Whether you’re a new business or an established business looking for a refresh, your brand is a big deal! Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re making important decisions about your brand, and how to create a cohesive brand experience.
What’s in a Name?
Your name is the cornerstone of your brand! When deciding on a name for your brand, there are many things to consider. Your name should be easy to remember and reflect your business. When looking at possibilities, be sure to check for business names already in use. There are several places you can look to make sure your business name is unique; a general web search of the name, the Secretary of State or other governing body in your state, domain availability searches, and even social media handles.
When we were deciding on a name for Method, we knew we didn’t want to use a person’s name, because we wanted the name of the firm to reflect our team-based approach. The name Method, specifically, came from our desire to reimagine how an architecture firm works, and how we approach the design process. Even though every project is different, we are intentional and methodical about the way we move through a project; making sure that the vision for the project maintains its integrity every step of the way.
Logo Design
After you’ve got a business name established and registered with your state, and your web domain and social media handles are claimed, you can focus on the aesthetics of your brand. Logos should be simple and easily identifiable. They’re meant to be a visual representation of your brand, and something that people will remember and associate with you. Your logo mark could be a stylized font of your name, an image that represents the industry your business is in, or an idea you’d like your business to be associated with.
Since we are a young business and didn’t use a surname as our firm name, we decided to stick with a text version of our name as our logo, in order to promote name recognition. We custom-created a wireframe style M to go along with it. It’s also reminiscent of folded paper - a nod to old school architecture.
Brand Colors
Adding color to your brand package is an exciting step! There are so many colors and color schemes to choose from, so it can seem overwhelming. Conceptualizing your business helps narrow down what kind of colors make sense. What do you want people to most associate your business with? Some simple color psychology generalizes what colors evoke different feelings. You can use the following as general rules of thumb:
Blue - trustworthy, loyal, calm
Green - eco-friendly, approachable, growth
Red - active, passionate, confident, bold
Yellow - joy, intellect, energy
Orange - optimism, enthusiasm, creativity
Purple - wisdom, creativity,
Pink - youthfulness, health
Keep in mind that the different shades and intensities of each of these colors will also play a part in their psychological effect. For instance, consider the differences between navy blue and electric blue, or forest green vs. neon green.
You should choose 1-2 main colors for your logo. Using those as a starting point, you can develop a scheme of up to 5-6 different shades and colors to create a comprehensive and cohesive brand aesthetic. The graphic below shows some of the basic color combination options to help you build a cohesive palette. If you’re looking for a little more inspiration for brand colors, this article also has a lot of great tips.
Brand Voice
Your brand voice is the way your messages come across to your audience. Consider the way you would like your audience to feel, and what industry your business is in. For example, if you are a consulting business, you may want to convey competence, authority, and expertise. Think about your target clientele - would they appreciate some lightheartedness or humor, or want you to stick to the facts? You can also get into details like using “we” statements instead of “I” statements. Getting specific with your brand voice ensures that no matter who is doing the “talking”, the brand shines through.
Once you have an idea of what you’d like your brand voice to be, write it down somewhere so it can be implemented through all aspects of your company - from your website and social media, to your internal memos, proposals, and marketing collateral.
Typography
What is typography? It’s font styles, sizes, and spacing that make your written content and graphics stand out. What fonts do you use for headings? Sub-headings? Body text? Like with color, different font styles can say a lot about your brand. Are you more traditional and formal, fun and quirky, or simple but friendly?
Check out this great resource on all things typography for some inspiration on your ideal brand fonts.
Brand Guide
Congratulations, you’ve created a brand! To ensure that your brand is strong and well-implemented, it’s important to document all your brand information into a Brand Guide document. A Brand Guide is a one-stop shop for familiarizing someone with your brand. It should include information and visualizations of all the elements of your brand, and guidelines for how to apply and use your brand elements. Showing do’s and don’ts To recap, this can include:
Name - give a little history and background on the brand’s name
Logo - full logo, secondary logo, icons, etc
Color Palette - primary and secondary colors, when to use them
Typography - headers, sub-headers and body text
Brand Voice - provide some narrative about your brand voice, and some examples
Imagery standards - photos, graphics, illustrations and artwork
Anything else you’d like to document about your brand!
You can distribute the brand guide to new employees during onboarding, or reference your brand guide when creating new marketing materials or launching new campaigns. It’s also a great tool to provide your architect or interior designer so that they can create physical spaces for you that truly reflect your business!
Your Physical Space
Last but certainly not least, your physical space should be a reflection of your brand as well. When we work with clients to design a new space, we lean into their brand to make sure there is consistency between the brand image and the look and feel of the space. We not only aim to incorporate the basic elements like brand colors and logos, but also provide consistency with the brand’s voice and image. We want your space to make people feel the same way that interacting with your brand makes them feel. Not only for clients or customers but for internal team members and employees, too. Consistency matters when building a strong brand, and your physical space is a tremendous tool in reinforcing your brand and living your brand every day!
Do you have an idea for a new business or concept? Not sure where to start? We’d love to hear about your vision! Comment below or send us a message!