Graphic Design – Page 5 – IFTS, Inc. Blog

How to Create a Brand Style Guide for Your Business

Are you making a good first impression with your potential customers?

As your business grows, you’ll have more and more opportunities to make a good first impression. People should have the same experience with your business, whether they see your logo on your company vehicle or go to your website to learn more about your services.

Your brand is more than just a logo and color combination, though. It’s what people expect from your company and how they talk about you when referring others to your business.

-And making a brand style guide is a great way to help you stay on track!

What a Brand Style Guide is and Why You Need One

A brand style guide is a document that outlines the specific fonts, colors, images, and styles that you want to use for all of your marketing materials. It can help to create a cohesive look across all of your branding, and it will make your company’s overall look more professional.

Creating a brand style guide can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be!

If your business doesn’t have a mission statement already, you should think about what makes it unique and take the time to put it on paper.

What’s your company’s voice and personality?

Who is your customer?

What would they expect when interacting with you?

Answering these questions is a great place to start shaping what the heart and soul of your company looks like visually. Then, choosing the right design elements will help you achieve that goal.

Remember, the intent is to create a guide that will help you maintain a consistent look and represent your brand’s voice and personality. So, don’t be afraid to get creative and have fun with it!

How to Create a Brand Style Guide

When deciding on the overall tone and voice of your brand, here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Start by creating a mood board. This can be as simple as cutting out images from magazines that reflect the look and feel you want for your brand, or you can create a digital mood board using Pinterest or another online tool.

It may seem unnecessary, but having this in place first is a helpful way to keep your thoughts and ideas organized. It also gives you a visual representation that may help you make connections you wouldn’t otherwise have seen.

2. Once you have a good idea of the overall style you’re going for, it’s time to start thinking about specific elements like colors and fonts. Make a list of 3-5 colors and choose 2-3 fonts that you’ll use for all of your marketing materials. Don’t forget to do your research on color and font associations and continue to go back to your mood board for inspiration.

You’ll want to include things like the color names, CMYK swatches, and hex codes (the HTML version of color names) in your guide.

Also, be sure to find out if there is a cost associated with the use of the font or images you use in your marketing. Some fonts and images have specific copyright rules, and you will want to make sure that you are following their guidelines.

3. Your logo is one of the main things that people picture when they think of your business, and it should make it easier for them to remember your brand. It’s a good idea to put your logo and a description of what it stands for in your brand style guide.

You can put as many different versions of your logo as you want in your style guide, but make sure that each one has a purpose. Outline as many parameters as you’d like, including dimensions and color selection that show exactly how your logo can and cannot be used.

If you haven’t put much thought into your logo design, you will want to check out why that’s so important in our previous blog post.

4. Now you are ready to create your brand guide to keep on hand or as a digital file that you can easily share with others.

Include all of your chosen colors, fonts, and any other elements like photos, images, or wording that you want to use and circumstances or exceptions for any changes and a detailed list of those examples.

5. Finally, make sure to review and update your brand style guide on a regular basis. As your business grows and changes, so too will your branding.

By keeping your style guide up-to-date, your branding efforts will always reflect your business in the best light.

Examples of Brand Style Guides

This page, taken from Scrimshaw Coffee’s brand guide, is a great example of how to showcase different colors and logos and how they can be used in marketing.

Njord Organic Restaurant shows just how detailed a brand style guide can be.

To see a wide range of the types of brand style guides different companies use, visit issuu.com.

Saving You Time and Money

Your company’s style guide should be created early on in the branding process and updated as needed. Having this document on hand will make putting together promotional materials much easier. It should also make it easier to bring in an outside marketing team if you get to that point.

With a list of your preferred fonts, colors, and styles, you’ll be able to save time, energy, and money by ensuring that everyone on your team is on the same page when it comes to your design standards.

Again, the importance of making your business more memorable to customers, and therefore building more trust and customer loyalty, can’t be stressed enough.

If you’re ready to create a branding style guide for your business, our team at IFTS Inc. can help! Contact us today for a free consultation at 412-715-6266!

Do You Need a Professional Logo Designer For Your Company?

Are you in the process of starting a small business and want to build your brand’s identity successfully? With a myriad of marketing strategies and slogans to consider, knowing where to invest your time and money is critical to your success.

Why is a professional designer so Important when it comes to your company’s logo?

Is this really a big deal, or is it something that can be put off while you focus all of your time and energy on running your company?

Why not just put your name and phone number on a business card along with some clip art and call it a day?

Even in the world of small businesses, it’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to overlook the importance of having an eye-catching logo in place before they open their doors. If you’re not a professional graphic artist, it’s best to hire a professional logo designer.

Image is Almost Everything

According to a Promotique by Vistaprint survey of 2,000 Americans’ knowledge of today’s top logos, logo recognition, and thus logo design, is extremely important:

Half of those polled said they were more likely to use a company with a well-known logo.
60 percent of those polled said they don’t buy from companies with unusual or ugly logos, even if they have positive reviews. This is especially true if the company is unfamiliar.

Really?? You’re saying that my distinctly average logo might turn off potential customers, despite my stellar reviews?

Regrettably, yes.

It seems obvious. Do you have a bad logo? That’s not good. Do you have a good logo? That’s great. However, when we consider that 85 percent of those polled said that when they find a logo they like, they are more likely to stay loyal to that business, we can see how important great logo design is.

Color, Consistency and Creativity is Key in Logo Design

We all know that different colors influence our decisions and moods on a daily basis, …but have you considered that the logo you designed with your spouse’s favorite color might not appeal to your clients in the same way?

Do you have enough time to create a thoughtful logo that incorporates all of the elements of good design, such as color, font type, line thickness, and direction?

Are you aware of your ideal customer’s design preferences?

Your logo design will not create a meaningful connection with your customers if you are inconsistent, and it will negatively affect their trust. The psychology of how design affects us is fascinating and fun to learn about, but imagine the stress relief of knowing that this attention to detail is taken care of for you with a professionally designed logo.

Not all Freelancers are Created Equal

Hiring a professional graphic designer will set your company apart from the rest, but where do you find this one-of-a-kind person who can potentially make or break your branding efforts?

Just because someone is inexperienced or cheap doesn’t mean they can’t make a great logo for you. But making sure your logo is thoughtfully executed should be their top priority. This is where communicating your company’s style and the audience you are trying to reach comes into play.

A good designer should be an excellent listener and take your business seriously. Someone who is also good at understanding your customers’ needs and preferences will help your overall relatability.

Make sure you get a good idea of this before you hire them by looking at their previous work. Someone who charges $5 for a logo on Fiverr probably has a lot of other work to do and won’t take the necessary time to learn about your business and clients.

Many do-it-yourself design apps say that you can make your own logo in minutes and for a few dollars. This may be true, but the goal is to make your brand stand out by using a process and style that are as unique and personal as you are.

Is a Logo Redo Necessary?

Are you one of the companies whose logo was maybe more of an afterthought? Then, it’s probably worth considering having one professionally made.

Say you already have a logo, and it’s one you really like, but it’s not quite reflecting the style and direction you want your brand to go. Then, yes, it sounds like a new logo would be a no-brainer.

However, there is a pretty legitimate exception to having your logo reimagined.

When you already have a strong following of committed customers, you could potentially spark a negative response to a logo redesign because, subconsciously, this change feels like a mini betrayal.

In 2009, the company Tropicana revamped its logo from a straw-poked orange to a large glass of orange juice with its trademark repositioned vertically. Less than two months later, there was a 20 percent loss in sales! They were quickly forced to calm the masses by switching back to their original packaging and, thankfully, restoring peace to the universe.

Simply put, most of the time, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Need to Hire a Professional Graphic Logo Designer?

Now, hopefully you aren’t questioning all of your branding decisions up to this point, but when it comes down to the success of your business, ultimately, what matters most is the quality of products and services you provide to your customers and building solid relationships along the way.

At IFTS Inc., we are just as committed to our clients as you are to yours, and we have a passion for all things digital marketing and web design, including brand strategy and logo design. If you are stuck and just don’t have the time or expertise to become a local celebrity, we can help!

What Should You Consider Before Hiring A Web Design Company?

So, you’re looking for a well-designed website that keeps people engaged while still being simple to use AND converts visitors into clients?

Get in line!

A website that is proactive in addressing your requirements and business goals has become more essential than ever before. In this day of information overload, having an online presence that reflects the unique features of your business or services while still being simple enough to not only attract but also retain customers is essential. You need to stand out among the almost 2 billion websites that exist today.

Remember – there is no need for consumers to waste time on a confused or dysfunctional website when there are hundreds (often thousands) of alternatives available to them at the click of a button.

Keep all of this in mind as you conduct research and attempt to determine the most appropriate route when developing your company (or personal) website. There is no reason to squander your time or money, but a few well-timed and well-placed investments may go a long way toward ensuring your success.

Did you realize that some individuals make their entire career designing websites?

Okay, so you probably already knew that, but think about the following scenario:

Your home requires plumbing or electricity. Considering that these are important factors in your overall quality of life, are you willing to put in the hundreds of hours required to learn how to do it yourself, knowing that the chances of making an error are significant?

Alternatively, are you planning to engage a professional, certain that their knowledge and skills will ensure that your requirements are fulfilled?

Another scenario that is commonly encountered:

A business owner will tell us, “My teenage nephew is really good at computers and promised to help set up a website for our company this weekend.”

Does this nephew know about SEO, website speed optimization, CTAs, internal and external linking, Google Business Profile optimization, congruity across your online presence and other factors that help your website rank as well as convert? Our guess is probably not.

Most people don’t know what must go into a website to make it work for your business in 2022. There are 175 new websites created PER MINUTE every day. The “If you build it, they will come” mindset no longer works like it did twenty years ago.

Designing a profitable or promotional website is critical to your company’s livelihood, and while DIY projects are a fun and educational way to pass the time and learn something new, the truth is that there is a lot more to online success than meets the eye.

A professional web design company employs multiple people that are well-versed in the complicated and diverse requirements of many types of websites.

Throughout their careers, they have gained incomparable expertise that serves as a precious basis for their current endeavors. This experience has given them invaluable knowledge that serves as a priceless foundation when starting a website design project. This is why I strongly recommend that you hire a professional when it comes to creating your website.

However, the type of expert you choose is equally crucial.

Figure out what you need the website to do

Before employing someone, it’s critical to have at least a basic understanding of your own requirements and objectives. Because pro web designers work with a large number of clients, understanding what you want before you talk development with them will guarantee that you and the designer are a good match and will assist them in providing you with exceptional service.

What kind of person or company do you want to work with?

It’s also crucial to be aware of who you’re working with.

Because of the internet, it is simple for people to market themselves as “experienced professionals” (yet another reason to have a high-quality website!).

Investigate what you’re looking for; if you come across someone claiming to do it for a significantly lower price, be skeptical; you’ll most likely wind-up spending twice as much money to get a useless site back up and running.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! You are knowledgeable about your industry, and they should be knowledgeable about theirs.

Inquire about their opinions on your project and see whether their ideas are compatible with yours. Look at their previous work and see what other sorts of sites they have worked on and the industries that they are familiar with.

Due diligence is important when choosing a web design company

Another component of “knowing who you’re hiring” is to request a portfolio and references from past customers. Be careful to research the designer’s past work; it’s critical that you choose a firm that can collaborate with you and meet all of your business requirements. Reviewing work from prior clients is a valuable and instructive approach to obtain honest feedback about the quality of the designer’s work, his or her willingness to collaborate, and overall professionalism.

You’ll want to know who will be engaged in the creation of your website after learning more about the firm itself. Web design and development are comprised of several different components. You should inquire as to whether any of the services being supplied will be outsourced and whether the firm has a group of employees with whom they operate on a regular basis.

Make a list of everything that you want your website to be capable of

You should also check to see if the company provides all of the features that you are searching for. For example, having a mobile-friendly or responsive website that adapts to any screen size might be a distinguishing feature of your site that sets you apart from your competition in certain situations. Find out what sorts of services the web firm provides and make sure that they are in line with your expectations and the requirements of your organization.

Is there a timeline that you have to meet?

Another issue that has to be addressed is deadlines. If you have deadlines, it’s critical that you communicate them to anyone you hire so that they can ensure that your project is successfully completed on time.

You want to ensure that anyone you employ will devote the necessary time and effort to your project. Make sure they will develop an appealing and easy-to-use website in a timely manner, so that you are not forced to wait months for your company’s website to go up.

Hiring a web design firm is a good investment for your company, and the appropriate expertise may make a significant difference in your performance and profitability.

In your hunt for a web designer, make sure you do your homework and be clear on the type of relationship you are seeking. Don’t be hesitant to ask questions or obtain references/portfolios from potential candidates.

Hiring the right company to design your website is just as important as hiring a web designer in the first place!

Hiring IFTS for your web design needs

Thinking about hiring IFTS, Inc.? We offer a free one-hour consultation to hear all about your business goals and what you want your website to do for you. After that meeting, we can provide references and other information about past projects.

To get started, schedule your appointment today by calling 412-715-6266.

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