Cohesive Brand Design Changes How Your Business is Perceived
Whether you’ve invested in strategic graphic designs for your business or not, people are judging your business based on its brand design — or lack thereof.
We are not here to shame you, but we are going to act like a true friend and tell you the reality of marketing your service or product-based business in 2023.
Because if you’re still asking, “Is paying for graphic design worth it?,” then you’ve got some catching up to do.
What is cohesive brand design?
Cohesive brand design is about introducing who you are as a business to people visually. It’s the visual representation of your company’s ethos, values and goals.
A well-designed brand will be instantly recognizable regardless of the medium and will remain consistent no matter who is creating the content.
If a teenager showed up to the first day of school wearing all black (from their heavy-handed eyeliner to the sides of their Sharpie-doodled Chucks) and the next day strolled into first period wearing a floral sundress, you wouldn’t know who they are, or which look they identify with most.
The same is true for your brand designs. It may be more subtle, but it’s significantly more important.
What are you risking without a cohesive brand design?
While sometimes brand design can be so clever, so unique that it’s notable in and of itself, brand design can still be an overlooked asset.
When you have a cohesive brand design, people aren’t saying, “Wow, I love that your PowerPoint presentation uses the same colors and fonts, styles and vibes as your business brochures.”
Why would they give it a second thought? It’s who you are as a company.
In the same way, if you’re not following brand guidelines and you don’t have a cohesive brand, they’re likely not saying, “Wow, their brand isn’t very cohesive.”
What they are saying is worse. Maybe something like, “Oh, they’re not professional.”
Ouch.
How do you achieve a cohesive brand design?
While you’re working on creating a brand, or perhaps you’re taking another look at your brand standards with a critical eye, there are many things you should consider.
It’s the simple things like:
- Logo
- Secondary brand mark
- Fonts
- Colors
- Graphic elements
- Brand patterns
- Icons
- Brand personality
- Standard sizing
- Standard styling
- Headline hierarchy
But you should also think about where all these elements will be used and how they’ll be implemented across the board. This includes your website, social media platforms, email marketing software, print materials, presentation files, merchandising, packaging and more!
Anything that has to do with your business is part of your brand and should be treated with intentionality whether you’re working with an exciting new brand design or making the most of what you’re working with for now.
Consider the context of where your brand elements will be used online and in print before nailing down the many elements that comprise your brand design.
What are the benefits of cohesive brand design?
When you, your team, your designer, whoever craft a thoughtful brand there are many benefits, including increased brand awareness, customer satisfaction and consumer confidence. But these words are often tossed around too loosely without being understood. Let’s unpack what we really mean.
Increased brand awareness means you’ll reach more people who you’d consider your ideal customers. It means they’ll recognize your business before you say a word.
Increased customer satisfaction, as it pertains to your cohesive brand, means your clients and customers will feel more content that their money has been well spent with you.
Increased consumer confidence means more potential clients will feel more confident about choosing to work with you in the first place.
A cohesive brand design is key to creating a positive perception of your business. In this blog, we shared a few tips on how to create a cohesive brand that will resonate with your audience.
If you’d like to continue learning about branding, design and presentation essentials, follow Ruby + Citrine on Instagram.
