Simple things you can do to make your brand feel more trustworthy
Even if you don’t know where to start.
Embarking on something new can feel overwhelming. They say that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. But I find myself getting caught up in the question of exactly which step that should be… As a person who struggles with perfectionism I have put a lot of thought into the ways that mindset holds me back– waiting until the perfect moment sometimes means never starting at all.
In an effort to overcome this internal obstacle, I am trying to embrace being an imperfectionist, even though it means that I frequently experience the discomfort of not having the answer, or not knowing the next step. What I do know is that chipping away at something with small actions is more effective than endlessly contemplating it and never fully deciding on that first step.
To that end, I am offering a messy guide for anyone who wants to build credibility through their visual communication, one small piece at a time. I am not suggesting that you do this all at once, but these are the things which over time will take you along the thousand mile journey toward a visual identity that feels trustworthy. I can't provide a shortcut, but I can share the map I have been creating through my research.
Make sure your logo is consistent. everywhere your logo shows up, it should have the same color, integrity, size relationship btw elements. If your logo isn’t functioning well at different scales, across mediums, or against commonly used background colors, it might be time to give that logo some attention.
Make sure your colors are consistent. Each instance of a color should be exactly the same. It seems subtle, and it is. However, this attention to detail is what communicates trust to your viewers when there’s not a person in the loop.
Make your language and content as consistent as possible. This means that every time you talk about a specific program, you’re using the same language. Yes, this means taking the time to develop that language.
Make sure your typography is legible. What am I talking about when I say typography? I’m talking about anywhere you have writing on your communications. When you’re designing a layout, literally do a print test to see what size something is going to print. Can you read it without straining? Can your grandma?
Be as specific and authentic as you can. Use language and photos that are concrete and really depict your organization. This means you can’t be vague, and you can’t use stock photography. What sets you apart? Lean into that.
View your brand through the eyes of your audience. Try to put yourself in their shoes as you read through your communications materials. What questions do you have? What is holding your interest? When do you get bored and skip over something? Take notes and then implement changes based on the notes.
Take an informal survey. Ask people what they think of when they think of your brand. What colors come to mind for them? What shapes? Ask them to tell you about your mission, specific programs, or a recent event? Their answers will help you understand what’s sticking. Are they missing something important? That’s where you need to direct your attention.
Organize your files. Take stock of all your brand assets and put them in one place. That could be photos, logos, colors, fonts, and eventually templates. Take the time to sort and label every file so you can find what you’re looking for the next time you’re in a hurry. Make sure that other people who need the assets know where to find them too.
Make one-offs into templates. Templates increase your capacity by helping reduce the work you need to do to get something off the ground. Anything can be a template if you save it in a template library! If it’s easier to execute the design element of your communication, you have more time to focus on the communication part.
Start your own brand guide. Whenever you make a design decision, take a screenshot and drop it into the presentation software of your choice. Now you have a reference for future design decisions, which you can also share with vendors and new hires to make sure that when you scale, you’re scaling consistency instead of chaos.