Data visualization is a powerful way to communicate insights, stories, and emotions with your audience. But how can you stand out from the crowd and create a data visualization brand that reflects your unique style, values, and goals? In this article, you will learn how to define, design, and develop your data visualization brand in six steps.
Before you start creating your data visualizations, you need to have a clear idea of what your brand identity is. Your brand identity is the sum of your values, personality, voice, and mission. It answers questions like: Who are you? What do you do? Why do you do it? How do you do it differently? To define your brand identity, you can use tools like the brand pyramid, the brand archetype, or the brand voice chart.
I dislike the term "brand" because this almost invariably brings to mind logos and identity marks. Preferentially, think of brand as your style. Do you go for bright colors, crisp lines, cartoony graphics, or do you prefer to go with a more minimalist style, with a corporate polish and the use of photographic imagery? Do you tell a story in pieces, leading your readers on a journey, or do you prefer bold, stark data charts to get your message across? Spend some time thinking about what differentiates you from others, and how you can then use that difference to create a personal style.
In the realm of data, a compelling visualization brand is your guiding star. Imagine data as a labyrinth - your brand, the thread guiding through. Colors are emotions' palette. Vibrant blues for trust, yellows for optimism - each narrating. Simplify, like a warrior's essentials. Clean fonts, and uncluttered visuals. Let insights breathe. Be a phoenix, not a parrot. Shape a unique voice. Add an "Opinion of the Data" - personality rooted in facts. You're the wise elder by the fire, sharing wisdom visually. Iterate like Rome's architects. Evolution is strength. A data brand isn't a logo; it's how you make data a masterpiece. Embrace your inner Spartan, craft a brand harmonizing insight and artistry.
Before we go into these five steps below: In today's branding landscape, one might wonder if the emphasis placed on brand individuality a decade ago still holds the same weight. Many brands now seem to converge towards a simplified, uniform aesthetic, with the distinctiveness once celebrated appearing to wane. When browsing the App Store, for instance, my decision to download an app is seldom influenced by its logo. It's the functionality and the quality of information visualization that matter most to me. If a tool or company delivers on that front, the specific aesthetics of the brand become secondary.
Tips for defining your brand identity: Start by brainstorming your values. What's important to you? What do you believe in? Think about your personality. Are you playful? Serious? Creative? Define your voice. How do you want to communicate with your audience? Write a mission statement. What's your purpose? What do you want to achieve? Once you have a clear understanding of your brand identity, you can start designing your data visualizations.
Once you have defined your brand identity, you need to design your brand elements. These are the visual and verbal components that represent your brand and make it recognizable. Your brand elements include your logo, color palette, typography, imagery, tone, and language. To design your brand elements, you can use tools like the brand style guide, the brand mood board, or the brand color wheel.
In my opinion, the strongest data visualization brands like the ones developed for The New York Times, The Financial Times, or The Economist focus less on cosmetic elements, and more on structural elements: - A very good title summarizing the visual's entire story - A solid subtitle describing the visual's data and its mapping to axes - Parsimonious annotations to highlight the visual's most critical elements - Credits and sources at the bottom Consistency in the production of such visuals foster the strongest brands.
When developing your color palette, remember to keep in mind data visualization best practices and considerations for those with color vision deficiencies. If you find that your brand’s primary colors don’t have high enough levels of contrast, look for complementary colors that improve your visualizations without compromising your brand’s overall theme.
Tips for designing your brand elements: Use a consistent color palette. Your color palette should be used throughout your brand, from your logo to your website to your data visualizations. Choose a clear and readable font. Your font should be easy to read and should complement your color palette. Use imagery that is relevant to your brand. Your imagery should help to tell your brand story and should resonate with your audience. Use a consistent tone and language. Your tone and language should be consistent with your brand identity.
After you have designed your brand elements, you need to develop your brand guidelines. These are the rules and standards that ensure your brand elements are used consistently and correctly across your data visualizations and other channels. Your brand guidelines include your brand story, your brand dos and don'ts, and your brand examples. To develop your brand guidelines, you can use tools like the brand manual, the brand checklist, or the brand template.
Tips for developing your brand guidelines: Start by defining your brand identity. What are your values? Your personality? Your voice? Identify your key brand elements. These might include your logo, colors, fonts, and icons. Create a style guide. This document should include your brand elements and how they should be used. Share your brand guidelines with your team. Make sure everyone knows how to use your brand elements correctly.
Now that you have your brand guidelines, you need to apply your brand to your data visualizations. This means choosing the right data, format, layout, chart type, and interactivity that match your brand identity and elements. It also means following the best practices of data visualization design principles, such as clarity, accuracy, simplicity, and elegance. To apply your brand to your data visualizations, you can use tools like the data visualization process, the data visualization framework, or the data visualization software.
If I were to design a new visualization, I would consider a simplistic design, focussing more on the content. The story telling simple dashboard is effective and adds value than colorful and information overload.
Tips for applying your brand to your data visualizations: Use your brand colors throughout your visualizations. Use your brand fonts for the titles, labels, and text. Choose a style that is consistent with your brand identity. Make sure your visualizations are easy to understand and interpret. Use interactivity to engage your audience.
Once you have applied your brand to your data visualizations, you need to test and refine your brand. This means getting feedback from your audience, clients, peers, and experts on how well your data visualizations communicate your brand message and values. It also means making adjustments and improvements based on the feedback and the results. To test and refine your brand, you can use tools like the data visualization critique, the data visualization analytics, or the data visualization iteration.
Tips for testing and refining your brand: Ask for feedback from your audience. What do they like about your data visualizations? What do they think could be improved? Use analytics to track your results. How well are your data visualizations performing? Are they getting the desired results? Iterate on your designs. Don't be afraid to make changes based on the feedback and the results.
Finally, after you have tested and refined your brand, you need to promote and grow your brand. This means sharing your data visualizations with your target audience, building relationships and trust with them, and creating value and impact for them. It also means expanding your reach, network, and influence by collaborating with other data visualization professionals, joining communities and events, and learning new skills and trends. To promote and grow your brand, you can use tools like the data visualization portfolio, the data visualization blog, or the data visualization social media.
Tips for promoting and growing your data visualization brand: Create a strong online presence. This includes having a website, social media accounts, and a portfolio of your work. Share your work with others. Submit your data visualizations to competitions, post them on social media, and write blog posts about your work. Collaborate with others. Work with other data visualization professionals to create joint projects or share ideas. Join communities and events. Attend data visualization meetups, conferences, and workshops. Learn new skills and trends. Stay up-to-date on the latest data visualization tools and techniques.