Visual Brand Identity

Full disclosure— I am not the art guy. When I have had clients in the past who required work on their visual brand identity, I have always been very clear— I’m not doing the design. But your visual brand identity is not just up to the designer, and any designer would appreciate a design brief that can direct them as they create new branding options for your organization.

I have been a part of the design of visual brand identities for small restaurants, government agencies, and global corporations. The degree of intensity of each of these processes may differ, but in going about the process in the right way, many of the elements remain the same.

In the last post, I wrote about rebranding strategies and knowing when it’s time to revisit your brand promises. In this post, I’m diving into visual brand identity and the process of transforming it.

Introduction to Visual Brand Identity

A visual brand identity is what’s used to express the physicality of a brand. Think logos, typography, imagery, and colors. When you combine your visual brand identity with the brand identity, which represents the internal characteristics of a brand. You have a complete and unique brand.

A visual brand identity is important because it’s ultimately how people can tell your brand apart from others and remember you. It’s what your audience sees, and it’s how they differentiate you from others.

Some people refer to a visual brand identity rebrand as a partial rebrand. This is because you’re not changing all the brand assets which might usually include your brand values, it’s voice and tone for example. Instead you are just refreshing the visual assets. Although, sometimes your research may force you to change other elements of the brand just so your visual elements can tell a bigger story.

Key elements

Think of your brand as a house. Each element of the brand exists to complete the house. When it comes to visual brand identity, the components that contribute to the house are; a logo, brand colors, typography, graphics, and images.

Elements Breakdown

Logo: The symbol that represents your brand. It should be easily identifiable and align with your brand promise and story.

Brand Colors: Brand colors shape your visual identity. It’s important to understand that the colors you choose play a major role in how your audience feels about your brand. Therefore, it’s not enough to just choose colors. Color psychology and the feelings associated with each color should play a part here.

Typography: Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach to choosing the best typography for your brand, ask yourself, what effect would I like to have on my audience? Believe it or not, the typography you choose sets a tone with your audience.

Graphics & Images: One could argue that graphics and images impact your audience’s experience with you more than the other elements. Everything that is considered a graphic or image matters. From squiggly lines to button choices on your website.

The Process of Rebranding the Visual Identity

I can’t say enough that knowing your audience is important. Everything you do in a visual rebrand should resonate with your audience and tie into your brand promise.

The first step should always be revisiting your brand promises, values, and messaging. Once that is revisited, your visual brand identity is simply the amplifier of your brand messaging.

When you should consider a visual rebranding

Rebrands are difficult and the decision to have one should not be taken lightly. A rebrand can make or break your business if it’s not done correctly.

Here are some reasons to consider a rebranding.

Your brand lacks a clear differentiator: Quick fixes to your logo usually make your brand very similar to others. Recently, we’ve seen how not taking the time to test, speak to your audience, and connect your new visual identity leaves your audience feeling disconnected. It’s not uncommon for a brand to pivot with a new strategy to gain more market share either.

Your brand has conflicting messages: Most brands are unaware that their visual identity actually sends a message. It’s not just about pretty colors, good typography, and cool visuals. Your brand promise must be seen and heard throughout your visual identity. If your audience isn’t recognizing it, then it’s time.

Your branding is outdated: If your business has been around a long time, chances are it’s outdated. It screams old-school everything, not that anything is wrong with it. However, to compete, you need to adapt. Adapt to your target market, trends, and testing. Every day you refuse to change is every day you lose a piece of the market share.

Step One of Rebranding Your Visual Identity

The first step to rebranding should always be to conduct extensive market research. Including focus groups and data analysis.

You may have done this the first time around, but it’s important to do it again. When it’s complete, compare it to your initial market research. Look at what’s changed and make a note of it.

Once you’ve done this, you’re ready for rebranding.

Step Two of Rebranding Your Visual Identity

The next step is knowing your audience. To rebrand any phase of your brand, you should know your audience on a deeper level.

Look at the data from your market research. Did you discover a new audience? Or has your audience significantly changed? Use this data to learn about your customers and consequently create a visual identity that speaks directly to them.

Step 3 of Rebranding Your Visual Identity

If everything is in order, it’s time to rebuild the elements that make up your visual identity. This is where the results from your focus groups come in. You know what they want, and you know what your brand principles, values, and promises look like - now you have to speak the language of your audience.

Remember every element should reinforce your brand promise. Here are some suggestions to ensure you’re striking the right tone.

Be adaptable: As time changes, trends change. Be as adaptable as possible. Don't be afraid to try new shapes, new fonts, or new styles. Remember it’s less about you and more about your audience.

Focus on continuity: With visual branding, continuity looks like not losing so much of your old visual elements. When you completely undo everything, you risk losing brand recognition. How can you keep what worked for you while creating something new?

Don’t be afraid to make an impact: If your competitors have all found success with certain colors or typography, it may be tempting to do what they’re doing. But if there’s a chance to do the opposite and get results, don’t shy away from it. Always analyze your competitor's strategy to see what worked and what didn’t. Their lessons can always serve as yours.

Brands That Have Done It Well

In 2019, Slack, a collaboration platform, refreshed its brand identity. The goal was to create a more versatile brand image that resonated with their audience while giving the company room to evolve beyond a workplace platform.

Slack explained that its first logo was playful, and distinctive, but also easy to get wrong. “It was 11 different colors—and if placed on any color other than white, or at the wrong angle (instead of the precisely prescribed 18º rotation), or with the colors tweaked wrong, it looked terrible.”

They wanted something that was cohesive and one that people could easily recognize. They selected a simpler color palette, which is more refined yet it contains the foundation of the original logo.

Slack’s successful visual rebrand shows the importance of aligning the brand’s growth with its audience’s expectations.

Another brand that had a successful visual rebrand is Mastercard. In 2016, Mastercard aimed to make its logo more adaptable digitally. They kept the interlocking circles and eliminated the overlapping elements, including the text on the logo leaving only the circles.

In this case, Mastercard chose simplicity over doing too much. They recognized that their logo was already known globally and it would cost them nothing to remove the words. The simplicity allowed Mastercard to continue to stand out while modernizing the image.

Both Slack and Mastercard probably tested it, rationalized and then sought to fix their branding. It’s not just about throwing together a new design, but ensuring the design is connected to the things at the core of the brand. Brand values and brand promises.

They understood that it was time for a refresh due to relevance and chose a more modern aesthetic.

Conclusion

In today’s landscape, brands often find a need to rebrand. Rebranding is not a bad sign. It doesn’t mean your brand is broken. It’s a recognition that over time, there must be a realignment. Especially if the core of what your brand is has changed.

A rebrand shows that a company has evolved and is committed to keeping its promises while also putting its audience first.

Maintaining a fresh visual identity is important to building a strong brand and cannot be skipped or skimped.

Joey Gaskins is a public affairs professional with a formidable record of designing and executing innovative strategies, campaigns, and tactics—turning around negative perceptions, reaffirming trust, amplifying and influencing policies, and achieving unprecedented results. Follow him on Linkedin.