Patterns and textures add depth to a brand and can help emphasize specific elements or feelings. They’re useful for shaping a brand identity.
At Hey Now! Media, we typically never start with a texture when creating a brand. Instead, textures often come into play in the midst of the identity creation process. Here are three times and three different reasons we created a brand pattern for our clients.
1. The client wants a specific illustration.
Our client, B.I. Foods, came to us wanting some illustrations. We went ahead and created illustrations after we got buy-in on the initial logo, monogram, and messaging. Once the illustrations were created, they got handed off to one of our designers, who took things an extra step.
Instead of just incorporating them as a signature piece, she turned them into a texture to enhance the whole brand. She used it on a kraft paper background to reinforce the authenticity aspect of the brand and give it the family, warm vibe the client was looking to reflect.
2. The pattern enhances the brand concept.
The WyattWorks Plumbing brand initially did not have a texture. The concept of the brand was “Local Plumbers who get the job done.” We wanted to showcase WyattWorks as professional with a well-designed identity and materials. We went back and forth with the client and were getting really close to bringing the look and feel to life properly.
We introduced a texture near the end of the process when we began working on the truck wrap. Once we got into the details of the truck wrap, the client identified a problem we had not considered. The truck gets dirty a lot and still needs to look good all day traveling from house to house without prominently showing the dirt.
The texture was a great solution to mask the dirt and it proved to really elevate the brand. We actually went back and applied it to other elements that were already created.
Ultimately, adding the texture helped to reinforce that they are very polished but still have a local vibe and values. It brings in warmth, saturates the colors a bit, and gave a gritty vibe to something that was a bit over-polished without it.
3. The pattern adds creativity to an already-established brand.
The College Fund raises money for The College of Arts and Science at Case Western Reserve University. When creating this brand identity, we had to keep its connection to the pre-established Case Western brand and keep everything consistent.
We introduced a texture to help achieve the goals we set out for the brand when we were limited by the school’s overarching branding, which must appeal to several target audiences.
Introducing… the block texture!
The blocks were primarily used as a footer in marketing pieces and stationary to enhance the brand and bring in a sense of youthfulness and fun. The blocks represent growth and each block symbolizes climbing the ladder to success.
The identity was clearly developed as an extension of the traditional look and feel of the Case Western Reserve University brand, but we used color and texture to create a fun and modern twist to help differentiate the College Fund and create new energy around it.
Remember, every element of your brand identity should add something strategic. Something looking “cool” isn’t a good enough reason to add it to your brand unless it’s for art’s sake!
You want every element that dilutes the hierarchy to have a clear and concise purpose that drives home a specific brand goal. If it doesn’t, scrap it! Less is always more when it comes to brand identity.
Learn more about your brand and how to enhance it to become a marketing rock star! Click below to download the latest free offer from Hey Now! Media.
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