Accessity-funded businesses display their branding. L to R: MujerBrave, TRVLR Coffee Roaster, Maya’s Cookies, Shore Buddies, and Chula Vista Brewing.

Creating a visual identity makes for good design and is essential for business success. Why? Marketing experts estimate that an individual is exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day. Consequently, good design is crucial for your business to stay top of mind, stand out from the competition, and maintain your sales. Also, humans are highly visual creatures; “More than 50 percent of the cortex, the surface of the brain, is devoted to processing visual information.” – William G. Allyn, Professor of Medical Optics.

Your brand needs a visual identity, a collection of visual elements to help solidify and represent your brand to communicate a consistent message to your clients and create brand recognition. If your customer can’t remember your business, how will they buy from you?

Make it easy for your customers to remember your business!

Look at your business as a person with physical characteristics and personality, and ask yourself, how would I want other people to remember and perceive my business? For example, a cake shop probably prefers to be recognized as cheerful, colorful, welcoming, etc., compared to an accounting business with a more formal, serious, and reliable personality. Your visual identity is your company’s first impression, so make the best one by using different design tools; you don’t have to be an expert to create great visual content and give your brand voice and a strong presence. Here, we give you some free tools to start your branding process.

 

These are the four main components of visual identity you need for your brand:

  1. Logo:

A logo is the face of your business and is a way for your customer to recognize you easily. Depending on your brand, you can decide what type of logo represents your company, look for inspiration, compare your logo ideas with your competitors, and make sure it stands out from the rest; a good logo design is clean and easy to remember. Don’t break the bank! If you don’t have the budget to hire a graphic designer, look at some free logo maker tools:

 

  1. Color Palette:

This is the fun part of the design; however, we need to take it seriously since each color has a different connotation. For instance, when experimenting, consider the psychology of color and what message you want to convey. Color psychology is the study of how color affects perceptions and behaviors. In a study, “Impact of color on marketing,” researchers found that up to 90% of consumers’ first impressions are based on color alone.  The perception of each color varies from person to person depending on their age, culture, experience, etc., so it could get challenging to manage, but try your best and do your research. Here are some free color palette generators to help you find the perfect colors that resonate with your target audience:

 

  1. Typography:

Typography is an excellent tool to tell your story and often is an afterthought when thinking about design. There are many types of typography like serif, sans-serif, script, decorative, etc., each with different characteristics. Ideally, you should use two-to-three fonts for your branding to help you draw attention and create a hierarchy. If you start using too many different fonts, your brand can look confusing and not professional. Make sure you choose typography that feels right for your brand. Check out these free font tools:

 

  1. Photography and imagery:

Choosing the best images plays a significant role in creating a brand distinction. Even though it is essential to portray your product or service, don’t forget to deliver emotion through your images, making it easier for your customer to connect with your values. It is best not to use any images from Google as they could be protected by copyright. Instead, use your creativity and take some great photos with your cellphone; hire a professional photographer, or check out some of these sites for free stock images:

 

Now that you have all the basics for the visual identity, make sure you stay consistent. Consistency helps, over time, create recognition and build trust.

But most importantly, have fun and express your creative self through your business! It is okay to change your mind, test the market and refine some visual materials. Remember, good design is a great sales tool and a way for your business to stand out among the rest!

 

READ MORE helpful tips from Accessity’s Blog: 5 Steps to Kick Start your PR Program on a Shoe String Budget and 5 things lenders look for in your start up loan applicaton.