Visual identity
A visual identity is a set of consistent elements that make up a company's visual image. They are used to give the company a clear, consistent identity and to set it apart from others. Its foundation is the graphic mark – the logo – which is the starting point for developing the identity and the design documentation that allows the mark to be used across various fields of use.
Media such as business cards, letterheads, boards of all kinds, signs, advertising stands, promotional items, T-shirts and so on support the company's marketing and help spread the word about it.
What are fields of use?
Fields of use are the ways in which a work – in this case a visual identity – is distributed. A field of use may be, for example, magnetic recording, digital distribution, print, rental and lending, public performance, broadcasting in electronic media and so on. The documentation produced as part of a visual identity should set out the rules for using the logo in the specific fields of use the company relies on. For example, it specifies how the logo should be placed on letterheads or posters, and how it should not be used if it is to remain legible. Without such guidelines, even an attractive, well-designed mark can lose much of its impact simply because it is poorly displayed or clashes with other graphic marks shown in the same place.
Why it is sometimes worth changing your visual identity
Many large companies change their visual identity when introducing a new brand, a new product or a new marketing strategy. Such changes were usually meant to signal a break with the past – by introducing something new, they were to paint the future in different colours. Introducing a new visual identity because the previous one did not work, or no longer matches current aesthetics, is of course another matter. In many cases, changing a visual identity involves only minor alterations, or rather extending it with additional elements. It is worth remembering, however, that implementing new designs always takes work, time and money – because replacing the old with the new will not happen by itself.
Why a visual identity is worth having
Since the dawn of time, people have created symbols and given them meaning. They also associated them with ideas that they passed on and instilled in others. Over time these signs became a kind of key that allowed people to be told apart and strong personalities to stand out. Totems, coats of arms and tattoos identified groups and the individuals who belonged to them. Created by artists, they became synonymous with spiritual and material values, guarding secrets but also revealing the path to a goal. Today the graphic mark still plays a major role in many fields, especially in commercial use. As a carrier of the ideas and status of all kinds of institutions and businesses, it reflects current trends and plays a significant part in shaping reality.
Then as now, having your own graphic mark brings many benefits. In many cases, the impression made by a visual identity can win over or put off a potential business partner. If your company does not have its own graphic mark, or has one but does not know how to use it, get in touch with us.
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