What is a visual identity?
A visual identity is about having a coherent and recognizable visual expression for your company, also known as a graphic profile. The visual identity is very important for the company's brand and is composed of various visual elements, including logo, image style, typography, color palette and other graphic elements.
These elements are used across all communication channels to create a cohesive visual experience. This in turn helps your business stand out from other competitors and makes it easily recognizable to customers.
Are you looking for someone to help create a new visual identity or design a new website? Get in touch here and let's have a chat about your needs.
How to create a visual identity?
Creating a visual identity is about developing a recognizable and coherent visual expression for your business. This visual "face" makes your business stand out and can be easily recognized by customers. Through effective communication in the form of illustrations, images, colors, shapes and typography, you can convey complex ideas faster than words alone. For example, if we see a red soda can, we have time to get the idea that it's Coca Cola before we probably read it on the can.
Why should a company have a visual identity?
For businesses, having a well-developed visual identity is crucial for a number of reasons, here are some of them:
- Unique identity and personality: A solid visual identity can help your business build a unique identity and personality to stand out from the competition.
- Branding: Visual identity can be an essential part of branding, as the visual elements convey deeper meanings and values associated with the brand.
- Consistent identity: A well-crafted visual identity can ensure a more consistent visual experience and give an impression of reliability and credibility, which will further increase customer trust.
- Building brand associations: A solid visual identity allows your business to build strong brand associations over time, where customers are continually exposed to the same visual elements that will create a deeper connection between customers and your business.
A visual designer plays a crucial role in creating this type of identity. They take the company's message and values, turn them into visual elements and information that appeals to the target audience. At Fjellvann, we have developed new visual identities for companies such as InnoWorkTech and Maria Mena.
Step-by-step to creating a new visual identity
When creating a new visual identity, it's important to define the visual elements that will represent your brand. It's not one-size-fits-all, but some basic elements are the logo, color palette and typography. These elements represent your company's personality and values, and remember: the first thing that meets your potential customers is the visual, so it's important to make a good first impression.
Do you need help creating a new visual identity or designing a new website? Get in touch here and let's talk about your needs.
A new visual identity is not done overnight. It's a process that takes time and is comprehensive. Some of the points we go through when developing new websites for customers also apply to the visual identity. We keep it short and clear:
- Define your company's goals and values: How you want to be perceived.
- Identify the target group: Who is the target audience and what do they need?
- Determining a style: Define a design style for your business.
- User testing: Testing designs and concepts to find out what works for you.
It is also important to develop an effective visual identity. This is done by, among other things:
- Be consistent with colors and text, and stick to your identity.
- This makes it easier to be recognized by using the same colors and elements in different channels, both digital and physical.
- Ensure a scalable identity that works across different media and platforms - remember that the content should reflect the company you want to be.
- The identity should also be unique and stand out from the competition.
Once the various elements that make up the visual identity are in place, we develop a design manual. The design manual is an overview of the various visual characteristics that together form the identity of the company. Then the branding process continues, which you can read more about here.
How long does it take to build a visual identity?
The time it takes to build a visual identity varies from project to project. First and foremost, it depends on the scope of the project, such as which elements you want to develop. In addition, some companies are larger than others. Depending on the size of the project and the company, development can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months.
In a nutshell:
A well-developed visual identity is an important investment for your business. It helps you build a strong brand and establish lasting connections with customers. By understanding and implementing the different aspects of visual identity, you can ensure that your business stands out and is recognized in the market.
Do you need a new visual identity, website or a finishing touch?
We have extensive experience in developing visual identities for companies and organizations, and we're not satisfied until you are. Together we strategize, develop concepts and create designs with the user at the centre. Read more about our design process here.