September 24, 2020
Strategy is key, and Rearview Lead Designer Kristen Oehrig often says, paraphrasing legendary designer Saul Bass, “Design is strategy made visual”. (Saul’s original quote is “Design is thinking made visual,” if you were curious.) Your brand’s design is often the first, and sometimes the last impression you make on a prospect. The look you choose should be based on your ideal clientele, matching your design to their sensibilities. You wouldn’t be serving princess cupcakes at a biker bar. Design spreads through all aspects of your company, from your site, to print collateral, to everything digital. Today we want to walk you through the basics of creating a strong brand voice with design.
Who is your audience? What do your visuals communicate to them? Old-fashioned or traditional visuals might say “this is a company based on traditional values, doing business with us is familiar and straightforward,” and attract that type of clientele. Something more cutting edge communicates a forward-thinking stance and can open you up to a younger or more modern audience. Just like pink frosting isn’t exactly what our biker bar patrons are expecting, you need to learn what your audience is looking for. Audience analysis can be tough, but our designers have plenty of advice for creating enticing visuals to match consumer tastes. Take a look at some of our other design work to get a sense for what we can do.
Small elements make up everything – just like atoms, it all adds up. Seemingly small decisions like color choices and typefaces actually have a big impact on your brand’s voice. Think back to our biker friends. Their ideal cupcakes have tough colors and visual elements – dark frosting, little Harleys on top, and… well funfetti is out of the question. In just the same way, each element of your design should be carefully considered.
Surprise! Your brand’s design actually does rely on a fair bit of talking. Copy and messaging highly effect and influence design – designers work very closely with copy to take cues from. Dark and stormy, straight-laced and professional, or bright and bubbly – your brand’s voice in copy needs to be consistent and appropriate as well, or else design can clash. We have a team of copywriters who love analyzing brand voices – call us and talk about getting your brand voice and graphics in line.
Design has the potential to transform your brand and amplify your voice like never before. If you want to get more advice from real designers (and other marketing professionals) on how to improve your brand, sign up for our weekly newsletter with the form below, or visit our contact form and enter your info. You’ll get actionable advice straight to your inbox every week – totally free.
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