Visual Identity
The image your brand projects
Next time you go for a stroll anywhere, take a close look at the people around you, paying special attention to the many combinations of hairstyles, clothing, accessories, jewelry, tattoos, makeup, and all the other elements that make up their outfits.
Chances are that if you carry out this exercise and analyze these variables in detail, you’ll unconsciously end up imagining what each of the people you're observing is like. Because whether we consciously or unconsciously choose our attire, it’s inevitable that our image sends out a message to the world—more or less aligned—with our personality and who we are.
In a similar way, a brand’s visual identity is the collection of “clothes” and other accessories it wears when it steps into the marketplace. These inevitably project an image to the world that transforms into a concrete perception about the brand. Let’s now dive into its technical definition.
What is Visual Identity?
Visual identity, in simple terms, is the translation of a brand's strategic meanings into visual codes. Its goal is to convey the brand’s essence through these elements and create an emotional connection with the audience through what they see and touch. To achieve this, we need more than just a logo: colors, typography, photographic style, illustrations, and various other graphic and technical aspects are just as crucial for building meaningful connections with audiences.
Take Apple as an example. Its visual identity evokes innovation, design, sophistication, simplicity, and excellence. This is reflected, for instance, in the cleanliness and order of its materials, the elegance of its typography, or the carefully chosen textures of each box that packages its products. If Apple had a chaotic and cluttered visual identity, there would be a disconnect between the positioning it aims to achieve and the perception it ultimately creates in people’s minds, right?
How Is a Visual Identity Designed?
Designing the "patterns" of the clothes your brand will wear or deciding on the "hairstyle" it will use to take on the world isn’t about following trends; it’s about tailoring the process:
- Define the strategic meanings to project: The unshakable foundation of visual identity. These include elements such as the brand’s vision, purpose, or positioning.
- Translate these into design principles: Still theoretical but from a different angle, we establish the visual direction that best reflects these meanings.
- Research and gather inspirational references:We explore every available channel for inspiration and identify anchor points to create a shared visual language.
- Creative-strategic development:The moment of truth. We develop various work paths that align with the design principles and references to bring them to life and movement.
- Technical refinement:Once the direction is clear, we fine-tune weights, ensure the visibility of selected colors across all environments, add finishing touches to photographic style parameters, etc., to round off the proposal in every sense.
- Brand Book:Everything above is strictly parameterized and standardized to ensure the consistent application of the visual identity across all touchpoints.
How Visual Identity Drives Your Brand and Business
Visual identity is one of the most powerful tools a brand has to make its essence tangible and shareable. It achieves this by creating a unique, distinctive, and memorable universe that audiences can immerse themselves in, opening the door for them to enter the brand's world through sight and touch.
For business, visual identity helps a brand take on a specific shape in people’s minds, transforming from a mere intangible idea into something material and recognizable. This materialization, when well-aligned with the brand’s strategic positioning, generates an instant connection between customers and the brand when a need arises that the brand can fulfill—even if they weren’t aware of the brand beforehand.
For example, imagine a father shopping at a supermarket on a Thursday evening after work, looking for a healthy snack for his child. Hundreds of options call out to him from the shelves, but he generally notices two distinct groups: one featuring brands with bold, playful fonts, colorful illustrations of cartoon characters, and bright hues, and another showcasing brands with subdued fonts, pastel colors, and gentle illustrations of the snacks' ingredients. Click. The visual identity has done its job.
Now let’s shift to the B2B world. A company executive evaluates the websites of several financial consulting firms to find fresh perspectives for their company. They analyze two: one with serif fonts, sober colors, meticulously organized text, smooth transitions and animations, and imagery exuding the high professionalism of its suited-up team; and another with bold, large fonts, contrasting colors, dynamic animations, and imagery showcasing a modern, vibrant workplace. Click. The visual identity has done its job again.
This is where its importance lies: in those moments when customers must make decisions—often without knowing us beforehand—it acts as a guarantee that what they see aligns with what they’ll experience once they try or hire our product or service. In the examples above, these visual codes allowed the brands to easily communicate their approach within their category, contributing to differentiation and tipping the scales when it came to generating a sale or prompting a call at the right moment.
Dress Your Brand in What Represents It
Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s return to the runway to wrap up this article. Just as some outfits hint at someone’s music taste or hobbies, a brand’s visual identity can be fundamental in projecting what it stands for and offers—provided it’s in harmony with its strategic meanings. It’s not just about appearing to be something; it’s about being what you appear to be. When this alignment exists, every color, shape, or texture acts as a genuine garment for the brand, capable of creating an instant impact—generating interest, trust, and preference—and ultimately converting all that into a purchase or a contact. So yes, don’t hesitate: dress your brand in what truly represents it.
How can we help you?
At The Mood Project, we understand that visual identity goes far beyond a simple pretty logo. It’s a strategic process that requires a deep understanding of your brand and market. Our team of branding experts will guide you every step of the way—from defining brand strategy and design principles to creating a Brand Book that establishes your visual identity in a coherent, clear, and easily applicable way.
Contact us and discover how we can help you build a visual identity that drives your business growth. Follow us on social media for more insights into the world of branding, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates straight to your inbox.
November 7th 2024
Author: Adrián Sanz
9 de June de 2023Plan de implicaciones
Es imprescindible establecer un plan que recoja las implicaciones necesarias para activar la estrategia de marca definida.
12 de May de 2023Universo fotográfico
A través del universo fotográfico, la marca logra reflejar su esencia y conectar con su público.
