Ways to maximise branding with graphic design

Branding. Something not everyone can define beyond a ‘nice logo’, but it is influential and unavoidable in a contemporary lifestyle.

From the brands we remember from our childhoods, right the way up until those that might not even exist yet, carefully predetermined branding can invoke an emotional response from the target demographic, and bury itself in their subconscious for years to come.

The success of a business is fundamentally built on the foundations of brand awareness, so how can you best incorporate visual branding into your graphic design work to efficiently raise awareness of your brand?

Here are our tips:

1. Don’t go logo loco

There is a running joke in the design industry to ‘make the logo bigger’, and although in some cases this may be a genuine request, it is not always necessary. Instead of scaling up, consider simply giving your logo room to ‘breathe’, with sufficient negative space surrounding it. As a representative emblem of your brand, you do not want to risk making it seem cramped and cheapening your design.

2. Don’t underestimate the value of well-considered branding

According to researchers, 3 in 5 respondents said they wouldn't use a company if it had a "terrible" brand image, and with consumers being spoilt for choice, this is not where you want to fall short. We are visual creatures, so launching a brand with aesthetically-pleasing content will work wonders when translated to revenue. Invest in professional, consistent design and roll it out across all of your assets, like team pages, flyers, social media sites and posters.

3. Be colourful (in moderation)

Colours are arguably one of the most noticeable components of a brand’s image. Whether we consume their products and services or not, I’m sure we all have an instant idea of brand colours in today’s landscape. Research has confirmed that 60% of people will decide whether or not they’re attracted to a message based on colour alone. How you use colour also affects the visibility of your brand and reinforces brand recognition by up to 80%. Choose your palette wisely, and remember that in design quite often ‘3 is the magic number’, so don’t go overboard - less can be more. You can then predominantly refer to these 3 colours in all future designs, to make your brand recognisable before a consumer even sees the logo. 

4. What the font?

Headers, footers, and body copy contribute to well-executed visual branding and should not come secondary. Typography enables you to create a particular context and have a certain personality, hit the nail on the head with visual arrangement/hierarchy, negative/blank space, and font pairings/sizes and things will fall into place. 

5. Design in all shapes and sizes

Once you’ve got your logo and palette in the bag, be sure to support your design work with vector assets that echo the right message. Fonts, colours, and shapes are important aspects of design, capable of symbolising ideas, expressing moods, and leading the eye. Characters, scenery, or abstract elements made of softer, rounder shapes will trigger a more welcoming response to your message, whilst harsher, sharper, and more abrasive assets will often do the opposite.

To find out how we can enhance your brand’s digital PR content and get people clicking and sharing with graphic design, contact us here.

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