Before someone becomes familiar with what you and your business does, their first impression is what you look like. We all know the old adage not to judge a book by its cover, but it still happens all the time. Your brand’s aesthetic choices give people a first impression of your brand, what it does, and its overall vibe as a business.
That is, the way your brand looks from the outside can let people decide quickly if your brand is for them or not. Consequently, keeping a few considerations in mind when developing your brand colors and aesthetics can be helpful in creating a strong visual identity for your brand, that associates it with what you do and who you do it for.
Therefore, we have created a short list of ways in which your brand colors and aesthetics can make a big difference, with questions to ask yourself when developing your brand colors and visual identity:
1) Who Is Your Audience?
We’ve said it before in other blog posts, and we will say it again: know your audience! Knowing who you are marketing to can certainly help in developing a brand aesthetic and choosing colors that this particular audience is drawn to. For instance, is your age demographic known for liking more minimalist designs, or things that appear more full and decorated? Are there certain trends that your audience is known to like? For example, many cosmetic brands today that are targeted at millennials are choosing color palettes that involve “millennial pink”, one of the most popular colors for women in this age group. If there is a particular color palette that you know is in style (but also has long-term standing power), consider incorporating it into your brand colors.
2) Energetic? Calm? Mature? Youthful? What Is the Vibe?
Colors have psychological associations. This is known, and is used in the strategy of many big businesses when it comes to their branding. By understanding color theory, you can understand what message your business gives off through its colors. Therefore, having a clear vision of what vibe you want your brand to express is the first step in figuring out your brand aesthetic. Are you looking for something more energetic? Try some bright, vibrant hues and jewel tones. More calm in feeling? Blues and greens are a typical go-to. Mature? Try monochromatic color schemes or neutrals to give a classic look. Youthful? Pastels are a typical color scheme associated with the soft, young, and playful.
3) How Will Your Logo and Colors Look in Different Settings?
Another important question to ask when developing a brand aesthetic is how your logo and brand colors will look in different situations. If you are mostly planning on developing visuals online, you have a pretty free reign of things. But if you are planning to focus on printing, apparel, signage in different areas, or other promotional products, it is worth considering how your brand colors will look in these different mediums. If you have a wild and colorful aesthetic, will you need to stick with monochrome, black and white apparel to prevent the colors from clashing? Do you have options for promo that will work well with your colors? Do your colors print nicely for your in-hand marketing materials? These are all important elements to consider.
4) Is It Clear?
Going along with considering how your logos and colors look in different settings, something to always keep in mind is how readable and understandable your aesthetic elements are. Do you have confusing visuals, characters, or designs that need to be decoded in order to be understood? Do all of your colors work together or is there clashing and issues with readability? Having too many colors too close together in values can sometimes make things difficult to read, so consider using combinations that are different enough to contrast and stand out from one another.
You know your brand better than anyone else, and having this knowledge will help when it comes to developing your brand colors and visual aesthetic. If you are looking for more on colors and branding, look for resources on color psychology, or take a close look at some of your favourite logos that you feel make a big impact for some inspiration.
Looking for more marketing insight and news? Sign up for the Fox & Forth newsletter.