Branding and website design for creatives
Let’s run through those fundamentals of branding and website design for creatives using Squarespace.
7 Branding and website design elements for creatives
Brand name
Choose a great brand name which will distinguish you from the others in your industry! This could be your own name and especially if your name is quite distinctive. Although having a brand name different to your own will make your life a lot easier if you ever wanted to, say, sell your business (and you won’t want your name associated with it anymore).
In addition to this, it will also mean that you really get to separate your brand personality from your own, and to make sure you’re keeping that work life balance.
Your company name is one that will reflect what you want to be known for, and what you stand for as a business. So have a think about whether it sets the right voice or tone.
For example, think about the names ‘Apple’ or ‘Tesla’, and where they originate from and what they possibly mean for the businesses. There are many theories as to why Steve Jobs chose the name ‘Apple’, but one of which being, because apples are often a symbol of knowledge (biblical reference) which reflects the innovative personality of the brand. This name showcases a lot of what the company aspires to and wants to achieve.
Now have a look at where you get started with some potential brand names.
Even though you want a brand name which reflects your company aspirations really well, you also want to think about domain names and whether your desired one is available. But, by no means make this the main deciding factor!
Brand logo
A logo helps your brand’s recognition and becomes a part of your brand’s visual identity. Although it isn’t everything and note that we’ve said it’s only a ‘part’ of the visuals.
A logo, once again, should convey one or couple of the following:
What your business does
Include your name
Your brand personality
You want to ensure a minimal and clean enough design for effectiveness. So it isn’t as if you have to have a logo which crams in as much as possible!
Colour palette
A colour palette can be generated using a number of different methods. You can use a curation of stock photos (Unsplash is a great resource for this, and the stock photos are free to use!), you can create a board for inspiration on Pinterest or, get inspiration from places like Creative Market or Etsy. You may have other resources in mind so feel free to use these.
Note: photos/pins in Pinterest are copyright protected and not able to be used on your website or in your brand design!
However, if you have been fortunate enough to have had a photo shoot done for your brand, then you most definitely want to use these in the creation of your brand & website colour palette. When it comes to planning your photo shoot, you want to plan simple details like your outfit, the background/scenery and any props used, to be a complete reflection of the personality you want to convey.
If you’re a photographer, then again, you should use your photography as the basis of a colour palette creation, because this will be very important in the design of your website.
Your colour palette is one of the most important aspects of your visual identity. And will convey your brand personality.
For more help on generating a colour palette, watch our free training available for you now!
Brand fonts
The font or font combination you decide on, is also an important factor for your brand & website design. It forms your brand personality, and sets the scene for your brand’s tone of voice across your website.
Typography can make as well as break a website design, and so the simplicity or minimal concept is good to be used here too, to make sure you don’t go overboard with the number of fonts used.
The 5 types of fonts are:
Serif fonts
Slab serif fonts
Sans serif fonts
Script fonts
Handwritten fonts
Each of these different types have very different visuals and need to suit the characteristics of your brand.
A brand in the beauty industry is very different to a photography brand and so you want to look at the typography used by other brands as examples, and within your general niche.
Doing some research and looking at competitors' websites beforehand will definitely help you.
In general, 2-3 font combinations are a good rule of thumb.
Unique niche
How do you stand out from the crowd? More specifically, what is that unique value proposition you’re giving to your clients and customers?
You could be providing the same services as your competitors, but you do something that is quite different from the rest. And one of the best ways to think about this, is to know that you are different from the rest and so naturally, your approach will be unique. Or, it could be that your method of delivery is different.
This will be up to you to figure out, and it really is worth investing some time into this because it will set you apart and will attract your dream customers!
Your tagline
This is sometimes called the ‘headline’ on your website. It’s the first bit of copy across the top of your homepage, and it should quickly but beautifully tell your visitor the following information:
Who you are
What you do
Who you serve
Location(s) you serve (if this is applicable)
What makes you unique
At quite an early stage, you want to convey your uniqueness. Because you want to capture the attention of your ideal customer, enough for them to take the next action in your desired user journey.
You may be thinking that a portfolio (for photographers) website doesn’t need a tagline or no copy, however, this is a proven strategy. A tagline doesn’t have to be many paragraphs in length, it can be as minimal and effective as possible. And is an important one in setting you apart from others in your field.
Brand message
This is a combination of many things across your brand and your website. It is all of your brand assets, tone of voice, design and copy together which make up your brand message.
Your brand message also successfully portrays your unique value proposition, and what you want to achieve for your customers and company.
Your chosen words and phrases should be in line with your brand message. For example, if you’re dedicated to a positive impact on the planet, you may want to use words & phrases such as (these are purely examples!):
Positive impact / positive change
Natural
Organic
Sustainable
Balance
Your brand message isn’t just limited to your website. It will be conveyed across your various branded elements. Such as company cards, packaging, merchandise etc.
It’s about consistency.