09: Creating a Good Visual Identity System Now Can Take Your Business a Long Way Down the Road

So far in this newsletter series, I’ve dedicated the articles to talking about creating and expressing your authentic brand. 

Referring back to this image of the iceberg from an earlier article, the larger part of the mass, the important stuff, the foundation, is what lies below the surface–your purpose, vision, mission, core values, attributes, and unique positioning. I call these foundational elements your ‘brand DNA’ because it is imperative that your brand be built on traits that are true to you and you alone.

Using your brand DNA as a guidepost, you can create a visual identity system that is unique to you. 

Your visual identity system is the visible part of the iceberg above the water line, namely how you look to the world.

A visual identity system is necessary to create and maintain to ensure consistency across ALL touch points of your brand. A system should include elements that will be needed for different marketing tactics. You will be most efficient if you account for all scenarios now, so you can have the information handy when you need to bust out that last-minute swag item! 

Here are the basic elements that every visual identity system should have:

Brand Color Palette

The colors you choose to represent your brand must have a rhyme and a reason. In this example color palette for one of our clients, we chose colors found in nature, particularly in Texas, where our client is located, to offset the fact that they are an agricultural plastics manufacturer.

Creating a palette with all possible scenarios in mind will save us a lot of time down the line, so we included Spot colors (such as PMS) and CMYK formulas for print and fabric, and Hex colors and/or RGB formulas for digital use.

Brand Fonts

I believe fonts have a personality. Some are bold, some serious, some whimsical, some straight-forward. When selecting fonts from my library for a brand, I always repeat the brand positioning and core values in my head or even put them at the top of a blank page. As I select a font to try out, I see if it FEELS like the brand DNA, like the perfect pair of jeans after the first wear. 

Because I like to have my bases covered, I always choose one font for headlines, callouts, and visual interest, and I choose another font for paragraph text, sub-text items, and also the occasional headline when needed. 

A system should ONLY contain two main fonts. Within the font family can be many variations (bold, italic, thin, black, etc.) and all are acceptable to use. You may need to choose a universal basic font that is closest to your brand fonts, such as Arial or Times New Roman, for instances where you cannot use a custom font, like in an email. A great place to search and source free fonts is Google Fonts. You can download font families to your computer, and share with vendors, and Google fonts are free to use and also compatible with both print and digital applications.

Main Logo and All Variations

What’s a visual identity system without logos, right? Assuming you’ve created your logo, or had a designer create one for you, this is where you will create and house all the variations you will need of that logo. Again, it is better to have more than you think you need now to save you time and money down the road. Here are the typical variations I begin a system with:

• Main full-color logo as I would like it to appear in most instances.
• If your main logo fits nicely in a square box (think profile images), you will want to create a horizontal version for when the space does not allow for a square-ish logo.
• If your main logo is more horizontal, you will need to create a stacked one that could fit in a square for profile pics and vertical tactics.
• You will need to create a small space logo in which you may alter the design if it is rather intricate, or becomes illegible in a small space. What I do here is design the logo and then make it really tiny on my screen to see if all the elements can be understood at a glance.
• You will need a black or grayscale logo for when color is not an option. Pro tip: you do not want to submit a color logo for grayscale applications because you do not know how it will read, what will fade out, etc. You want to always ensure your brand is shown in the best way possible.

A colleague once said to a client, “Everything you do either builds or denigrates your brand.”

I wholeheartedly stand by this statement. What may seem insignificant could really be hurting the perception you have of your brand. Therefore, consistency and repetition are the keys to positively representing your brand in the wild.

We can get a better understanding of this by comparing two big box retail stores.

Target vs. Walmart

I am not sure if Walmart-owned ASDA in the UK or Target’s comparable Marks & Spencer carry the same characteristics, so this comparison might be relevant for US readers only. 

Walk into any Target store in the US and it will have all the same brand elements–the signature red cement balls at the entrance, the red polo shirts on the staff, the same product lines, the same lighting and store signage, etc. TV spots FEEL like Target, even through various seasonal campaign iterations. Merchandise is still less expensive than a department store and the products are ‘good enough’ for most people’s everyday needs. Communication is consistent, whether text or email. The website carries the same vibe. While Target is a major corporation, much can be gleaned from its mission to stay on brand at every touch point in its thousands of stores across the country. 

Now conversely, walk into any Walmart store and you are guaranteed a bit of a shitshow. It’s true that merchandise is inexpensive, but the entire vibe of the store reeks of poor quality. If you look at the Walmart website, it is a completely different experience from shopping in the retail store. With the understanding that their ideal customer is considered “price-sensitive”, based on the facts, I don’t think they are remaining true to their brand values.

“It’s crucial that the experience our customers have with our brand be the best possible, from our promise to deliver on low prices, to the quality of the products we sell, from the cleanliness and design of our stores, to the smiles and helpfulness of our associates.” ~Excerpt from Walmart’s brand guidelines

Yeah, about that… 

I am not here to bash on Walmart and its shoppers. I go there when I need a cheap appliance or such. I am just trying to illustrate the difference between a major company who sticks with a cohesive visual identity system and another that throws caution to the wind.

It’s never too late to start fresh.

If you already have created your logo and are out in the world with somewhat of a mixed brand bag, you are not too far gone. Many companies go through either a brand refresh, where you take stock of what you have out in the world and improve on areas where you have been less than consistent, or a complete rebrand, where you start with revisiting (or even creating) the brand DNA and allow the visual identity system to unfold from that discovery.

The most important question I want you to ask yourself is, are you being consistent with your brand? Is your social media content visually aligned with your website (super important for the user experience!)? Is your logo legible and consistently used across all tactics? 

And more importantly, do you feel like your brand is more a Target or a Walmart? 

If you want to be successful, be like a Target. 

Hi, I'm Angela DiMarco. I specialize in guiding businesses to express their unique brand with authenticity and creativity. With over 30 years of experience in branding, marketing, and advertising, I possess an intuitive knack for uncovering the soul of a company. From shaping your visual brand to connecting with your audience, my goal is to empower you and your organization with a sturdy foundation. Learn more at UniquelyPhenom.com or DM me to set up a call. 

Dana Sardano and I are your super professional and buttoned up 😹 co-hosts of Going Commando with Angela & Dana Podcast. Check us out for a good dose of authenticity and wisdom, and the occasional epic burp.

I am also the author of Uniquely U. Update #52: The Birth of a Bright-Eyed Entrepreneur, available at Phenom-Publishing.com or an Amazon near you 😉. In my debut book, I share the tumultuous journey of starting a business.

“Angela reveals herself without inhibition…We can feel her angst and the insecurity of her inner child holding on for dear life as her warrior spirit takes over with fierce determination…a true window into the evolution of Angela’s soul and each update gives us a greater glimpse into her star power and creative genius.” ~ Dana Sardano

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