5 Steps toward a cleaner brand Aesthetic
We live in a very visual world. This world oft comes with alot of noise. Taking the time to de-clutter your brand’s aesthetic goes a long way in connecting with your customers and communicating your level of commitment up front.
1. Fewer Typefaces
One of the easiest ways to declutter your brand is to reduce the number of typefaces (commonly called fonts) you use, whether customer facing or not. It is recommended that you use two contrasting typefaces and not more than three. Some typefaces, such as the superfamily “Univers", come in multiple weights (light, bold, etc) which allow them to be so versatile that they can be used by themselves for a range of purposes.
2. Great Compositions
Great presentation starts with great composition. Composition here is referring to the arrangement of product and other elements in the brand. I have chosen to separate this tip as I believe it goes beyond photos and even applies to marketing material and the layout of physical products in a store front or a trade show. A great composition can attract, lift and invite an onlooker to become an enquirer and if the rest of your preparedness is right, that enquirer can become a customer and later a champion for your brand!
3. Clean, High Quality Photos
We know them when we see them. Clean photos that melt in your mouth not in your eyes. Too often, the success of these photos is attributed solely to the cameras that take them. However, they are a collaboration of light and composition first. The tips here then would be:
Ensure your subject/ focal area is well lit and you are not casting unnecessary shadow on what is to be photographed.
Remove or reduce the number of elements in your background unless they are themselves part of the theme of the photo.
Try shooting from varied and interesting angles after you have composed your subject.
4. Unity Through Colour
How do you unify a diverse product range? And a even more diverse photo set? Well one quick and easy way to do this is to carry over brand colours across product and photos. This way, even when the the products and photos are vastly different, there will be some semblance of cohesion.
-- The Popcorn Maker
