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Branding colors

When considering your business branding, colors are often the first thing that springs to mind. There are some established associations between color and mood. Everyone’s associations are slightly different though, depending on their life experiences – so these are trends, not rules.

• Red is bold, exciting and energetic
• Purple is creative and calm
• Green is peaceful and natural
• Yellow is optimistic and positive
• Orange is fun and confident
• Blue is trustworthy and strong

Beyond this, your color choices mean something in your particular industry. Blue, for example, might be classic for a bank but a distinctive choice for a bookshop. What’s typical for businesses in the same niche as yours? Whether you tap into the established norms or break the mold with a new approach, your brand’s colors will say something about who you are as a company.

Credit: joinhoney.com

Branding fonts

We love fonts and we can pretty much talk forever on how to use them in your branding. Because fonts have such a rich cultural history, lettering style can have a huge impact on how you’re perceived. Here are a few font branding considerations:

Serif or sans serif?

Serif fonts are classic and elegant, and carry a sense of tradition and authority. Sans serif fonts are more modern, minimal and a little bit cool. Think Times New Roman vs Helvetica.

Multiple fonts or one?

Using several fonts at once adds energy and could even make things look a little busy, indicating a brand that’s full of ideas and always has something new happening. Sticking to a single font means you’ll come across as calm, purposeful and deliberate, with a no-fuss approach to getting things done.

Script and decorative fonts

If you choose decorative or script-style fonts, you can create a trendy throwback aesthetic or a timeless, classic feeling. And depending on your font choice, a handwriting-like style can also create a more personal, casual feel.

Credit: One World Project

Branding illustration styles

Few aspects of design are as expressive as illustration, and every artist has their own take on crafting editorial or creative imagery. That said, there are a few trends that most brands fall into. If you’re using digital illustration, there are two primary branding styles:

• Curvy, stylized digital vector brand illustrations are modern, fun and clean-looking. They often go hand in hand with tech and innovation, and are a staple among start-ups. Flat colors and clean lines are hallmarks of this style, which is often used in infographics. Vector illustrations can be easily edited in Adobe Illustrator CC, for print, web, and mobile-friendly designs.

• The hand-drawn digital illustration style, on the other hand, uses line, hatching and shading to emphasize a human element in your business and suggest creativity and artisan skills.

Of course, any kind of art can be part of your brand, from collage to watercolor, but generally, choosing analog formats rather than digital will give your brand more of an old-school, handmade identity.

Credit: Alice Mollon

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