So you're starting a business? Fantastic! You've got the name, the concept, the target clients/customers... now how do you draw people in?
Marketing and branding can seem overwhelming to a newbie, so here's a quickfire list of my TOP FIVE most essential things you need for your graphic design.
1. Logo
Must be unique and instantly recognisable. Must be 100% scalable, so built as a vector graphic not a bitmap (always hire a pro for this). Should be visible on any background or have alternative versions which are.
2. Reduced Logo (aka. Submark/Emblem)
A reduced version of the logo that is visually aligned, but can be used in very small square/circle spaces (e.g. for Favicon).
3. Fonts
Preferably custom/unique. Limit to 2-3 fonts (one for headings, optional extra for subheadings, one simple for paragraph text).
4. Restricted Colour Palette
Restrict use to a palette of max. 2-3 colours (shades and neutrals don’t count). The more you use these colours wherever you can, the more your content and assets will feel like they all belong to one unified brand.
5. Negative Space
One of the biggest mistakes I see non-designers making is to try to cram in as much content and images as they can, or try to spread things out to fill the space available. Don't do this! You need to let your elements “breathe” – surround them with plenty of negative (aka "white") space so they’re not overcrowded. Failure to do this results in artwork that looks cluttered and busy. Not only is this unpleasant to look at but it's also hard to read - an instant surefire way to put off potential clients!
Use all of the above together CONSISTENTLY and you've got yourself a professional brand!
Of course there could have been a few more to add here - the big companies have entire textbooks for their Visual Identity Guides, but these are really the key five!
If you still feel a bit lost and feel you want to call in a pro, then click the button below - I offer all of this and more!
