Your brand has an identity, and the design elements are its attributes. Often these need a refresh because they appear to others as dated or frozen in the past. So, how fresh is your brand identity, and could it be turning off prospective customers before they ever contact you?
Let’s review what brand identity is and the best steps to modernize it.
What Is Brand Identity?
Brand identity describes all the elements a business develops to portray an image. Those elements are the visual representation of your brand’s style. Brand identity makes you recognizable to others, but that doesn’t always mean it’s positive. Others can have negative feelings about your brand, especially when the design aspects seem outdated.
If you want others to see your brand as modern and relevant, these areas will need improvement.
Typography and Font
Yes, font matters! You want to ensure a few things with typography. First, it needs to be easy to read across all mediums, including everything from print to mobile. There are four main types of fonts:
- Serif: Classic and traditional
- Sans serif: Sleek and modern
- Script: Emulates cursive
- Display: Specialized elements and more unique
There isn’t a “wrong” answer in choosing typography. However, updating serif to sans serif would provide a more contemporary look. Display can be a secondary font for web to highlight specific areas you want to stand out.
Color Palettes
The human brain is sensitive to color, and we often immediately have thoughts or feelings about certain colors. That doesn’t mean you should toss out any hues that might have negative connotations, like red. You do want to think about color’s influence, but you should ultimately create a palette that’s complementary.
Upgrading your brand colors could simply be the addition of a new, bolder accent color. Or you may want to change it all up and go for colors that look more modern.
Logos
Your logo is the heart of your brand identity. It should communicate who you are and what you do. It should be visually appealing and make an impression. Updating your logo may just be changing colors or font. You could also add more details to represent your brand better. You could also start from scratch, but you’d only want to do this if your logo isn’t very old or isn’t synonymous with your company.
Website Layout and Shapes
The last primary piece of a brand identity is your website design. You’ll start by changing the font, colors, and logo. Now consider your entire layout. Are there elements that scream old? One of the tell-tale signs of this is a website that doesn’t stretch side to side but sits in a “box.” That needs to go because it looks bad and impacts the user experience.
Other areas that may need a redesign include the “shapes” where images and content reside. Does this contribute to a look that’s not clean? Do they make it difficult for users to follow your message? You don’t want people who visit your website to struggle to consume your content!
Ready for a New Brand Identity?
If your brand is ready for a refresh, the team at AQ Marketing is here to help. We offer brand identity and logo and website design. We can give your brand the facelift it needs to stay current and make the best impression. Contact us today to learn more.
