Your Brand isn't your Logo
Your brand is so much more than your logo - it's your Brand Identity. It's the colours, fonts and elements that represent your business and makes you stand out from your competitors. A brand is a big deal for small businesses because a strong brand is recognisable and consistently communicates:
what your company does
how it does it
who it does it for
I'm going to take you through the design elements that you need to think about to develop your Brand Identity - so whether you are just starting out, or if you are looking to refresh what you already have, this is where it all begins.
NOTE: you will want to check out my Brand Identity Checklist first to get you prepared.
A gorgeous brand makes you stand out and attracts the right clients ..
Once you've created your branding you will need to stay consistent, so I recommend you create a Brand Style Guide - this is a document you can refer to for your exact colours, fonts and design elements.
Download my Brand Style Guide template for free. You're welcome.
1. VISUAL INSPIRATION
If you've gone through my Brand Identity Checklist this will give you focus and direction on your creativity. The next thing you can do is create a visual Mood Board.
For example, your Mood Board should include:
Colours you like that represent your business
Patterns and textures you like that represent your business
Images you like that represent your business
Fonts you like .. well you get the point
Treat this exercise as a fun 'brain-dump' of stuff you like that could work for your business - you'll probably throw away most of it as you narrow down what really works but it's a good visual guide.
TOP TIP: I recommend using Canva to create your Mood Board and also help with your branding.
2. CHOOSE YOUR COLOURS
You want to create a brand with colours you love and also colours that work with what offer, so look at the colour psychology chart below see if your favourite colours work with your business vibe.
Remember that colours come in different shades, so do you want vibrant, bold and bright or soft, muted and pastel .. or a combination of the two?
Choose 1-3 different colours you'd like to represent your business.
3. CREATE YOUR BRAND PALETTE
Now you have up to 3 colours you like, you will need to create a palette, so that you have plenty of colours to play around with in your marketing (but whilst also keeping a lid on it).
These are my rules when creating a colour palette:
You need 6 colours (you don't need to use all 6 in your logo, this is for your marketing in general)
Use different tonal ranges (preferably 2 dark tones, 2 mid tones and 2 light tones)
The definitions below might help you decide what colour combination you would like - use the Colour Wheel to help you visualise.
Analogous - colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel
Complementary - colours that are opposite on the colour wheel
Monochromatic - shades of one colour
Harmonious - colours that work together from the same temperature
4. CHOOSE YOUR FONTS
Font have personalities, just like colours. Go back to the Brand Identity Checklist where you described your business and choose your fonts carefully. Think about whether they will be Bold, Italic, small caps or FULL CAPS etc.
You will need 3 types of fonts for the following:
Heading / Sub Headings
Body Text
Signature / Quote
5. LOGO DESIGN
When you come to design your -
Keep in mind the aesthetic and feel of your brand that you want to evoke
Look at logos you love and hate and take inspiration / figure out what it is you love and hate
Look at your competitors brand and logo designs
Create different variations of your logo, for example: stacked, horizontal, icon / watermark
Download your logos in high resolution and with a transparent background
I recommend using Canva to design your logo, they have plenty of customisable templates that give you inspiration and make great starting points. Plus they have lots of elements, fonts and other design features for you to play around with.
6. THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN COMPOSITION
Consider these principles when designing your logo or any other marketing material designs:
Brand Style Guide
If you want your visual branding to work for your business, you need to use it in EVERYTHING. That includes:
• Stationery - business cards, invoices etc.
• Website
• Social media posts
• Email headers/footers
• Packaging
• Merchandise
To stay consistent create a Brand Style Guide, download my Brand Style Guide template for free.
WHAT NOW?
If you like what you've just read, this is your personal invitation to join my newsletter mailing list for more tips and advice about web designs, brand design, marketing and my honest experience on what it's like to be a small business owner ..
BIG KISSES
Claire x