Your brand is more than just a logo. A consistent brand consists of several elements. When done right it’ll help you stand out and build brand recognition. Having a clear brand identity will also save you time because you’ll know exactly what colors, fonts, and design elements to use.
1. Primary Logo
It all starts from the logo but your brand is more than that.
2. Logo Variations
Your brand should have more than just one version of the logo. For example, you should have a shorter, more simplified version of your logo: an alternative logo. Submark also comes in handy as a social media avatar, favicon, watermark, etc.
3. Color Palette
On your color palette, you would choose 5-8 colors. You’ll have your primary colors and secondary colors. Primary colors are of course the core colors that you’ll use most often and all or some would be present in your logo and logo variations. This is where brand guidelines come in handy. On brand guidelines, you can make a note for yourself what to use each color for as well as make a note of the #HEX, RGB, and CMYK color codes.
4. Fonts
For your brand colors pick 2-3 fonts. These will represent your brand and you should use them whenever possible. For fonts, it’s also good to make a note for yourself on how to use each font (headings, subheadings, body text, call to action, button text, etc.).
5. Digital Collateral
This would include items such as social media covers and graphics, email signatures and blog post graphics, and elements such as icons, buttons, dividers, patterns, and textures. Your website falls under the digital collateral as well and it should follow your brand identity. Consistently use the same colors, fonts, call-to-action buttons, dividers, etc.
6. Photography
If you use photos for your business it is good to decide what type of photos represent your brand. Do you prefer light or dark images? Warm or cool tone images? What kind of setup? Whatever you pick, use that style consistently whether you use stock photos or take the photos yourself. You can give your photos a cohesive look by using Photoshop actions or Lightroom Presets.
7. Physical Collateral
This would include your printables such as your business card and stationery. If you have a physical product then it would also include packaging, thank you cards, reward cards, etc.
Conclusion
As you can see your brand is a lot more than just your logo. These 7 elements are what make your visual branding. However, there is a lot more to branding than just visuals but we’ll talk about that later. Right now this is where to get started.
If you need help building visual branding, I can help you with that. Check out my branding services »
