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Is the integrated visual identity .. the key to crossing?! If you have started reading these lines, then you are certainly now looking for the key that will bring you more profit and returns. There is no doubt that you are a successful businessman who is always planning in search of success. Or the owner of an institution that wants to prove its feet and achieve more exposure and spread in the markets. Or you are still in the research and planning phase to complete a new commercial project. And you are looking for all the means and tools that will help you move towards success. First, let me welcome you and hand you the first key to the path to crossing to leadership in the world of money and business.
Have you seen Google’s identity? Did you like it or not?! Have you ever entered a company’s headquarters?! And did you look at the walls and furniture?! Did you like its employees’ uniform?! Or have you browsed its website? Or even its accounts on various social media sites?! What do you think of the shape of the printed materials, packaging, and bags?! Or that seal drawn on envelopes and correspondence?! And what do you think of the shape of notebooks, personal IDs, and business cards?! If you have seen all of this, you know what an integrated visual identity is. You can also read the article Visual Identity with its 7 Elements and its Importance in the Success of any Business – a comprehensive and detailed guide.
The concept of integrated identity
It is the visual interface and the identification card that represents the brand in everything related to it and distinguishes it from other competing companies. Just as every person carries an identification card that contains his name and identity, the integrated identity is the identification card that clarifies the identity of the company or institution. It expresses the values and concepts it carries and sends to its customers through its visual identity.
Integrated Visual Identity Components
The integrated visual identity consists of several basic elements. These elements are: the logo, colors, texts and typography, icons, image or photography style, charts, illustrations (infographic art), and a guide to using the visual identity. If you are a fan of details, let us list each element separately. Let us learn about the parts of the integrated visual identity in detail.
First the logo
It is the cornerstone and most important element of visual identity, and what most attracts the audience and sticks in their minds. Therefore, the logo of the integrated visual identity needs to be distinctive and unique. There are two types of logos used: the visual logo and the verbal slogan.
Secondly, the visual logo has several images:
1- Symbolic logos
It contains only icons and symbols without using written texts such as the logo: Apple, Shell, Mercedes-Benz.
2- Text logos
It is the use of one or more words, which may be the company name or an abbreviation for it, and does not contain graphic shapes or symbols such as: (Facebook, Sony, or Desnip)
3- Craft logos
This type of logo consists of one or two letters, and sometimes a group of letters that indicate the name of the company or project: CNN, IBM.
4- Text and symbolic logos
This type of logo combines the first and second types, as it combines the use of text with symbols such as Pizza Hut, and Adidas.
5- Graphic logos
This last type of logo consists of graphic shapes only. Sometimes it may contain some words or phrases such as: (Starbucks coffee and Pringles)
Thirdly, the color group
Our human brains are naturally responsive to visual cues. One of the most influential visual cues is color. When choosing colors, when designing a visual identity, there must be precision and focus. Each color has a meaning and significance. For example, red expresses passion, danger, and aggression. It also expresses courage and excitement and is an appetite-stimulating color. You can see it used in restaurant and food product logos.
Green represents nature, tranquility, and beauty. Therefore, it is widely used in logos of organic and plant-based food companies. It is also used in cosmetics identities to indicate that they contain natural materials. The meaning of the color may differ from one environment to another. Red, which is a color that indicates passion and courage, symbolizes death in India. Learn about visual identity colors and how to choose them to suit your field of work with 3 important criteria.
Fourthly, texts
Typography, which deals with arranging words and letters in specific ways, is the most prominent element in defining a brand identity. It is used to influence and convey the message to people, as the type of font is inspired by the specific features of the commercial identity. It is also considered the basic element in designing web pages, brochures, and advertising publications. Some major brands resort to creating their fonts and use them in designing the integrated visual identity; to distinguish themselves and be unique from other brands.
Fifth: Printing
Printing is a pivotal part of designing an integrated visual identity. No company uses business cards or does not do correspondence, let alone publications, banners, advertising prints, product packaging, and bags. All of this is done through the printing process. Printing methods vary between handwriting and computer printing. It is considered the element that tests the quality or poorness of the visual identity. Therefore, taking care of it represents taking care of the brand interface that is circulated among customers and the public.
Sixth, what is the mascot element in visual identity?
Sometimes companies tend to add a personal touch to their brand. Designers resort to using the mascot element to fulfill their desires. These are symbolic characters that are specially designed to represent the brand. These characters are used in advertising for companies on social media and other web windows. They are an effective way to attract people’s attention as they achieve interaction and communication with the audience in an unusual way. People also recognize and remember the brand easily through them. They may be designed as part of the logo and may sometimes be used alone.
Seventh: Icons:
These are the button-like marks that you see on websites and mobile applications. They are also found in print and advertising brochures. They are used to indicate the categories of products and services available and offered by the brand. Icons are part of the brand’s integrated visual identity image. Therefore, they should be subject to the same color schemes used in the visual identity. Their design rules are also very similar to those used in logo design, as they are sometimes derived from the logo.
Eighth: The style of the image or photography:
Have you seen the pictures of Mercedes-Benz cars and the others of Dodge?! The first gives the impression of elegance and luxury, while the second suggests strength and worthiness. This is what both brands want to convey to the public. This is what the photography element provides in the design of the integrated visual identity. Therefore, taking care of the photography element is important. This is what prompted major international companies to hire professional photographers to take high-quality pictures of the products they offer. Or to create special designs if they are promoting digital services. And not to use or resort to images available on websites, whether paid or free. This is what gives the work professionalism and quality.
Ninth: Charts or illustrations (infographics):
In the past few years, the use of infographics or charts in advertising for companies, brands, and businesses has increased. This is due to the advantages of this art in facilitating access and sharing information. It also can abbreviate many sentences and phrases into a few words. Adding to that are illustrations that work to convey the desired message elegantly and attractively. This has a significant impact on making an impact on target customers.
Tenth: Guide to using visual identity:
To ensure the success of the integrated visual identity, the design of each element of the visual identity must follow the same approach as the design of the other elements. For this to be done correctly and professionally, it was important to have a booklet that included detailed explanations of how to use the elements of the integrated visual identity. It also includes knowing how to implement its design style on any materials used by the brand. It forms a unified style for all materials, products, and advertisements. This requires the issuance of a booklet that includes an explanation of all the details related to the design of the elements of the integrated visual identity and the methods of implementing them.
The most prominent trends in designing and developing an integrated visual identity
Many people imagine that creating an integrated visual identity is a purely artistic matter, related to the designer first and last. But what many do not know is that the designer is nothing but a tool that draws what he is inspired by the owner of the brand. In addition to the message, he wants to convey to people through his product or service he provides.
First steps to create an integrated visual identity
The first step in creating a successful integrated visual identity is for the project or brand owner to answer a set of questions. Through them, the personal character of the visual identity is determined: Who are you (business identity)? What is the product you offer? What value does your product carry for people? Who is the target audience? The evidence for creating an integrated visual identity revolves around the purpose of the brand, the vision it contains, and its goal. In addition to the message you want to convey to society, the mission for which it was created, and the value it carries.
The role of the designer comes in planning to design a unique and attractive visual identity. Which can influence the audience of customers and leave a strong impression in their minds. The first steps he takes are conducting research and studies about the market and the nature of the target audience. Psychology plays an important role in analyzing the psychology of the target audience and the nature of their behavior. The product intended for pregnant women needs a language of address that is different from other women. Addressing young girls is different from addressing older women. The product may be the same, but the way it is presented differs according to the level of the target segment.
Secondly, the characteristics of a successful visual identity
One of the features of a successful integrated visual identity is simplicity in design. With the abundance of brands and competition to reserve space in the customer’s mind, simplifying the design of the visual identity has become important. This is what many major brands do. To be able to make the brand easy to remember and understand by customers. Examples of this are Burberry and Apple, which are distinguished by the simplicity of their identity.
Third, the slogan of the G20 Summit
One of the most important features of a successful integrated visual identity is that it also expresses the targeted environment for its promotion. At the G20 Summit hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2020, the Kingdom created a national competition to design the summit logo. More than 25 designers participated in designing the G20 logo. More than 30 logos were designed to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but only one logo won out of all the logos.
The winning logo design was a piece of Sadu (a type of Bedouin weaving common in the Arabian Peninsula). Underneath it was written the name of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the date of its hosting of the summit. Despite the simplicity of the logo, it represents the heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The simpler, more attractive, and more expressive the visual identity of the targeted environment, the more influential it will be on the audience.
Fourth, low material cost
Just as simplicity in design is effective and influential, simplicity in the material cost used in designing an integrated visual identity is required. The low material cost helps companies implement the design on all their tools and thus increases the area of advertising influence.
Fifth: Keeping pace with the integrated visual identity of the era
Some professional designers design a dynamic visual identity that can be developed and interact with the surrounding changes, whether with the environment in which it exists or with the type of product or service. One of the brands that has such an identity is Warner Bros. B&O. Professionalism in designing an integrated visual identity lies in designing a scalable visual identity. Which saves time and money from resorting again to designing a new identity that keeps pace with the times. This is what the Saudi Telecom Company did in late 2019 when it launched a new visual identity through which it can keep pace with the development of the times.
The impact of integrated visual identity in electronic marketing
Having a complete and distinctive visual identity is the first step in successfully marketing a brand. The uniqueness and distinction of a complete visual identity contribute to its spread on websites and social media. The stronger and more professional the visual identity is, the more capable it is of distinguishing itself from its competitors. You can also read this article: The Shape of the Visual Identity on Social Media and Its Measurements with 7 Sources of Inspiration – Your Complete Guide to Using It Correctly on Social Media.
Visual identity impact test
This is proven by an experiment conducted by a group of scientists to test the power of the integrated visual identity in attracting customers. They removed the name and logo of some global brands such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. When they were shown to a group of people, as soon as they saw them, they recognized them despite the lack of the name and logo indicating them. This proves the extent of the visual identity’s impression on customers’ minds. The uniqueness and strength of the integrated visual identity also give the impression of trust, loyalty, and credibility to the brand, which in turn affects customer behavior. Therefore, large companies spend millions of dollars on developing their visual identity; to obtain a distinctive position in the market among their competitors.
How does an integrated visual identity contribute to increasing revenue?
They say that a person’s appearance gives 70% of the first impression about him, so the more attractive and elegant a person’s appearance is, the more acceptable he becomes to people. Likewise, the integrated visual identity is the external appearance of the brand. The more attractive and powerful it is, the more acceptable it becomes to customers, thus increasing the audience base that uses it. This is what we often see around us, with many customers being influenced by advertising for products.
You see them rushing to buy the product, confident in its quality, based on the distinction and abundance of its advertising. It is associated in the minds of many people that the more distinctive and distinctive the advertising of the product, the more quality and value it has. This indicates the extent of the impact of the integrated visual identity in attracting a larger number of customers. This The article helps you choose a visual identity that suits your business. .
Visual deception effect
What also indicates the importance of an integrated visual identity is what some companies resort to when they want to make a quick profit. These companies steal the visual identity of some famous brands using visual deception. This is done by distorting the name of the brand while maintaining the color tone of the visual identity and the font style used in it. The customer is misled and buys the product thinking that it is a famous brand.
This is what happened with the famous chocolate brand Galaxy, which has similar visual identity types with a distorted name such as Gaxay, and Galay. If you still do not have the key to influence customers, know that increasing sales and achieving the best returns only comes by influencing customer behavior by attracting them to the product. This only happens by paying attention to the brand interface represented by the integrated visual identity.
The integrated visual identity is what some like to call the silent ambassador of the brand. If this ambassador and his appearance are taken care of, he becomes more capable of attracting the target audience, and changing the perception of the brand so that it becomes more reliable in the eyes of its customers. Choosing the visual identity itself is one of the most important things to start your business. To achieve this goal, you must choose the right partner to achieve access and spread. This is what Khutana offers to all its collaborators.
Discover more articles:
Visual identity 7 elements and their importance in the success of any business – a comprehensive guide
4 types of Visual Identity and the Path to Business Growth
Questions about the article Integrated Visual Identity The Key to Revenue with 10 Components
What is an example of visual identity?
A unique logo that expresses your brand personality. A consistent color palette that resonates with your target audience. Typography and font choices that complement your brand message. Iconic images that are relevant to your brand.
What are the four main components of visual identity?
Some companies use an actual style guide to keep their brand consistent. If you’re just starting in design, it’s okay to take a more minimalist approach. The main components of visual identity are logo, color, typography, and imagery.
How important is visual identity?
What makes a company or brand recognizable is one of the most important aspects of any marketing or advertising campaign. Bringing all of these elements together harmoniously creates a brand identity and lays the foundation for brand recognition and brand storytelling.
What is a strong visual identity?
By using consistent brand guidelines, including logo design, color schemes, typography, and photography style, ensure that your brand message remains clear and consistent across all platforms. A good visual identity can attract customers, build trust, and establish brand loyalty.
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