Why Is Consistency So Important in Branding & Design?
Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and the Golden Arches of McDonalds were green. Or Starbucks decided to abandon the green in their logo and moved to a navy blue. Chances are you wouldn't immediately recognize their brands at first glance. Another example: Think about every time you log into your Netflix account. The notorious "Tudum" sound bursting through your TV's speakers as you get logged in. The sound is loud and impactful by design. Why? Because it's recognizable. If your eyes were closed and someone played that sound in the background you'd instantly know they are logging into their Netflix account. This is consistency. Choosing specific guidelines for our brand/company, and then always sticking to them.
What are Brand Guidelines?
We use consistent colors, type fonts, and design protocol to establish as a means of brand recognition. These are called Brand Guidelines.
Brand guidelines are more or less a set of rules to follow to ensure your visual identity stays consistent and true to itself. Colors, fonts, the tone of voice in our copy, the personality of the business, and imagery all fit under this umbrella. Is the personality of your business playful? Sincere? Strict and hard-nosed? Humorous? It might seem trivial, but if you are constantly changing the way you represent yourself, people will have a harder time recognizing you and believing you will deliver on your promise.
IBM is a great example of what it means to have a comprehensive set of brand guidelines. Hundreds of pages from the different color combinations that work to how images should be presented, to where and how to align fonts…It goes on and on. But it's specific and true to itself.
We want the customer to know exactly who we are and what we are about. Over time they see that we are true to ourselves and they believe in us - positively impacting our business and bottom line. They trust that we are who we are. Don't make people think too hard, they don't want to.
Consistency in Graphic Design & Web Design
The same principles of consistency should be applied across all digital channels & print materials. When we speak in terms of web design and the graphic design that goes along with it we use what is called "Component-based-design". Essentially this is taking all the smaller parts that make up your website, say for instance buttons, headings, etc., and we turn them into reusable components. These components become the adhesive that glues the whole website together. It brings about that sense of cohesion and consistency. Design three buttons and reuse those three buttons across the website.
Final Thoughts
It's important when starting a new business to take into account how you want to be represented. By establishing brand guidelines we are creating a framework to create a cohesive, consistent relationship with the customer. These guidelines will also allow us to work faster and more efficiently, because we don't need to think about which color we want to use in our new advertisements, or which fonts we will use for overlays in our marketing materials. We can set them in stone and stick to them, ultimately allowing us to worry about the things that matter most, like growing that bottom line and staying in business.
