6 mistakes not to make in visual identity
Creating an effective and relevant visual identity is a delicate expertise and pedagogy towards actors without real graphic skills.
So it is common to see some errors when developing a visual identity.
We therefore invite you to discover the mistakes not to make:
1. Have a disjointed visual identity
A graphic identity is your identity card on the web, on your paper supports and any other communication channel. The visual identity of your company must allow the memorization and the easy recognition of a brand. When your visual identity gives the impression of having to deal with several brands, it is a disaster. Would you like to renew yourself? Expand your graphic palette? Adapt to an international market? So be it. But be accompanied by an expert in graphic design who will ensure the consistency of your visual identity.
Renewing, developing or redesigning your visual identity can, in certain situations, prove judicious. But you have to master the process in order not to lose the benefits of your visual identity and, above all, not to lose your audience.
You must in all cases, and in all situations, remain memorable, recognizable and coherent.
2. Don’t do a graphical watch
The watches are essential for a professional in graphic design. This allows it to keep abreast of trends, emerging trends, current practices and surprising achievements. Any actor in the field of graphic design will be able to keep up to date, but above all develop his own concepts and ideas.
A watch allows us to understand the expectations and behaviors of different generations and people from all horizons.
Finally, the graphic watch does not only affect graphics but all related trades. Thus, for a graphic design expert, it will be interesting to understand how a graphic creation will live from a technical or marketing point of view for example, then to exchange with his team on new projects to conceptualize.
3. Copy what others have done in graphic design
Of course, monitoring does not mean copying the work of other experts. On the contrary. To analyze and observe what other experts do is above all to immerse oneself in the graphic universe of our time or of other times. It is understanding what inspired and what inspires today, to develop other concepts.
It is therefore useful to be inspired but not recommended to copy. In any activity this is prohibited and very frowned upon.
4. Use consonant associations
Since a brand’s visual identity must be memorable, recognizable and original, it goes without saying that consonant associations are not recommended.
They can be colours, font and typography associations, iconographic elements and many other things.
If your visual identity reveals associations similar to others, you will lose credibility and originality. Especially if the source of these associations comes from a known brand.
Imagine that tomorrow you will use orange and black with the same typographic elements as Orange? Or that you use the same font as Coca-Cola?
Not only would there be no research work, but you wouldn’t be building a real visual identity.
Sometimes, the choice of associations suggesting another brand is not voluntary. Sometimes a work on an identity leads us to the same conclusions as those of a competitor and consequently, we find common graphic transcriptions.
In this case, take the elements and work on differentiation. After all, you’re looking to differentiate yourself, aren’t you?
5. Overdoing it in visual identity
Passion can produce beautiful results but also give rise to overflows. In graphic design, simplicity is a must. A simple and effective visual identity will have much more impact than a multitude of effective graphic elements independently.
There is therefore a search for overall consistency for an optimal user experience.
In the same way, if your people are not clearly identified, the transcription of your visual identity will not be either. You need to know who you are talking to and think primarily about your core target to make trade-offs and avoid a graphic “cacophony”.
It is recommended, for example, to use 3 colors for its graphic charter. This is more than enough for a good visual identity.
So adopt the “Less is more”. If in doubt it will be easier to do less than to do too much.
6. Make form without background in graphic creation
A visual identity, as we say regularly is not a story of “beautiful”. It is above all a response to a need and a means of achieving objectives and getting messages across through the visual.
Thus, after a good analysis of the people, a watch and a positioning, the graphic choices are enlightened.
To know if the choices are relevant, it is enough to justify them. If the graphic choices cannot be justified, it is only a preconception that they are not good.
What counts is therefore the substance because it will determine the form.
Moreover, working on the substance requires taking into account the brand’s DNA and ideology. Brand DNA will be the foundation of the visual identity.
Do not go out of your comfort zone to develop your graphic universe.
Certainly, it is advisable to respect rules in graphics, not to do too much and to be based on the fundamental elements of the brand identity.
But this should not hinder creativity and the construction of an innovative graphic universe.
Following the rules is perfectly compatible with creativity. Thus, going out of your comfort zone is often recommended or even mandatory because we are exposed to many images.
Finally, leaving your comfort zone is often the strength of good graphic experts, because it is essential to create, co-create and innovate to stand out.