When you think about some of the world’s most universally known businesses and organizations, the first ones that come to mind likely have one thing in common: excellent branding.
When building a strong brand identity, there’s no overstating the importance of graphic design. From the creation of eye-catching and memorable logos to use of color psychology in branding, graphic design, and branding truly go hand-in-hand.
If you’re thinking of going into marketing, graphic design, or a related field, then you must understand the nuances of brand identity development. In doing so, you’ll be prepared to help businesses build a creative brand identity that sets them apart from their competition.
Understanding the Connection Between Branding and Graphic Design
Before diving into the ins and outs of how to build a brand’s visual identity through graphic design, it’s important to understand exactly what the concept of branding entails and how graphic design comes into play in corporate identity design.
What Is Branding?
Specifically, branding refers to the process of establishing a company’s public image by curating a unified style that reinforces the business’ values. The specific process can vary from one company to the next, but branding generally includes:
- Detailed research into a brand’s target audience.
- Extensive competitor research.
- Defining a brand’s unique selling propositions (USPs).
- Establishing a brand style guide that includes color pallets, logos, and other marketing materials to “package” a brand and present it to the world.
For the most successful companies, branding is a process that is never truly complete. Ongoing research, measuring of key performance indicators (KPIs), and changes to branding strategies are constant as businesses aim to better resonate with their respective audiences.
The Role of Graphic Design in Branding
Although the general concept of branding may be clear, it can sometimes be difficult to understand exactly where graphic design comes into play in a company’s creative brand identity.
While branding certainly isn’t just about graphic design, the reality is that building a strong brand identity does require many graphic design elements. For example, graphic design may be used to carry out brand design inspiration in the form of:
- Logos
- Brand color schemes
- Overall design style
- Photography
- Website graphics
- Other visual elements that make up branding aesthetics
In simple terms, the alignment of graphic design with a company’s brand identity is exactly what makes it possible to recognize a company from its logo, font, and color scheme without the need for additional context.
Building a Strong Brand Identity Through Design
So, what exactly does it take to build a successful brand identity through graphic design? From the creation of an eye-catching logo to the development of a consistent visual style, there’s a lot to keep in mind.
Creating a Memorable Logo
First and foremost, never underestimate the power of memorable and illustrative logos in branding. When you take the time to think about some of the most well-known brands across the globe, what comes to mind first? More than likely, the logo is the first thing that pops into your mind.
That’s because logo and brand identity are inextricably linked. According to Research Gate, “[The] logo is a more intuitive expression and transmission of corporate value. […] For the brand and company, the logo with the combination of pictures and words has an important meaning and function.”
When the right visual elements are combined to create a memorable logo, consumers are more likely to recall the brand and even connect with a brand’s identity. All of this contributes to greater brand awareness and a building of both trust and credibility.
Developing a Consistent Visual Language
From a graphic design standpoint, consistency is a critical branding component. This is precisely why so many companies build a brand style guide early in the company’s journey. A brand style guide provides a single reference for marketers and designers when choosing fonts, colors, and other branding components.
The purpose of a brand style guide (also known as a brand guideline) is to keep things as consistent as possible. This can help improve recognizability and strengthen the overall brand identity over time.
The Impact of Branding on Consumer Perception
Understanding the link between branding and consumer perception is just as important as the connection between graphic design and branding. In which case, how can graphic design influence first impressions of a brand, and how can designers establish emotional connections with audiences using visuals?
How Graphic Design Influences First Impressions
It’s no secret that first impressions matter in business. And nothing creates a better first impression than graphic design and illustration in branding. For instance, when you visit a company’s website for the first time, you’re more likely to be impressed with the brand if the website’s colors are pleasing to look at and if the site’s content is organized and easy to navigate.
On the other hand, when a brand’s graphic design is lacking, you might have a negative first impression that tarnishes the experience and steers you away from the company indefinitely.
Building Emotional Connections With Visuals
Effective graphic designers are also able to build emotional connections with audiences through the use of visuals. Eliciting an emotional reaction requires designers to understand the principles of emotional design, which include:
- Aesthetics
- Usability
- Functionality
Likewise, color can play a critical role in a design’s ability to evoke an emotional response from an audience. When the designer elicits the desired response, the brand can gain customers for life.
Graphic Design as a Tool for Brand Communication
In addition to being part of brand identity development, graphic design can also be an effective tool for brand communication across different marketing channels and platforms.
Visual Consistency Across Marketing Channels
Consider, for example, how visual consistency creates a clear branding message across various marketing channels without the use of words. Simply sticking to the color scheme and overall style that consumers have come to expect from a brand can strengthen the consistency that audiences need to build recognition.
Adapting Branding for Different Platforms
Branding and graphic design choices can also be adapted for consistency across different platforms. In these cases, designers must consider not just brand style guides, but their target audience, any cultural sensitivities, and other factors when applying branding to a new platform. All of this ensures that branding elements can be recognized across a wide range of devices and platforms with ease.
The Role of Graphic Design in Rebranding
From time to time, businesses may choose to rebrand for any number of reasons. When this happens, there are major implications when it comes to how the public may perceive a business — but sometimes, that’s a good thing.
When and Why to Rebrand
There are many reasons a company may decide to rebrand, ranging from an existing brand identity being outdated to the merging or acquisition by another business. When executed carefully, rebranding can better align a brand with a target audience while redefining a company’s missions/values and setting itself apart from the competition.
Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Rebranding
When rebranding, striking an ideal balance between valued traditions and new innovations is critical to preserving overall the brand. Through the right research and the establishment of core brand elements, designers and marketers can gradually adapt new branding components with the greatest chances of success.
Real-World Examples of Branding Success Through Graphic Design
To understand the link between graphic design and branding, it’s useful to examine iconic brands with strong visual identities and emerging brands that use creative designs to stand out.
Iconic Brands With Strong Visual Identities
- Apple – The world has come to know and love the iconic Apple logo, as well as its sleek black, gray, and white color scheme.
- Nike – Few logos are more universally recognized than the Nike “swoosh.”
- Coca-Cola – In addition to the brand’s longstanding red and white color scheme, the Coca-Cola logo has remained largely unchanged over the years, creating a consistent brand style that many have come to know and love.
Emerging Brands Using Design to Stand Out
- Cotopaxi– This brand’s minimalist graphic design choices align with the company’s “back to basics” values, where the focus is on fighting poverty while creating ethical and sustainable products.
- Everlane – This luxury clothing and shoe company’s simplistic yet sophisticated design resonates with its target audience.
- Oatly – Marketed as “the original oat drink,” this brand stands out with its bold designs and colors to evoke curiosity among its audience.
Learn More in a Graphic Design Degree Program
There’s a lot that goes into the creative branding solutions you see from today’s marketing professionals, and a lot of it can be tied directly back to graphic design. Ultimately, the right visual branding elements can empower businesses to stand out and set themselves apart from the competition.
Interested in learning more about graphic design brand development? Check out our Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design degree program here at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD). This career-focused program, which is offered both online and on-campus, includes coursework in such topics as branding, visual identity design, design thinking and so much more. Reach out to learn more about RMCAD’s graphic design degree program or any of the other programs we have to offer. You can also get started with your application for admission on our website!