What is a graphic profile and what does it contain?
Corporate identity is a term often used in the marketing world. But what does it really mean and what is included in a company's graphic profile? We at Navigator clarify the concepts.
In order for a brand to be visually coherent, feel unified and have a clear common thread, a graphic profile is required. In simple terms, a graphic profile is a compilation of the visual expression of a company that helps everyone in the company to keep a uniform line and ensures that the company is perceived in the right way by customers and the market. There are many different ways to create a corporate identity and you decide how comprehensive it is. The graphic profile is often summarized in a graphic manual that describes all the constituent parts in a comprehensive and detailed way.
Although the structure of a graphic profile may differ, it almost always contains the following six main parts:
Logotype
A company's logo acts as the heart of the brand and the logo sets the direction for the whole graphic profile. What feelings and thoughts do you want people to associate with your company? The logo is a carrier of emotions and here a well thought-out design is important. In addition to presenting the logo, the graphic profile also includes instructions on how it should and should not be used.
Colors
The graphic profile also includes a presentation and description of the colors that belong to the brand. Most often, a brand has two to three basic colors that are used in the main communication. It is also common to have some additional complementary colors, which are used together with the basic colors to reinforce specific messages. In order to create contrasts in communication, many brands choose to have both dark and light colors in their graphic profiles.
Typeface
Fonts are also part of the graphic profile and often two different fonts are presented here; one used in headings and one used in body text. Choosing fonts can be challenging as they are abundant, but the most important thing to consider is simplicity and readability. Think about where the fonts will be used (print or digital) and try to find two fonts that work well together.
Icons and graphical elements
A graphic profile often also includes icons and graphic elements that belong to the brand. Sometimes the icon can be a stand-alone part of the logo used, for example, when space is limited. Otherwise, icons are independent graphic elements used, for example, to attract attention or simplify something complex. Common examples of graphic elements are different types of shapes and lines.
Picture style
For your company's communication to be coherent, it is important that the images also interact with the rest of the brand. A graphic profile presents information and guidelines on which images to use. Perhaps the images should have muted colors, contain a lot of people and preferably be taken outdoors? The imagery is an important tool for creating recognition and keeping the brand together.
Applications
In addition to information and guidelines on the different main elements, the Graphic Profile also contains different types of visual applications. These are concrete examples of how the graphic style is used in practice, for example in print ads, digital banners and promotional products. The visual applications give a sense of the brand as a whole and serve as inspiration when creating new, sharp material.
Long experience in graphic profiles
Developing a graphic profile that represents the visual identity of a company, a brand or a concept is a major undertaking. In order for the profile to be in line with the company's position and image, careful preparatory work is required. At Navigator, we have many years of experience in graphic profiles and are good at creating creative and clear guidelines that are easy to apply in the business. Contact us and we will help you develop your brand!
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