How to Determine Your Brand’s Signature Style through Effective Graphic Design

There’s no doubt that modern-day branding is visually saturated. From impactful social media graphics to packaging that stands out on the shelves, aesthetics play a vital role in establishing your brand’s identity.

But, while brand giants like Coca Cola are synonymous with simplicity, emerging businesses face a greater challenge when it comes to brand graphics. With intensifying competition and a lack of brand heritage to leverage, new brands need to be more creative than ever to capture audience attention.

In this blog post, we’re exploring 4 key ways to define your brand’s signature graphic design style and convey your business’s value visually.

Let’s dive in!

1. Choose a Color Palette That Says Something about Your Business

Selecting a color palette for your brand needs to go beyond personal preferences or aligning your aesthetic with the Pantone Color of the Year. It’s about using visual elements strategically to communicate something more impactful about your brand.

But, as one of the biggest design decisions you can make for your brand — how can you get it right the first time?

To send the right message to your target audience through color, we suggest:

• Studying color psychology: Different colors evoke different emotions and perceptions. That’s why it’s important to familiarize yourself with color psychology and select tones that align with your brand’s personality. While red could mean ‘danger’ for your brand, more soothing shades of green could put your customers at ease.
• Considering industry norms: Certain color palettes are commonly associated with different industries. For example, blue and red for the auto industry. But, while it’s good to understand why certain industries use or avoid certain colors — remember, differentiation is also key!
• Testing for accessibility: Ensure your chosen colors are accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments. Contrast and legibility are critical for helping your audience feel included and valued.
• Thinking about longevity: Aim for a color palette that will stand the test of time. Trends come and go, but a timeless color scheme can provide long-term consistency.
• Seeking audience input: If appropriate, involve your audience in color decisions. Gathering honest feedback before finalizing your design can help you get your design aesthetic off to a more positive start!

Tip: Read about how previous Pantone Colors of the Year have influenced design decisions in one of our previous blog posts here.

2. Align All Brand Materials with Your Brand Aesthetic

In the same way that inconsistent words can confuse customers, disjointed design elements can also have a negative impact on your audience. This is why a cohesive approach to design is vital for your brand, from color consistency to graphic components across all marketing collateral.

But what specific design elements should you be focusing on?

Our team recommends:

• Maintaining consistent fonts: Select a set of fonts to be used consistently across all marketing materials and touchpoints. From digital advertising to physical merchandise, this will enhance readability and reinforce your brand identity.
• Unified logo and colors: From business cards to social media, your logo and colors need to be more than cohesive — they need to be exactly the same. This might involve some Pantone number matching, but a professional graphic designer will be able to assist with this!
• Create a style guide: Develop a comprehensive style guide outlining design principles, color codes, and usage guidelines for all brand elements. This guide can then be handed over to professional partners you’re working with to ensure brand cohesion.
• Avoiding clutter: Resist the temptation to overcrowd designs. Simplicity promotes clarity and enhances the impact of your visual message. Your designs can still draw attention from a wide audience — just know when to rein it in!
• Streamlining imagery: Don’t just opt for whatever stock photos you can find. Maintain a consistent imagery style that complements your brand personality across your website, social media, and physical branding materials.

3. Keep It Simple, but Make It Special

When it comes to branding, simplicity doesn’t have to mean ‘bland’. It’s about creating a clear message that’s memorable for the right reasons.

But, achieving this delicate balance isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Consumers expect a high level of detail delivered in an efficient and ‘straight-to-the-point’ way, so it’s important for your storytelling technique to be both engaging and succinct.

To achieve this delicate balance, consider the following design strategies:

• Minimalistic layouts: Choose clean, minimalistic design layouts that focus on essential elements, reducing visual clutter and creating a straightforward visual hierarchy.
• Strategic use of white space: Utilize negative space for better readability and to create a sense of simplicity, allowing your audience to absorb information without feeling overwhelmed.
• Clear typography: Choose easily readable fonts and maintain a consistent typographic style throughout your design for best results. A reader’s eye can easily get distracted, so constantly changing your fonts is a great example of something to avoid!
• Iconography: Incorporate relevant icons to convey information symbolically, reducing the need for lengthy or complicated text.
• Infographics: Present complex data or concepts through well-designed infographics, condensing information into visually digestible formats.

Tip: In the competitive market, defining your own business aesthetic can also involve understanding what other brands are doing. Analyze their strategies and identify opportunities to differentiate your own personality. This approach can give you a good baseline for what you like and don’t like, and help you shape a truly distinctive brand identity that serves you long-term.

4. Work with Professional Graphic Design & Branding Teams

The importance of aesthetics as part of your overall brand perception cannot be overstated. And, getting it right from the start can save you from extensive revisions later on.

Especially when it comes to crafting a brand aesthetic that will serve you in the long run, treating graphic design services and branding as an investment rather than an expense could be your key to success.

But how can you be sure you’re investing in the right professionals for the job?

Before hiring a graphic designer or branding team, always:

• Evaluate their portfolio: Scrutinize the portfolios of graphic designers and branding teams. If you don’t like what you see — don’t book them! Graphic designers have spent years honing their craft, and if you don’t like their style, it’s best to opt for someone else.
• Seek client testimonials: Seek feedback from past clients to gauge the professionalism and satisfaction levels associated with the design team. Reputable graphic designers and branding teams will often have these details on their website, but if not, Google is a great place to start!
• Ask about their process: Inquire about their design process, from understanding your brand goals to the final delivery. A structured process is built on attention to details, so look for teams who offer discovery sessions and free consultations.
• Research their other services: Look for professionals who offer a full-service approach to digital marketing and brand design, including graphic design, branding, website design, and other integrated services. This will automatically help keep your brand aesthetic cohesive and in line with your overall marketing strategy.

Tate Design: A Full-Service Digital Marketing Agency in Pennsylvania

Looking for graphic design services in Chester County? Or even better, a Chester County Marketing Agency that can take care of everything from graphic design and branding to web development and SEO?

Our team of experienced marketing professionals are on hand to transform your brand vision into a visual story that truly resonates.

Don’t just look for a graphic designer, look for an agency that can bring your entire brand to life.

Contact Tate Design today to find out more about our digital marketing and brand development services.