THE BALANCE OF AESTHETICS AND BRANDING IN GRAPHIC DESIGN

BY Benjamin

May 24, 2021

People do judge books by their cover. If they didn’t, there wouldn’t be teams of book cover designers to make it look interesting. This timeless idiom is something that definitely applies in the world of business—a world that is increasingly reliant on visual branding. People don’t want to invest in unpleasant-looking books. This is where aesthetics come in.

Aesthetics is a term loosely used to describe the way something looks. Whether something looks good or bad is subjective to a certain extent, though branding has some objective criteria. Every brand must build an aesthetic that appeals to its audience while still staying true to its identity. Here is why every business needs a good brand aesthetic in its graphic design. 

First Impressions Matter

How the mind of a customer works is more outside-in than the other way around. Their first impression is what matters and may determine their level of interest moving forward. When you don’t catch their attention immediately, your graphic design might not have an aesthetic interesting enough.

Good Aesthetics Means Quality

People like to make informed decisions before purchasing any product or trying out any service. One factor that they often judge to determine whether or not it’s worth it is through visual judgment. If something looks poorly done and executed, they may assume the worst. Bad design aesthetics is usually associated with scams or cheap businesses that don’t guarantee quality.

People often Pay for the Packaging

From a surface-level standpoint, it is true that people are often drawn to and are willing to try things with attractive packaging. But when you dive deeper, it’s not just about how things look but rather how things are presented. Graphic design is the main element, but brand aesthetics also look at the packaging, content creation, and brand identity.

HOW TO FIND A GOOD BRAND AESTHETIC

Know Your Market

Select an aesthetic that is both appealing to the market you’re targeting and appropriate for the industry you’re in. 

For example, most millennial brands in health and beauty tend to use soft colours with minimalist designs to complement a youthful spirit. In contrast, banks that appeal to working adults across all generations go for more clean and formal aesthetics to establish a trustworthy reputation.

It helps to look at the competition for inspiration without copying them completely. Your brand aesthetic has to appeal to your message, not theirs.

Invest in a Good Graphic Design Service

Good brand aesthetics can skyrocket your business to greater heights if you decide to invest in it. DIY templates and designs will save you money, but not time and energy. Plus, if you aren’t familiar with visual branding and aren’t necessarily the artsy type, your designs won’t win customers over. Having a good design team with experience is a worthwhile investment.

Conclusion

Getting a good aesthetic for your brand requires a balance of creativity and branding. Everyone cares about how you choose to present your business, so it truly helps if you give attention to it. Putting more effort into your branding only makes you more authentic in the eyes of your audience.

Start building your brand’s aesthetic with good graphic design. Invest in affordable graphic design services without paying agency prices. 55 Knots is an unlimited graphic design subscription service with monthly packages at an affordable rate. Every package guarantees unlimited design, art direction, account management, and more. Subscribe to us today!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Captain of ships and commander to a crew of designers. Benjamin Williams is a creative director with over 20 years of experience working with the world’s largest brands.