Visual Identity 7 Elements and Their Importance in the Success of Any Business – A Comprehensive Guide

Visual identity is the visual presence of any company in the world, and this is due to the strength of the marketing strategy adopted by these companies to show themselves to customers in the best possible way. These companies always seek to establish visual identity in the minds of their customers by creating a visual identity and a mark that distinguishes them from other companies that provide services in the same field. If I asked you what comes to your mind when you hear the name Coca-Cola or Pepsi? Certainly, the logo and color of the cans of Coca-Cola and Pepsi will come to mind.

These companies have succeeded in making a name and a position for themselves by building a successful and strong visual identity for their brand. For example, Coca-Cola, as the most famous soft drink in the world, has been able to impose its presence in the world of soft drinks, not because it is the best-tasting drink, as everyone has their own taste and favorite drink, but because it left an impression on the public that its drink is unique, makes you feel refreshed and happy, and is the most suitable drink for parties and birthdays. All this made people rush to buy Coca-Cola under the theory that it is the most famous and best in the world.

Therefore, today, many business owners and entrepreneurs are thinking about searching for professional people to design professional visual identities for their businesses to impose their position on other companies. In this comprehensive guide, we will learn about the concept of visual identity and its role in the success of your company and how to create a strong identity that helps you impose your position among other companies.

What is visual identity?

Each one of us has a set of characteristics (his name, appearance, personality, skills) that distinguish him from others, or more precisely, he has a specific identity in society that makes him different, and this is no different in the world of business and companies, as each brand has its own visual identity that expresses it. The concept of visual identity is: a set of characteristics that determine the form and content of the brand and includes a set of elements such as logo design, fonts, images, colors, shapes, and any other visual elements that contribute to conveying the brand’s message to the public.

Some people’s view of visual identity:

Some may think that visual identity is just about designing an attractive logo that grabs attention, but it goes far beyond that. If that were the case, everyone would succeed. Having an effective and thoughtful visual identity for your startup or business is extremely important, and more important than that is how to create a successful visual identity that quickly becomes entrenched in the minds of your customers and imposes your presence in the arena. Therefore, we at Khutana provide professional visual identity design services to entrepreneurs and startup owners, and we help them achieve their goals through modern, high-quality designs. If you are interested, contact us to start your new journey in gaining customer trust.

Elements that distinguish visual identity:

It is very important to know the main elements of the visual identity before starting to build it. As we said, it is not only about designing a logo or a specific shape, but it goes beyond that. Using the elements correctly in the design is the key to success in obtaining a successful visual identity. The following are the main elements that you should take into consideration during design:

1- Logo:

The logo is considered one of the most important basic symbols in building the visual identity of companies and brands. It is an abbreviation and a message that explains the company’s vision. By looking directly at a company’s logo, you can deduce the services provided by this company. Therefore, when designing a logo, three basic points must be taken into account: it must be appropriate, distinctive, and simple to make it easy for customers to remember. The logo is an important part of conveying your message and enhancing your visual identity. In addition to the importance of knowing what the guidelines for using the logo are (and how to set them).

2- Colors:

Colors are an important component in building a visual identity and cannot be ignored in any way. They have their connotations and meanings for people, and each color carries a different meaning in designing visual identities. Many companies and brands resort to using only two colors at most. We stick with Coca-Cola, which uses red and white as the two main colors in its logo. White suggests simplicity and freedom, while red expresses excitement, fun, and suspense. Choosing the right colors is an important step to leave an impression on your customers and audience.

3- Fonts:

The type of font used in logo design or company prints plays an important role in forming the visual identity, so it is best to choose unique and simple fonts that are relevant to the content of your brand. Stay away from vague fonts that are difficult to understand.

4- Prints and pictures:

Business cards, company notebooks, papers, and mailing envelopes should all express the visual identity of the brand.

5- Employee clothing:

Many companies require their workers and employees to wear a certain dress code, which indicates the brand’s professionalism in enhancing the strength of its visual identity by presenting a good image to customers.

6- The company’s official headquarters:

The company’s headquarters is also an important element in forming the visual identity. If you see the headquarters of one of the major and globally known companies, you will find the walls and furniture filled with the signs, colors, and logos adopted by this company. This indicates the company’s professionalism and interest in its identity and position.

7- Social media templates:

Using customized templates that express the visual identity on social media platforms makes it easier for customers to remember the content provided by this brand or startup. It is unreasonable to use distracting templates that have no connection to the company’s identity. These main elements contribute to building an effective and strong visual identity that can make a big difference if used in the right and appropriate way. It gives you superiority, distinction, and competition with any other brand. We suggest reading the article Is Social Media Marketing an Effective Way to Market Various Services or Not? 9 Tips .

Now, as a business owner or a startup, this question may come to your mind: Why do I need to spend money on a visual identity for my company? Why don’t I just design an attractive logo and that’s it? If this is really what came to your mind, then you haven’t realized the power of visual identity yet. In the following title, we will explain to you why you need to design an effective visual identity for your project, and then you will rearrange your accounts again.

Why do you need a professional visual identity design for your business?

If you believe in success and excellence and want to make a name for your brand and compete with major companies in your field, you should think about how to design a visual identity that benefits your company’s status. Brands that cannot invest in creating a distinctive and effective visual identity will look ordinary and will not be able to attract attention no matter how hard they try because they have failed to deliver their message to customers. Also, a company with a weak visual identity gives its customers the impression that it is a company that lacks professionalism and is not trustworthy enough to care about its products or services.

The importance of visual identity

Visual identity is the visual presence of any brand and must be taken care of because it is the first thing that customers see and affects their impressions. It also helps customers remember and recognize your brand and also makes it easier to distinguish it from all competitors. Therefore, large companies spend millions of dollars to develop their visual identity to gain customer trust and acquire new customers. Below we will learn about the most important benefits that visual identity provides to your business:

First, distinguish yourself from competitors:

When you design a unique visual identity for your brand, you have undoubtedly taken your first steps toward success. In today’s world, we see and hear about the emergence of new companies and brands, but only a few succeed and continue on their path. The secret to success lies in these companies’ reliance on effective visual identities that have enabled them to gain customer satisfaction and leave an impression on them from the first moment, as visual identity is the key to distinguishing oneself from others.

Secondly, it expresses your professionalism:

Through the visual identity that your brand adopts, you increase the strength of the relationship between you and your customers. This happens by showing the strength and professionalism of your identity among competitors. Most customers tend to modern and luxurious designs that leave a positive impression on them. An effective visual identity indicates professionalism and vitality and contributes to increasing awareness of your brand thus becoming a source of trust for customers.

Thirdly, the visual identity speaks for you:

Jeff Bezos, the CEO of the well-known Amazon, says, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” Visual identity is the core part of branding. As humans, we tend to remember things that are unique, surprising, and intriguing, and we are much better at understanding visuals than written things. Coca-Cola and other companies have succeeded in this regard because they have gone a long way in establishing their visual identity in the minds of customers and gaining lasting loyalty.

Fourth, clarify your company’s vision and mission:

By knowing the visual identity of any brand, you can know what services or products it offers to customers, and it also reflects the value of the content presented to the public. Reputation and fame are not primarily evidence of the strength and success of the visual identity. Valuable content may be the reason behind enhancing customer confidence in the brand. After learning about the importance of visual identity and its effectiveness in the success of any brand. The question remains: How do we create a successful visual identity for our business? This is what we will address in the following title.

How to design a successful visual identity for your business?

If your visual identity is in its early stages or you are looking to redesign it and are not sure where to start, here are some steps and tips that will help you in the design process smoothly and enable you to build a strong identity for your brand and prepare you for success.

First, define who your audience is:

As a first step before starting the design, you should analyze your audience suitable for the product or service you are offering, through several criteria such as age, gender, lifestyle, and average income, as well as studying your audience’s interests and how your product or service can solve their problems. Based on all of this, you can adopt a strong strategy for designing a visual identity that suits your audience.

Second, know your product:

Make sure you know your product or service well and ask yourself the following questions: Do the colors, fonts, and patterns match my product or service? This is a fundamental question and the answer to it will make it easier for you to formulate the visual identity design for your brand. For example, if you own a dental clinic, choosing white blue or both is a wise decision.

Third, define the objectives of the visual identity:

After you have identified your target audience and the product you want to offer your customers, you need to create a list of short- and long-term goals that are in line with the way you present your services and products. Defining goals helps you create a strong visual identity that achieves those desired goals.

Fourth, tell them your story:

Your visual identity should carry symbols and shapes that are closely related to your brand story. Try to discuss this with your designer and tell him to present your story in a way that appeals to your customers and arouses their curiosity to know more about the story. Graphic design is the best way to communicate ideas visually.

Fifth, aim for simplicity:

Visual identity has a great ability to convey several messages and ideas for your brand, but it is better to focus on one message. Because the target customer, once he sees the identity, gets a direct impression of it and makes a decision that will either be a blessing or a curse for you. So try to simplify your visual identity and make it appropriate and easy to remember, which is the most important goal.

Sixth, check for consistency and coherence:

Is your visual identity consistent across all platforms? Is there harmony and coherence between the elements of the visual identity? These questions are enough to make you check your visual identity and whether it achieves the required consistency. The importance of consistency and coherence is evident in maintaining the focus of the target audience and not distracting them with the chaos of the design.

Seventh, test the visual identity:

Get the opinion of your potential clients after they have reviewed your visual identity or maybe you can consult some experienced designers in the field or brand managers, this will help you get an overview of the strength and professionalism of your visual identity. Based on that, you can correct the mistakes and complete the necessary deficiencies.

Eighth, design your identity now:

After reviewing the most important tips and steps for building a visual identity that gives you the trust and loyalty of the audience to your brand, you can now take on the challenge and design one that inspires your target audience. If you are still confused about how your visual identity will appear or you lack the professionalism to do so, do not worry. A visual identity cannot be designed overnight and it is not a matter of a logo or some graphics being designed and that’s it. Rather, it requires a strategic plan, in-depth thinking, and a highly skilled work team, capable of understanding your brand story and transforming it into an effective visual identity that attracts customers’ attention and distinguishes you from other competitors.

In our steps, we accompany you and help you design your visual identity from A to Z. Get your visual identity that expresses the message and vision of your brand and inspires you to achieve your dream. Visual identity is a powerful tool for brand identification. It can create an emotional impression on customers and reflects the values adopted by this brand, which determines whether the customer will buy your services or products. With a successful and strong visual identity, you will take your first steps in the world of success and gain a competitive advantage. In short, when you work on developing and updating your identity well, converting customers to your brand becomes easier over time.

Discover more articles: 4 Types of Visual Identity and the Path to Business Growth

Visual Identity Essay Questions 7 Elements and Their Importance in the Success of Any Business