The Process to Bold, Personality-Packed Visual Identities

Creating a strong, personality-packed visual identity is more than designing a logo and picking colors; it’s about building an experience that resonates deeply with the audience and makes such an impact that it carves space into people’s minds.

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By Kristy Campbell, Founder of Pink Pony Creative, international speaker and unapologetic ‘Creative Cowgirl’.

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A well-designed visual identity leaves a lasting impression and defines the brand’s personality in more ways than one. So let’s talk about it; the process of designing a memorable and cohesive visual identity that packs a punch of personality through six foundational pillars.

But before we start, let’s clarify a few essential concepts that people often confuse themselves with;

• Logo: A recognizable mark or symbol representing the brand.

• Visual Identity: The set of visual assets, like colors and typography, that help a brand stand out.

• Brand Identity: This is the complete “personality” of the brand, including its tone, messaging, logo, and visual identity.

• Brand: The overall perception of the company, including how people feel about it.

• Brand Image: The way the consumer feels about the brand.

Think of designing a brand identity as creating a person. The logo is the face, the visual identity is the person's outfit and aesthetics, the brand identity is the personality and voice, and the brand itself is how people perceive it. Successful visual identities define themselves with such impact and cohesion that they create a memorable, instantly recognizable presence – online and in-person – building trust in their targeted audience.

So, what are the characteristics of a strong visual identity? A successful visual identity should achieve the following:

1. Tells a Story: Communicates a unique story, sometimes directly, sometimes more abstractly, resonating with the target audience.

2. Consistency: Maintains a cohesive look and feel across all marketing touchpoints.

3. Recognizability: Instantly identifiable and memorable.

4. Differentiation: Stands out as unique and distinct from competitors.

5. Versatility: Functions well across different mediums and formats that the visual identity is intended to be seen on.

6. Durability: Designed to stand the test of time.

   
   
   
   

I believe a strong visual identity creates associations that go beyond direct interaction. What I mean by this is, that when directly unrelated items remind people of your brand, you know you’ve been so consistent that anything that is slightly relevant reminds the consumer of your brand. Think of consistent elements like color or motif that people can’t help but associate with your brand. To give you an example, at Pink Pony Creative our primary color, funnily enough, is a beautiful fuchsia pink. Right from day one, I've gone all-in on making this color a big part of our brand. We have pink walls, and cowboy décor, I consistently wear pink to all business events and we even have a giant life-sized plastic pink horse in the window of our office (yes… really, his name is Pedro). Over time, this dedication to consistency with the color pink, cowboy motifs and pony visuals has allowed Pink Pony Creative to become a distinctive brand. My online community frequently sends me images of cowboy accessories, pink outfits and even eye-catching pink furniture. I also receive images in my DMs of life sized plastic horses, cows and even a few giraffes as competition for Pedro!  My audience sends me these references and says “This reminds me of you - Pink Pony Creative!”.

Furthermore, to begin the process in creating a personality-packed visual identity, at Pink Pony Creative we follow six foundational pillars:

One: Understand the Project at Hand

We’ve got to start by getting to know the brand as much as we can before any of the creative work begins. Work through a strategy session with your client to explore key aspects like the brand’s story, target market, competitors, and inspirations. Understand what sets the brand apart and begin to build an understanding of the kind of personality we want it to convey.

Once you’ve established this understanding, work towards developing the creative direction. This is essentially three variations of mood boards which become the options of the ‘visual direction’ you can take the identity. This stage will shape the foundation of the entire project, which I believe is essential to get right and have the client tick of approval before moving ahead and spending wasted time on the design without the client understanding where the identity is heading.

Once you’ve received the approval on the chosen direction, it’s go time.

Two: The Creation of The Logo 

The logo is the brand’s “face”, but as a reminder it does not need to signify everything the brand does or sells, it is simply used as an identifier. There are many ways to begin the process of creating a logo but we love use word maps to brainstorm, combining relevant ideas from the brand’s story and personality and pull them together in interesting and abstract ways to create this so called ‘identifier’. It’s important to remember that a visual identities personality isn’t only portrayed through one assets – everything works together as one which is why you don’t want to over complicate things.  A strong logo should be unique yet distinctive, holding its recognition across different applications.

When creating this logo for the family-owned bed mattress brand ‘Teddy’, we wanted to convey the message of warmth, family and support through the negative space logo of a mother bear holding a baby bear.

Three: Harness the Emotional Impact of Color. Colors evoke emotions and set the brand’s tone and choosing the right palette—often a primary color, an accent color, and a neutral color—is essential. Use color theory to create combinations that feel cohesive and align with the brand’s personality:

1. Monochromatic: Variations of one hue.

2. Analogous: Colors next to each other on the color wheel.

3. Complementary: Opposite colors on the wheel, creating contrast.

4. Triadic: Three colors evenly spaced around the wheel.

When creating the visual identity for the mobile ice cream truck ‘Swaleys’, we wanted the brand to feel nostalgic and youthful. That’s why we chose a color palette reminiscent of a vintage ice cream dining

Four: Typography That Tells Its Own Story. Typography should reflect the brand’s personality and be readable. Choosing typefaces for headings, subheadings, and body text involves balancing hierarchy and harmony. Sometimes, we’ll even throw in a display type option which can be used to for a more personable touch and call outs. For instance, using a serif for headings and a sans-serif for body text creates contrast and clarity. Typography influences your brand perception – don’t just settle on using the over-used font Montserrat as the body copy, do you research and find unique solutions for each brand.

1. Serif: Can feel classic and sophisticated.

2. Sans Serif: Can convey modernity and trustworthiness.

3. Script: Adds a delicate, feminine touch.

4. Marker or Black Letter: Creates an edgy, historical feel.

   
   
   
   

Adobe Illustrator’s Retype feature can be immensely helpful to find typeface matches, making it easier to experiment and find the right typography for the brand.

When creating the visual identity for the specialty drink store Candy Cloud, we aimed to establish a modern and innovative aesthetic through the striking sans-serif heading type, with a subtle touch of femininity introduced by the italicized serif display type.

Five: Strengthen the brand through supporting assets. Depending on the aesthetic you are aiming for when it comes to the visual identity, can depend on the type of supporting asset you follow through with. These could include illustrative patterns, textures, individual ‘scene’ illustrations, geometric patterns or shapes and more. The assets should act as a supporting material to add an ‘on-brand’ effect to marketing collateral. Within Pink Pony, we often use Illustrations as a supporting asset – especially as a lot of our clients are after a more quirky and playful aesthetic. They can add depth and personality, allowing a brand to be more expressive and recognizable. Custom illustrations convey the brand’s essence and build a unique tone. They are a versatile asset that can be used across social media, websites, merchandise, and more, making the brand feel dynamic and cohesive.

When creating the visual identity for ‘DoPaw’, we wanted the brand to convey a personality of femininity, playfulness, and fun. To achieve this, we created hand-drawn, dog-inspired illustrations, which became a consistent brand asset across all touchpoints.

When creating the packaging for Retro Sours by Iconic Candy, our goal was to revive a childhood classic. We aimed to bring the flavors to life through rough, raw, and vintage-style illustrations of the fruits, which became a consistent asset throughout the brand. (Iconic Candy, LLC is not associated with the manufacturer of the original product or with Altoids or the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.)

Six: Creating the Full, Cohesive Aesthetic. A successful visual identity feels cohesive across all elements and in order to achieve this cohesion, a comprehensive brand guideline is essential. This document explains how to use the logo, color palette, typography, and supporting graphics, ensuring the brand is rolled out effectively by anyone who works with it. For example, think beyond simply naming and showcasing the color palette specs. Showcase the hierarchy and usage of colors – be specific and showcase which colours work with which and which don’t. The more detailed the brand guideline is, the more likely the application will be consistent across all touch-points.

Creating a bold, personality-packed visual identity isn’t just about sticking to design rules; it’s about pushing boundaries. Sometimes, taking the brand beyond traditional touchpoints can reinforce its personality. For instance, physical elements like brand mascots or experiential design, such as a unique storefront or office decor, can make the brand unforgettable. This extension of the visual identity into physical spaces, products and materials not only enhances recognition but also creates memorable interactions with the brand.

So in summary, to design a bold, personality-packed visual identity, follow these six pillars:

1. Start with a deep understanding of the project and develop a clear strategy.

2. Craft a meaningful, memorable logo.

3. Use color to evoke emotional connections.

4. Choose typography that tells the brand’s story and prioritizes personality.

5. Strengthen the brand with unique supporting assets.

6. Ensure cohesion through in-depth, comprehensive brand guidelines

   
   

By adhering to these principles, your brand will not only stand out but also create lasting, meaningful connections with its audience. But remember, a strong brand identity goes beyond visual appeal—it’s about creating an experience that speaks to people on an emotional level, ensuring the brand remains memorable, recognizable, and true to its core values.

The Pink Pony Creative team, led by Kristy Campbell.