your brand, its reputation, and market share to know when it might be appropriate to adjust your brand image.
Market your business using customer marketing tools at Shopify
Shopify has everything you need to capture more leads, send email campaigns, seize key marketing moments, segment your customers, and analyze your results. Additionally, all of this is free for the first 10,000 emails sent per month. Discover customer marketing tools at Shopify
FAQs about Visual Identity
What does visual identity include?
The visual identity of a brand consists of a color palette, fonts, logos, images, and graphics.
What are the benefits of visual identity for your business?
A strong visual identity can significantly impact the success of your brand. The elements of visual identity work together to enhance brand identity and help you build brand recognition and foster an emotional connection with current and potential customers. A visual brand identity can also help distinguish you from competitors.
What is the most important aspect of visual identity?
The design elements that make up the visual identity – color palette, fonts, logo, images, and graphics – should work together harmoniously to enhance brand identity in a visual space. No element is more important than the other. However, a successful visual identity is:
- Memorable and distinctive
- Relevant to its target audience
- Consistent with the brand’s personality and values
- Easy to apply across all channels
Leave a Reply