What are some best practices for choosing and combining shapes and icons that reflect your brand identity?

Tu marca es más que un logotipo, es la forma visual de tu negocio. Es aquello por lo que se te reconoce en medio del ruido que hoy es internet. Tu marca es un faro y por eso necesita hablar con claridad y con coherencia. Esto vale a nivel gráfico y a nivel de mensaje. Coherencia gráfica: es el universo de tu marca, como si crearas un mundo que envuelve a quien llega allí. Coherencia de comunicación: Hablar de forma consistente de un único tema que es el que "resuelve" tu negocio. Necesitas aunar estos dos universos para tener una marca que sea contundente y de impacto, que no copie y que no se vaya por las ramas.

Choose colors that complement your shapes and icons while aligning with your brand’s personality. For instance, warm colors can evoke excitement, while cool colors tend to communicate calmness and reliability. You should also consider how your shapes and icons will be used across different mediums. They should be adaptable for everything from business cards to digital platforms, maintaining clarity and impact at any size.

When it comes to creating a brand identity that really hits the nail on the head, understanding your brand's nuts and bolts is crucial. It's like building a house, you need a strong foundation before you can add the finishing touches.

Define your What? How? Who? Why? and Where?. This will bring clarity and position your brand in front of an appropriate audience. Understanding exactly what you want to communicate to whom you direct your messaging, and in what style, will define the blueprint for your visual identity. How your brand will look and what aesthetic choices will be made, is dependent on your core values and purpose.

Here are quick tips for choosing brand shapes and icons: 1?? Consistency: Match your brand vibe (friendly = round, sharp = professional). 2?? Keep It Simple: Avoid clutter for a clean look. ? 3?? Color Match: Stick to your brand palette. ?? 4?? Symbolic: Use icons that reflect your niche or values (e.g., ?? for eco-friendly). 5?? Versatile: Ensure designs work on all platforms. ???? 6?? Balanced: Combine shapes harmoniously. ?? 7?? Unique: Opt for custom designs to stand out. ??

Shapes are like the body language of your brand. Circles are the "friendly smile," squares the "firm handshake." What you pick really sets the tone. It's like visual psychology—each shape gives off a different vibe that speaks to your brand's persona. It's another layer of the storytelling you're doing. A tech startup might wanna throw in some dynamic triangles to show they're all about breaking boundaries, whereas a law firm might stick to squares for that stable, reliable vibe.

As a starting point, it could be easy to use a playful approach that begins with the Booba and Kika concept — a visual exploration that connects geometric shapes with distinct characters. Each shape carries its own persona, from the soft, rounded curves of Booba to the sharp, angular edges of Kika. Speak the brand name aloud, and envision your customer persona: are they Booba or Kika? Explore other visual metaphors — is your brand solid or kaleidoscopic, young or mature, stable or dynamic, slow or fast, open or closed, sophisticated or unpretentious? Delve into the realm of shapes, considering the narratives they convey, the emotions they evoke, and how their characters harmonize to craft compelling visual stories in your designs.

Giving a unique personality to the brand, shapes plays an important role. They help a brand stand out from the market. Use common shapes like circle, square, or triangle and create a bold personality for the brand.

Something I find helpful is thinking about shapes like the secret language of design; they say a lot without saying anything at all. Circles are all about being friendly and inclusive, squares scream reliability, triangles shout out excitement, and curves whisper creativity. Pick shapes that vibe with your brand's personality. If your brand is all about fun and friendliness, circles and wavy lines are your best friends. More serious or professional? Squares and straight lines have got your back. It's all about choosing shapes that help tell your brand's story.

Just as there's the psychology of color, there's a psychology of shape as well. But your success in leveraging shape depends on how well you know your brand and what your aim is to achieve with it. For example, circles symbolize unity, ideal for community-focused brands. Squares suggest stability, suited for trustworthy corporations. Triangles represent dynamism, perfect for innovative companies. Shape psychology involves thoughtfully selecting and combining to craft a distinctive visual identity, enhancing brand recognition and resonance with your audience, ensuring that every shape and icon chosen communicates the right message and contributes to a cohesive brand image.

Exactly, icons are like the emojis of the brand world—they quickly convey ideas and emotions. But you've got to pick the right ones. Relevance, recognizability, and consistency are the trifecta here. Get 'em wrong, and you can confuse your audience or dilute your brand message. Get 'em right, and it's like having a shorthand language that instantly connects with your users. Style guides aren't just for text and logos; they should cover your icons too. That way, whether it's you or someone else handling the design, those icons are always on point.

Durch Kontext bekommen wir es erst hin, eine Wiedererkennbarkeit durch Konsistenz hinzubekommen. Dazu z?hlen: + Farben + Formen + Bildwelten Alles gemeinsam bildet die Basis für eine einzigartige Identit?t in einem Unternehmen.

It's important to understand standards for iconography throughout brand identity design. For example, a downward arrow over a horizontal bracket universally indicates a download button. You must study these industry standards before creating your brand iconography so the consumer can navigate applications such as your website.

Don't be afraid to break the rules, but do it with purpose. Sometimes, intentionally disrupting the visual hierarchy can create a memorable and impactful design. Just make sure it aligns with your brand's personality and doesn't confuse the viewer.

Visual hierarchy isn't just arranging stuff on a page—it's psychological. You're basically steering where people look first, second, and so on. It's like setting the tempo for a song; you decide when it's time for a chorus or a softer verse. Shapes, icons, size, and color—they're all instruments in your orchestra. You play 'em right, and your audience gets the message without even realizing they're being guided.

Product on a supermarket are often arranged with the most important or eye items at eye level. Visual hierarchy helps in communicating the brand message and ensuring the key information stand out prominently. It is not only about arranging the fonts, colors etc. in a vague manner.

Initiate with size and color contrast. Larger elements and vibrant hues naturally draw attention, forming a clear hierarchy. Diversify shapes for added interest. Unique shapes capture attention, contributing to a well-established hierarchy. Strategically position critical elements. Positioning affects prominence; e.g. central placement draws focus. Consider traditional reading patterns in your market (left to right or vice versa) for optimal prominence. Employ layers for depth. Overlapping shapes subtly convey importance, reinforcing the hierarchy. Don't forget to utilize whitespace mindfully. Adequate spacing directs attention and reduces visual clutter.

It's important to understand all the factors that contribute to visual hierarchy within a brand. Consumers will be drawn to certain elements on a page based on such factors (size, position, color, etc.). You should conduct user testing on your website to ensure that consumers are following the intended user flow that your visual hierarchy will impact.

I feel like finding a balance with simplicity and complexity is a bit like cooking; you need the right mix of ingredients. Too simple, and it might taste bland - your designs could end up feeling a bit meh. Too complex, and it's overwhelming, like too much spice. The trick is finding that sweet spot where your designs are easy to get but still have enough flair to be interesting. Think about what your design is trying to do, who it's for, and what makes it pop. A good balance makes your brand look awesome and easy to remember.

I do like the idea of balancing simplicity and complexity because it keeps us from over-designing. You want your icon system to help communicate ideas, but if you have too many they become a distraction

We had this issue of complexity at the last place I worked–we were trying to identify a list of icons we needed to produce and we realized we first had to identify the differences between an icon, an illustration and a graphic. It seemed pretty obvious before we started, but after we dug in, we realized that you have to draw lines between an icon you'll use many times and customer illustrations and graphics and sizes at which they'll be reproduced.

In balancing simplicity and complexity, consider incorporating purposeful details within all of your elements. While simplicity ensures clarity, carefully chosen intricate details can add layers of meaning and depth. Each element should serve a specific purpose, enhancing the overall narrative. This intentional integration of details contributes to an engaging design without overwhelming simplicity.

- Here's a simple yet extremely effective trick — once you are done with your design, eliminate one element. More often than not, you'd easily be able to do so. This exercise allows us to think critically about all the elements used in the design and forces us to replace multiple elements with a single more effective one. - Trends will come and go, but simplicity and effectiveness will always prevail. Therefore, never make trends the foundation of your brand identity. Instead, choose fundamental elements to represent your brand and you'll end up with a timeless design. - Always remember, trends must adapt to your brand to take it forward, not the other way round.

After color shapes are what the brain recalls most easiest. Make use of that when creating your visual brand identity. Having a rich enough toolkit of distinctive brand assets will go a long way in helping you create a memorable visual style that is remembered!