First Impressions Start With Design

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Judging Brands Based On Design

First impressions are visual. While scanning store aisles, you quickly form opinions on brands based on how they look. When choosing between two products with the same function and price, design becomes the deciding factor for purchase. Design is more than aesthetic; it directly shapes how people feel, trust, and engage with a brand. Elements such as logos, colors, and fonts give a brand personality before you even know what they sell. In PR, brands rely on design to break through the competition.

Visuals Communicate Emotion

The emotion of a brand or campaign is communicated through design before any information is taken in. Colors are used to portray the identity of a brand and evoke certain feelings from the consumer. A sports brand such as Nike uses high contrasting colors such as orange, red, and black to drive the thought of high intensity and action into the consumer’s mind. The colors directly align with their brand identity. It would be strange or even offputting for a meditation app to use these colors instead of soft, cool blues and greens. If visuals do not align with values, there could be confusion and a lack of trust between the audience and the brand. The same concept applies to fonts and layout. A banking app uses a tight structure with serif fonts to convey authority and reliability. Most people would not trust a bank that uses a playful hot pink script font with an unconventional layout. When picking the aesthetic elements for a client, keep in mind that design is more about direction than decoration.

Visuals Communicate Emotion

Social media is fast paced and oversaturated. A visually striking design is the first chance a brand has to make an impression on a consumer. Social media users consume thousands of pieces of media in a day. They are on the hunt for the next post that will hold their attention for more than a few seconds. If a campaign lacks engaging visuals, it is likely to be skipped before the message is ever read. This makes design a critical tool in public relations. Strong visuals cause the viewer to stop and listen to the story a brand is trying to tell. Brand identity is also reinforced.  When visuals and copy work together, campaigns feel intentional and trustworthy. However, even the best ideas will fall flat with unclear messaging and inconsistent design.