Does Your Brand Meet a 5-Point Health Audit?

Photo credit: Ebony Forsyth - Dupe.com

As a brand design consultant, Galan Graphix designers empower clients to identify opportunities to strengthen brand equity. With many years of experience, we show our clients where their branding or visual identity is losing traction. Tightening the brand experience will unlock more value and therefore help your company succeed in attracting new clients. Following are some points Galan Graphix professionals consider when assessing brand design health.

Consistent Visual Identity

Visually, it is extremely important that your brand is consistent throughout - from a social media page to your website. Individually, the logo, color palette, and typeface must remain consistent in all digital and printed media. Is the logo crisp and unobstructed, with space that lets it stand on its own? Is the approved color palette being followed exactly, or are off-brand shades creeping in? Exact HEX codes should be used across all platforms. HEX codes are a six-

digit combination of numbers and letters that represents a color in digital design. It is a best practice to maintain two to three primary fonts in all media.

3-Second Impression

Effective design is strategic and purposeful because a good design communicates through its functionality and aesthetics, servicing as a powerful tool. The Clarity & Hierarchy Rule suggests that when presented with information, a client should be able to quickly identify the main points and make decisions within three seconds. The first impression is crucial; the content and visuals must be clear and easy to navigate. For example, the “hook” tells exactly what your company does within three seconds. The Call to Action button must distinct and easy to find. Conversions to other pages usually occur when the layout is clutter-free and easy to navigate.

High Technical Performance

No matter how visually impressive or conceptually innovative a design may be, its value ultimately depends on how well it performs its intended function. Are the graphics and layouts scaled properly to enhance mobile responsiveness? Is the image resolution clear, not blurry or stretched? How fast is the loading speed? It helps to optimize or compress image files so that the loading speed is quick on laptops or mobile devices.

Updated Modern Trends

To maintain high visibility and consistent effectiveness, the brand design should maintain a fresh and modern look. When a website hasn’t been viewed for relevance and trends every few years, it can appear dated or “behind the times”. For example, in terms of style, are the stock photos or custom illustrations still aligned with current industry standards? As far as accessibility, does the contrast between text and background colors enhance the visibility of each component?

Efficiency of Assets

For all components in brand designs to work cohesively and efficiently, organization is key. It is helpful to have a selection of templates that are easy to use. Consistently using the same set of templates ensures a continuation of the branding design and assists in quickly creating social media posts or presentations. Organizing source files and high-res exports into folders saves time when searching for items needed in last-minute PR or print projects.

Galan Graphix is your go-to graphic design firm in San Antonio. Engaging with its experienced brand consultants will guarantee innovative ideas and pleasing graphics your company’s unique brand. To ensure your design brand has new life and a consistent appearance, contact Galan Graphix today! Myrna@GalanGraphix.com