In today’s world we are exposed to more media than ever before. This visual feast is relentless and that is what makes design a key element in making your brand stand out. With consumers becoming more discerning about how they spend their precious time it’s now essential to keep things simple, clean and as concise as possible. The best way to manage this is by applying good design principles. They will keep your communication easy to understand, more engaging and more likely to hold your consumers attention.
The fact is, good design is good business. It’s even more important today with the internet. Not only does your company need to act smart to be successful, it needs to look the part too. It’s too easy for your audience to lose interest and move on. Once you have them you have to hold them. Design is one of your tools. If you don’t use it your brand runs the risk of being taken on by someone who does.
Good brand design is similar to good interior design. As you explore the brand you find that everything works together beautifully and compliments the overall look and feel. Just as a well designed room where every piece of furniture, art and ornament belong it creates a sense of being complete. Design encompasses everything your company does. It’s not just a logo and a leaflet. It’s the whole visual journey your customer experiences. The design guidelines you set yourself should be followed closely across all communication channels. This essentially adds value to your brand giving it unity and cohesion. It also reassures your audience, telling them your company is well organised and professional.
People respond to good design in a similar way to buying new clothes. They feel modern and refreshed. Big multi-nationals understand the importance of this and will spend large amounts keeping their brand identities and visual guidelines current. This often means a total redesign and applying the new design across everything worldwide. That’s signage, stationary, etc. not to mention relaunching the new design to the public. The question is why? To answer that you have to look back at brands that have been around for many years. Their brand history will show multiple redesigns and how they have stayed in tune with changing times. Almost every brand will benefit from a fresh new look. It’s takes a bit of nerve but modernising is essential for any brand that wants to stand the test of time.
Redesigning your brand look is often like a shot in the arm for business. Prospective customers that might of left you alone before suddenly become interested. It signals a change in your thinking and that can resonate out and change peoples perceptions of you and your brand. It’s an opportunity to make some noise. Relaunch yourself. Run a promotion? Get back in with clients you might of lost touch with?
Apple is a wonderful example of good design in practice. They follow a very simple set of guidelines and consistently apply those rules across all company communication. Their visual identity is now a reference point for designers worldwide to aspire to and they do. There are now numerous smaller companies applying similar design asthetics to their own communication. It’s a bit like follow the leader but those who don’t will be left behind.
At Kemistry we like to help, especially in one of our favourite areas. Brand identity and design. If you’d like to know what we think of your design work, drop us a line and we’ll offer our thoughts on what’s working and what’s not free of charge. We take into account what service or product area you are in and how your design works for your target audience. It may identify something you haven’t thought of or seen yourself?
