What Is Graphic Identity and What Does a Branding Professional Need to Know About It?

Discover how the personality of a brand is built

We all know that image is essential when launching and growing a company, but not everyone knows there is a methodology to find and develop our aesthetic universe.

The graphic identity is a set of parameters that define a brand's visual aspect, that is, everything that is seen. We say that a company or a project has its own graphic identity when we can quickly identify its presence and relate it to a logo, colors, and fonts.

This identity is not created by chance, by accident, or by the continuous use of signs and colors. In most cases, it doesn't even respond to personal tastes. Identity and branding experts advise companies and businesses on what aesthetics to adopt. These decisions are usually based on studies of current trends and competition analysis, among other factors.

These experts usually have the knowledge required by each step of the process. Let's see what those are.

How is a graphic identity built?

In general, brands begin to create their identity from a logo, that is, a symbol formed by images or letters with specific colors. From the logo, the chromatic circle that will identify the brand is usually defined. As a rule, no more than three colors are used. Larger companies usually define their colors through Pantone, an international color system that ensures that they'll always look right no matter where they are used or printed.

Since all brands generally need text, fonts are also usually defined to create a graphic identity. This applies to both a restaurant and a line of cosmetics. Enterprises with strong identities usually also have iconography and visual elements and even their own portfolio of images.

How is the graphic identity of a brand protected?

With a graphic identity manual. In this manual, the aesthetics must be described in great detail, and all the elements we use must be specified: from the Pantone codes to the names of the fonts. Also, that manual must have all the files, templates, and elements that allow another person to apply the aesthetics easily, without room for error.

A graphic identity manual can be summarized on a sheet or it can be as long as 300 pages, depending on the complexity of the company and the style. The important thing is that it exists, either for your small project or a large corporation. The manual also defines protocols, that is, how those resources should be used.

What is the ultimate goal of branding?

In particular, the ultimate goal of branding and the creation of a visual identity is to communicate correctly with potential customers, maintain the loyalty of those who already choose us, and transmit strength and cohesion when facing the competition. Besides, visual identity speeds up communication processes and conveys to those who are part of a team an intuitive knowledge of the visual language and, often, even the company's values.

If you want to check how branding is applied to food projects, you can sign up for the Domestika course Brand Design for the Restaurant Industry, where you'll find tools and exercises to create memorable branding that tells a story.

English version by @angeljimenez

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