Design system: How to create a cohesive visual identity
Is this the same business I looked at last time? But this looks completely different from the banner ad I clicked on? In this article, we'll look at what a design system is and how it can help you achieve a cohesive visual identity for your business.
What is a design system?
A design system is a collection of standardized design elements that are used in all communication throughout the business. This can include everything from colors and typography, to images, icons and illustrations. It provides guidelines, principles and resources to ensure that the design is consistent and user-friendly.
The system or template should act as a visual guide to help you build communication that works across different platforms and devices. Be it websites, annual reports or advertising.
Why do you need a design system?
A design manual gives you a simple and effective way to maintain a consistent visual identity for your business. When you have a design system in place, you can be sure that everything you create is in line with the brand you're trying to build.
The creative process itself with different external partners also gets more direction. You know how things should look, and it becomes easier to say yes and no to different visual expressions. You avoid unnecessary discussions.
Having a common understanding of how things should look is especially important for large organizations where there are many communication initiatives, and potentially many who want to "put their own spin" on things. With a well-communicated design system, you have a tool that helps the entire organization maintain its brand identity.
How to create a design system
There's a lot of work that needs to be done before you embark on a design system. You need to have an understanding of your target audience and a plan for how to stand out from the competition. There are good processes for this, so don't skip those phases.
To create the design system itself, you need to identify all the elements you need. Colors, typography, images, icons, illustrations and maybe even sound? Once you've identified all the elements, you need to standardize them and organize them in a logical way that's easy for everyone to use. Everyone working on design for your business needs to be able to use the design manual effectively.
Colors
Colors are an important part of any design system. Color = emotion and a lot of brand identity is tied to the use of color. If a soda can is red, you don't need to read it to know what soda it is.
Now, not many brands manage to be as recognizable as Coca Cola, but the trust you create through consistent use of color is important for all brands.
Choosing colors is a challenging task, as different colors have different associations and can affect how your target audience perceives your brand. Some factors to consider when choosing colors for your design system include:
brand personality
The target group's personality
the industry you operate in
cultural meanings and associations
It is also important to consider how the colors are used. 8% of Norwegian men are color blind, so it's not a good idea to use red/green as an indication of choice.
Typography
It's important to choose a typography that is easy to read and works well with other design elements in the system. But fonts also help shape the brand. A font without serifs, those little "feet" on the letters, often gives a modern and clean feel, which can work well for brands that want to appear innovative, while for brands that are more traditional and want to convey trust, serifs might be a better choice.
Don't forget to think about where customers and users will encounter your fonts: Sans serif fonts can be easier to read on smaller screen sizes, such as on mobile phones and tablets, while serif typography can be easier to read on larger screen sizes and printed materials, because serifs help guide the eyes from letter to letter and from line to line.
Images, icons and illustrations
Images and illustrations can be a great way to communicate ideas and concepts in a visual way. But remember that a picture is worth a thousand words, so make sure you use the right words and don't use 1,000 words where one would have sufficed. For example, images in menus can be very distracting. Unless you're in a slightly bad restaurant in the south. Icons work better.
When choosing icons and illustrations for your design system, consider both style and functionality. The style should be consistent with the rest of the design elements in your system, and easy for users to recognize and understand. The graphic elements should enhance the user experience and clarify the information presented.
Make sure to document and anchor how the icons and illustrations will be used in the design system, such as size, colors and contextual uses, so that everyone in your team can use them in a consistent way.
Read more about 5 focus areas for successful branding.
Ask us about design systems
If you need help getting your brand down on paper and into a framework you can use in practice, we are more than willing to help, as long as you are also willing to take the task seriously and give your customers and organization something they can be proud of.
The design strategy gives us a perfect foundation for design development. We help you create a visual identity with a graphic toolbox.
Send us an email at hello@mission.no or call us on 24 10 35 00
