Learning about creating a brand in this module has been very eye opening to me. Before this module I did not have much idea about how much consideration goes into creating a brand identity. It is not just about having appealing packaging and logos, but also about creating a story and personality for consumers to resonate with. In the past I had thought that creating a brand started with drawing up a logo or a brand name, but through my study I have found that what comes first is establishing what the brand is- what are its values and its story.
In the beginning I found the user research I conducted very helpful to establish my brands values- and thus be able to begin to craft my brand. I was able to see what people in my target user base found frustrating about their banking apps, and what they valued most- and from this I created the basis for ‘Just’. At first when deciding on a brand name I went for very casual names which didn't suit the brand values I had set out for myself- so I went back to the drawing board and came up with Just. I was unsure if it would work at first, but decided to take the risk as it was a more interesting brand name.
Because Just’s core values were that of simplicity and minimalism- I had to make visual brand identity match this- from the wordmark to the UI of the app. I struggled with this a lot. My typical style of design is far from minimalistic; I like to utilise colour and use attention grabbing typefaces and iconography, but for ‘Just’ I had to take a step back from my personal preference and try creating a brand identity that aligned authentically with my established values. This involved a lot of reworking of designs- I would oftentimes design a touchpoint and then work backwards; removing unnecessary decorative elements and reducing the design to its core elements. This is just like what Just’s UI came to be like- stripped down to the essentials. In the absence of colour in my brand I had to let the typeface, text, sizing, positioning and negative space be the tools in which I created a cohesive, visually pleasing brand identity with.
At times when creating designs for Just I felt anxious that my designs would look lazy if there wasn't enough on the screen- this anxiety was counterintuitive to the whole brand of Just. This project has shown me the importance of scale and position in design. Shifting my text from being centre aligned to left aligned, for example, could make all the difference. This has taught me to be mindful of every decision I make in a project- and that i should try new things and have many iterations of a design before deciding on one style. Working on Just has helped me see the value in minimalistic design in branding.
One aspect of branding I found very interesting in the process of study was colour and how it relates to a brand’s identity and values, and how colour can affect how consumers perceive the brand. Colour is a hugely important element of design. It is important to keep in mind that what colours you use, and the combinations of those colours, all can affect more than just your brand's visual identity. Colour has the power to influence emotions and to elevate branding.
Colours have associations that differ among different cultures, ages, and personal preferences. In western society, red is oftentimes associated with passion, love and danger, but in eastern society it is associated with purity, luck and festivities. This must be considered when designing a brand. For example, many traditional bank brands would use the colour blue in their logos, as blue evokes a sense of trust and stability. Because of this, the banking sector has become oversaturated with blue logos. Banks that want to stand out are aware of this and are choosing differently- like NatWest switching from their dark blue to a purple colour .
Colour being associated with emotions and psychology is very important to branding for a number of reasons. An important one is on a brands pursuit to make an emotional connection to their consumer base. If your brand has core values of happiness and positivity, you may want to use yellow- a colour that is overwhelmingly associated with these traits. The mental health charity ‘Aware’ utilises this idea, as their signature brand colour is a bright yellow. Colour choices are also one of the strongest bases of how the public may recognise a brand, as colour is one of the first things we take notice of. Take Coca Cola’s red, for example; if they were to change that colour on their packaging, the brand would instantly lose their classic look that many consumers have come to recognise in stores.
Colour psychology aside, while working with colour in branding, you have to be careful with what colour combinations you are using. In the aesthetic sense, this is because complimentary and analogous colours will look the best to the human brain, and so these should be used together. When considering colour combinations, however, it is very important that accessibility measures are taken into account. Contrast checkers should always be utilised to ensure that brand colours on websites, packaging and all other touchpoints are able to be enjoyed by everyone. Colours which are particularly saturated and could cause eyestrain should be avoided too.
In conclusion, I think that colour is a very important aspect of branding, and one that should be given a lot of consideration while working on a project. It may be easy for some to overlook colour as an element that is just chosen based on the personal preference of the designer, or just because ‘it looks good’- but through my study I have found that so much more goes into colour in branding.