5 Brand Integration Tips That Graphic Designers Use in Their Work
Graphic Design Brand Integration Tips
- Color Palettes
- Tone of Voice
- Symbols
- Fonts
- Multimedia
Graphic designers are an important part of any branding strategy for businesses. They are the ones who contribute to the visual, and sometimes multimedia, a style that consumers engage with first. Graphic designers also have their own brands, ones that they solidify in their own style choices and through the branding of their own company. Here are five ways that graphic designers can help themselves stand out from the crowd.
Color Palettes
Color will change the way that people feel about a person or a brand; that’s why color theory is an important part of graphic design. For designers, it might be difficult to build a brand on color palettes as every client is different, but learning to focus on styles of color palettes, such as dark or pastel groupings, may help clients choose the right designer for their brand. Professionals known for particular color combinations will find that any inquiries they receive will be more likely to become paying jobs because they have shown, through their portfolio work, that they have a similar brand to the client, making it a better fit for both parties.
Tone of Voice
Graphic design may seem like an odd field to discuss the tone of voice, but it’s actually applicable. Every visual element that a brand or a person uses is part of a language that promotes a single tone of voice. Images, symbols, logos, color palettes, and more are all part of the language and can help a client build a cohesive voice that can be incorporated into the copy of a website. Graphic designers can do this by specializing in a tone of voice that is either friendly, classist, rebellious, informal, professional, and more. They can showcase this by their choice of the visual elements that are presented to a client through a portfolio or a proposal.
Symbols
The field of semiotics, which is the study of symbols, is an inherent part of graphic design. Symbols have been ingrained as important in the human consciousness for millennia and therefore are a critical part of any branding strategy. Graphic designers are aware of this and use symbols in logos and website designs to make their clients more visible to their consumers as well as ensure that their clients are remembered even when a consumer is not actively engaging in their business. Graphic designers who specialize in symbols, specifically in terms of brand integration, will find that their work is in high demand.
Fonts
For such a small thing, fonts really do matter in branding. Graphic designers understand that changing a serif to a sans-serif font could have drastic implications for a website or other branding material for a client. There are some designers that specialize in this field, providing their clients with an in-depth analysis of their current font choice and future font choices that may align more with their brand. But graphic designers don’t have to specialize in the fonts in order to find jobs; they just have to understand the psychological responses that different types of fonts have on consumers.
Multimedia
Multimedia branding, such as photography and video, is rarely the sole domain of the graphic designer; clients generally hire professionals in those fields to help them with those needs. However, how they are packaged and delivered to consumers can be positively impacted by having a graphic designer on board. Everything from music to short films to photography must arrive at consumers in a presentable package that generally includes a logo, color palette choices, fonts, and more. Graphic designers are generally in charge of this and having a solid foundation in this area may help these professionals solidify their brand and also become an in-demand service in the music, fashion, and film industries.
Conclusion
Graphic designers must create and maintain their own personal brand, especially if they are interested in becoming mainstays in the field. Like this Forbes article points out, a strong personal or business brand is key to ensuring that a person always stands out from the crowd. By keeping these five things in mind, professionals will be ready to take control of their personal brand and ensure their success in the field.
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