Yesterday I had a meeting with a charity about designing some literature. I asked if they had a style guide so that I could create a consistent design which would tie in with everything else and they didn’t. In fact, every leaflet they had was different in style to the others. There were a couple where the design was similar – but the font was different or the colours weren’t right – so everything was disjointed. I’m going to design the new literature based on these and try and create something which ties in with everything else in some way!
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This highlights the importance of consistency in any business, charity or organisation. If you have a document such as a style guide which details which fonts, colours and styles to use then not only does it make the designers job easier – but it also makes sure that your brand is represented correctly, clearly and consistently at every touch point and that the same message and idea is given out. This helps the user to see the connection between different items and relate them to your business without having to think about it.
Once you acheive consistency in your business then all of your materials – your business cards, website, leaflets, social media, brochures, banners – whatever you’ve got – will look so similar that they’ll be instantly recognisable to your audience as coming from YOUR business. How many times does someone need to see your brand and recognise that it’s yours before they commit to anything? (Tweet this)
You also need to think about the message that you are giving out. Does your audience know what you’re about? Do they know what you offer? What your values are?
So do some groundwork, make some decisions and find a way to communicate clearly the way that everything should be designed. Make it easier for your designer – and for your user – and give your business the consistent recognition that it deserves.
Do you need to consider your brand style, set some rules and think about consistency for your business? Let me know in the comments – or let me know what you’re doing really well!
You could also book a free session with me to chat about how you can work on that consistent brand image. Click here.
