Graphic Design: Branding

In design, branding is one of the most crucial and basic foundations that drive success toward a designer's goal. To start, branding is the process of creating an identity for a 'brand', which is simply, an organization or company who may sell products or provide services. These brands also carry some sort of personality, which can be described by how their intended audiences/consumers view their brand.

A brand's identity is important, as it plays probably one of the biggest roles in a company's success. Branding comes into play when consumers look at a certain company and immediately have a first impression based on what they see in either the products or visual representatives of the service the company provides.

There are three main parts that go into a brand's entire identity: brand, identity, and logo.

A brand is the perceived emotional corporate image as a whole.

The identity includes visual aspects utilized by the overall brand.

And finally, a logo is the symbol or mark that distinguishes or identifies the business.

Using Apple as an example, their "brand" is a multinational technology company. Each brand has its own voice which determines the message the company wants to communicate to their audience. In Apple's case, it is success and sleek innovation in the advancement of technology and devices. 

Their "identity" includes the color scheme, marketing material, product and package design, apparel design, and basically any other form of visual representation of the company. For Apple, they're known for their sleek, modern, luxurious looking products, as well as the way their website, stores, and advertisements look.

Logo, is the simplest form of the brand. It is simply used to identify out of the millions of other businesses. Apple's logo is their apple symbol, a simple, grey/white/or black apple with a bite out of the side. This simple design can be recognized all over the world as the company is internationally successful.

Graphic Design: Principles of Design

Designers use elements in their designs that are used in artwork. Principles are a concept of design that helps organize or arrange certain aspects in one's work. These principles are applied to affect the content of the work, or the message being communicated.

The main principles are:

Balance - the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space

Proportion - the feeling of unity created when all parts relate well with each other

Rhythm - created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to create a feeling of organized movement

Emphasis - the part of the design that catches the viewer's attention

Unity - the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art

There are many other principles, however these are the most basic ones that are utilized in art and design.
These principles can be seen anywhere, from logos to signs. Even just looking up at the menu at McDonald's, you can observe the way these principles were used in the arrangement of the entire layout.

Graphic Design: The Meaning of Colors

We never really think about it, but everywhere we go and everywhere we look, there is a constant message being communicated by the colors we see in objects and shapes.

Though we don't give it much thought, colors affect our emotions and perceptions of places and even ideas. For example, companies use specific colors to evoke different feelings that will either persuade or inform their targeted audience.

This concept is called "color psychology".

Different colors represent varying meanings and can potentially have multiple emotions attached. In a more basic understanding, darker colors may have a slightly more "negative" feeling than lighter, brighter colors do. However, each color in a broader spectrum has its own unique "feeling" that changes a viewer's own opinion of whatever is presented in front of them.

Consider the company Apple. To the general public, they are a well trusted, reliable, powerful brand. While all of this is due to their outstanding products and services, the design of their entire company as a whole plays a big role as well.

The main colors of their brand include silver, white, and black. These simple colors stay consistent within their brand, as shown in their logos, products, website, and any other visual representation of their company.

As shown in the color chart, the color silver symbolizes glamour, high tech, and sleekness. All which describe the Apple brand very well. Their signature silver color on their Macbooks as well as their phones make consumers feel almost luxurious with Apple products. Having a Macbook laptop with their iconic logo also plays into their universal recognition as a company.

Besides Apple, all companies use color psychology in the development of their companies. Designers must consider their usage of colors, and also what each color will communicate to their audiences. Colors affect the mind much more than we think.