Your brand is more than a logo: building a visual identity

A lot of people come to me asking for a logo when what they really need is a brand. The logo is important, but it's just one piece.

Your visual identity is the whole system: how everything looks and feels, everywhere people see you. Here's what goes into it.

Your logo

It's the face of your brand, so it should be simple, memorable and easy to recognize. But on its own, it can't carry everything. Think of it as the starting point.

Your colours

Colour is one of the first things people notice and one of the easiest ways to be recognized. Pick a main colour, a couple of supporting colours and some neutrals, then use them the same way every time.

Your fonts

Your fonts set the tone of everything you write. Pick a heading font and a body font that fit your personality, and stick to them across your website, documents, social posts and print.

Your imagery

Photos, illustrations and graphics should all feel like they belong together. That might mean a certain lighting style, a certain colour filter, or always using real people instead of stock. Whatever it is, keep it consistent.

Your brand guidelines

This is what keeps it all together. A brand guide spells out how to use your logo, your exact colour codes, your fonts and your image style. It means anyone, a new hire, a printer, another designer, can use your brand properly without guessing.

Keeping it consistent

• Make a brand guide, even a short one.

• Set up templates for things you make often, like social posts, proposals and presentations.

• Look over your materials every so often and update anything that's drifted.

• Make sure your team knows the guide exists and where to find it.

When all these pieces work together, people start recognizing you before they even see your name. That's when a brand really starts to pay off.

If you've got a logo but the rest feels a bit all over the place, let's fix that.