Understanding Human Psychology: The Power of Imagery in Brand Building
Our eyes do more than just see.
The colours, shapes, and movements they absorb are converted into electrical impulses that shoot through our neural networks.
These electrical impulses manifest themselves in thoughts, memories, emotions, and – most importantly – decisions.
This inclination to act on visual cues is something that is evolutionarily hardwired.
Our ancestors had split seconds to decide between confrontation or retreat based on visual cues.?
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↓? fast-forward 100,000 years
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Now, within the blink of an eye, modern consumers decide whether to engage with a digital product or to scroll past it.
In fact, a recent study by?FastSpring?revealed that a website’s visual appeal – on average – is assessed within 50 milliseconds!
The underlying principle remains:
Visuals prompt immediate responses.
With this in mind, this newsletter will aim to show businesses just how integral visuals are to marketing success.
I will do so by looking at two different components…
1. Imagery & Photography
When businesses think of imagery, it's usually just through a lens of aesthetics – a picture to fill a gap, a colour to brighten a page.
Many CEOs think of high-quality imagery as a “nice-to-have”, not something integral to brand building and success.
In reality, images convey messages that could take paragraphs of text to articulate, making them essential to communicating brand values.
So, here are the questions you need to ask yourself…
? What does your audience care about?
? How does this relate to your brand?
? How do you capture this through imagery?
Look at imagery as a way to align your brand values with the values or aspirations of your target audience…
Dove Example
One real-life example that perfectly illustrates this is the "Dove Real Beauty" campaign.?
Launched in 2004, the campaign aimed to challenge traditional beauty standards and promote a more inclusive, diverse definition of beauty.
Dove featured women of various body shapes, sizes, and ethnicities in their advertisements, contrasting with the typical portrayal of flawless and airbrushed models.?
The imagery was carefully chosen to celebrate the natural beauty of women and encourage self-acceptance.
As well as sparking widespread conversation about beauty standards, the results of the campaign were remarkable:
Revenue increased from $2.5 billion to $4 billion within a decade of launching.
Dove successfully connected with its target audience on a personal level, addressing their desires for authenticity and representation.
Importantly, this was communicated through imagery that resonated with many people who had felt excluded or unrepresented in mainstream beauty advertisements.
Yes, this is a macro example.
Not all your decisions around imagery will contribute to a $1.5 billion increase in 10 years.
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What this does reinforce, however, is that the images you use to portray your brand have a very real and tangible impact on the way it’s perceived by your audience.
In turn, they have a very real and tangible impact on your audience’s decision to buy into your business.
2. UI Elements
You know that feeling when you go on a website and you immediately trust its credibility, intuitively know where everything is, and feel compelled to engage more?
That doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s the result of careful design.
Every visual aspect on a website signals something to the user, even if it’s subliminal.
Understanding how users interpret these signs is what will allow you to design a website built for conversions and engagement.
In particular, Gestalt theory is something that I always come back to when talking about UI design.
Gestalt Theory & Websites
Originating from early 20th-century psychology, Gestalt theory proposes that the mind perceives the world in patterns or whole forms rather than as a sum of individual parts.
That’s why when users visit a website, they don't see buttons, banners, or text in isolation.
Rather, they see an interconnected environment where every element plays a role in crafting the overall look and feel of the site.?
They experience the "whole" interface.
Consider the user journey from landing on the homepage to making a purchase.?
Each UI element – from navigation menus to product images to the checkout button – might be well-designed individually.?
However, it's their combined flow and interaction that determines whether the user feels guided, remains engaged, and ultimately converts.
[A study by Forrester found that better UI design, on average, leads to a 200% increase in conversion rates!]
Applying key Gestalt principles, here are three simple ways in which people subliminally process website interfaces…
Similarity: Similar items are perceived as a group or related.?
? e.g. Using consistent colours or shapes for CTA buttons indicates that they perform similar or related actions. This establishes a visual hierarchy and guides users to identify related functions.
Proximity: Elements that are close to each other are perceived as related.
? e.g. Form labels placed close to their respective input fields ensure that users understand their relationship, making it easier for users to process information and navigate interfaces.
Continuity: The human eye will follow paths, lines, or curves, and perceive them as a continuous form.
? e.g. Consider a multi-step checkout process on a website. Each stage is visually connected with subtle animations, numbered stages, or progress bars. As users move from one step to the next, the visual cues ensure a feeling of moving forwards on a continuous journey.
Key Takeaway
Every visual decision we make resonates with our audience.
Whether it's lifestyle photography that evokes emotion or UI elements that guide user interaction, visuals serve as the silent ambassadors of a brand's ethos.
It's not the loudest shout that gets heard, but the clearest message that resonates.
Your visuals are that message.
Craft them wisely, and they will echo long after the user has left the page.
Has anything piqued your interest in this newsletter??Comment?– don’t be shy!?
Alternatively, if you’d rather discuss anything 1v1,?reach out to me directly on LinkedIn?or book a?30-minute consultation!
Photographer based in London 2025 Prix Pictet Nomination Represented by Academy Films
1 年You are so right. All successful photographs and designs will incorporate aspects of what you are talking about. It’s not enough to have an image as an illustration or example of your services, the imagery needs to work on a psychological level too. If not you are missing the opportunity to communicate your message and values effectively. I guarantee that if you look at a critically acclaimed photograph, painting or design and analyse it you will find use of the techniques you have mentioned in your newsletter.
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1 年Insightful read as always Kieran Cassidy The power of visuals cannot be understated - simple, clean, straightforward and in some instance thought provoking visuals are required for a seamless UX and brand growth.
Amazing newsletter as always,?Kieran! It's the brands that master the art of visual storytelling that leave the biggest imprint in human minds ?? → ??