What does your brand look like? Is it recognizable—in any medium? Or does it change its appearance and present a confusing array of visual styles?

Most organizations understand the strategic importance of a consistent visual style... but fall short on implementation, especially when there are multiple in-house or agency creative teams.

Add in new products, new sub-brands, time-sensitive promotions, changing management, decentralized business units, acquisitions and mergers, and the typical result is a tangled mess of visual styles—all purportedly representing the same company.

No wonder customers are confused. Or, worse, unimpressed.

A prescription for this all-too-common malady is a carefully designed visual system.

The Elements of Visual System

Before we cover the benefits of a visual system, a definition is in order. At its most basic, a visual system establishes standards for each of the following: logo, typography, color, imagery, layouts, and formats.

Logo: Specifications for size, placement, horizontal and vertical configurations, clear-space requirements, color use, and tagline and address lockups

Yes, there are a myriad details here, but all these specifications are critically important—whether your logo is a wordmark (e.g., Boston Scientific), a symbol (e.g., the Nike swoosh), or a combination mark (e.g., Caribou Coffee).

Most companies take care to police their logo and understand the importance of maintaining its integrity.

Typography: Guidelines on specific font styles and weights for all digital and print communications

Most organizations specify precisely which fonts are to represent their brand—on their Web site and blogs, in their marketing literature, in PowerPoint presentations, in investor and employee communications.

To the untrained eye, typography is sometimes invisible, but it's an essential aspect of your brand.

Color: Primary, secondary, and tertiary palettes for use in all materials

Many strong brands are defined by their consistent use of color. For example, Target uses red, ING Direct uses orange.

Imagery: The styles and colors that define your brand

Will you use photography, illustration, or both? Will the style be abstract, realistic, or metaphorical? Will you use full color, monochromatic tones, or black and white? A comprehensive visual system specifies image standards.

Layouts: A wide variety of templates that establish a hierarchy of information for headlines, subheads, sidebars, and body copy

Layouts also specify how imagery and secondary graphic elements should be used.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gwyneth Dwyer is director of writing services at Larsen (www.larsen.com), an interactive, branding, and design firm with offices in Minneapolis and San Francisco. She blogs at MarketingProfs Daily Fix (www.mpdailyfix.com). Reach her at g.dwyer@larsen.com.