Learn how to choose colors, fonts, and imagery that reflect your brand identity, personality, and message, and appeal to your target audience.

Color psychology examines how different colors, hues, and tones evoke distinct associations that can impact human behavior, mood, and decision-making. These color-based responses can vary depending on personal preferences and cultural contexts. In the marketing realm, a strategic use of color can profoundly influence how consumers perceive brands and products. As such, it is crucial for businesses to carefully select color palettes that align with their goals and target audience.

Last updated on Jul 22, 2024

How do you select brand colors, fonts, and imagery?

Choosing the right colors, fonts, and imagery for your brand is not a matter of personal preference or random selection. It is a strategic decision that reflects your brand identity, values, and personality, as well as your target audience, market, and goals. In this article, we will guide you through some key steps and principles to help you select brand colors, fonts, and imagery that align with your brand strategy and communicate your message effectively.

1 Understand your brand

Before you dive into the visual aspects of your brand, you need to have a clear understanding of your brand essence, positioning, and voice. What is your mission, vision, and value proposition? What makes you different from your competitors? How do you want to be perceived by your customers and prospects? What emotions do you want to evoke in them? These questions will help you define your brand personality and tone, which will inform your color, font, and imagery choices.

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Dr. Mohamed Tawfik, PhD(c), MPhil, MBA, CMCM

The inventor of the GIDC model | Marketing and Sales Director of Dawa Najd | Advisory Board Member of IASTEM Academy | Corporate Sustainability Top Voice
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Color psychology examines how different colors, hues, and tones evoke distinct associations that can impact human behavior, mood, and decision-making. These color-based responses can vary depending on personal preferences and cultural contexts. In the marketing realm, a strategic use of color can profoundly influence how consumers perceive brands and products. As such, it is crucial for businesses to carefully select color palettes that align with their goals and target audience.

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Brian Smith

Owner of Geek, Inc. Studios
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You need to think about the message you're trying to get across. What kinds of emotions are you trying to illicit to the viewer? Design is very deliberate and if you don't have the right kinds of design choices, you could miss the mark altogether and the whole piece will fall apart. Think about what colors convey which emotions. Legibility of the type. Who is your audience? Different demographics respond to different ideas.

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Hailey B.

I strive to make the agriculture industry something worthwhile each and every day. -University of Florida Alumni
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Our mission at Greenery Productions is to provide the top service for all your foliage and floral needs. We want to grab our clients attention that we are the best at what we do in the area.

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2 Choose your colors

Colors have a powerful impact on how people perceive and respond to your brand. They can convey different meanings, moods, and associations depending on the context, culture, and industry. To choose your brand colors, you need to consider both the psychological and practical aspects of color theory. First, research the color meanings and associations in your niche and target market, and select colors that match your brand personality and message. For example, blue can suggest trust, stability, and professionalism, while red can imply passion, urgency, and excitement. Second, create a color palette that is harmonious, consistent, and versatile. You can use online tools like Coolors or Adobe Color to generate and test different color schemes. A typical color palette consists of a primary color, a secondary color, and a few accent colors. You can also use different shades, tints, and tones of the same color to create contrast and variety.

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Andrea P.

Brand & Design for Community-First Brands | Fashion Designer | Podcaster | Creator
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Ensure that your colour palette can create accessible colour combos. Too often designers get caught up in creating a colour palette that looks great with colours beside each other. What about colours placed in text on top of each other? Use accessibility checkers to see how coloured typography would fare on coloured backgrounds. 🎨

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Hailey B.

I strive to make the agriculture industry something worthwhile each and every day. -University of Florida Alumni
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Colors are a way of standing out whether on social media or the company website to grab those readers attention. Having a color combo really makes the company branded as a whole to look uniform.

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3 Pick your fonts

Fonts are another essential element of your brand identity, as they affect the readability, clarity, and impression of your text. Fonts can also express different styles, moods, and personalities, depending on their shape, size, weight, and spacing. To pick your fonts, you need to consider both the aesthetic and functional aspects of typography. First, choose fonts that reflect your brand personality and voice, and complement your colors and imagery. For example, serif fonts can convey elegance, tradition, and authority, while sans-serif fonts can suggest modernity, simplicity, and innovation. Second, use fonts that are legible, scalable, and compatible across different devices and platforms. You can use online tools like Google Fonts or Font Squirrel to browse and test different font options. A typical font system consists of a headline font, a body font, and a few accent fonts. You can also use different weights, sizes, and styles of the same font to create hierarchy and emphasis.

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Leanne Bowers

Graphic Designer Specializing in Long-Form Document Design | Turning Data into Engaging Designs | Research Report Design | Infographic Design | Founder of 🦡 Creative Cete—a corporate focused graphic design studio
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When it comes to establishing fonts for a brand. I always try to consider where and how they will be used first. This informs where I am likely to source my fonts from. For example, if a client is a very small business and likely to use the font in print and digital I usually aim for a Google Font. If it is a larger brand with a larger budget, I would have them purchase the appropriate license for the fonts. After establishing my purchasing limitations, I narrow down the types of fonts I am looking for. Generally I have an idea if we're aiming for a fun hand writing font or a solid bold slab serif. I also try to select a font with a variety of weights for a brand's body copy font. That way it can be used in a variety of ways.

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Hailey B.

I strive to make the agriculture industry something worthwhile each and every day. -University of Florida Alumni
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How it looks to me is always key. Making sure anyone can read it. I don't like to use general or basic fonts but something unusual but great that coincides with the companies wants and needs.

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4 Select your imagery

Imagery is the visual representation of your brand story, values, and message. It includes photos, illustrations, icons, logos, and other graphic elements that you use on your website, social media, marketing materials, and products. To select your imagery, you need to consider both the emotional and practical aspects of visual communication. First, choose imagery that resonates with your target audience, supports your brand personality and voice, and enhances your text. For example, photos can show realism, authenticity, and emotion, while illustrations can show creativity, humor, and abstraction. Second, use imagery that is high-quality, consistent, and relevant. You can use online tools like Unsplash or Pixabay to find free or low-cost stock images, or hire a professional designer or photographer to create custom images. A typical imagery system consists of a logo, a favicon, and a few brand images that you use consistently across your channels.

By following these steps and principles, you can select brand colors, fonts, and imagery that work together to create a cohesive, memorable, and effective brand identity. Remember, your brand is not just a visual representation of your business, but a reflection of your purpose, values, and story.

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Hailey B.

I strive to make the agriculture industry something worthwhile each and every day. -University of Florida Alumni
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Graphics to me need to be professional and stand out. It needs to be the companies work and look very presentable. To show a customer this is real work and what we do. Create the wow factor someone wants in their space, hotel, or event.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you select brand colors, fonts, and imagery?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Understand your brand

2 Choose your colors

3 Pick your fonts

4 Select your imagery

5 Here’s what else to consider

Branding

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How do you select brand colors, fonts, and imagery?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Understand your brand

2 Choose your colors

3 Pick your fonts

4 Select your imagery

5 Here’s what else to consider

Branding

Rate this article

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