CHOOSING YOUR THEME

Now, let's get started with your theme. This is where you're going to really build on to the visual components of your brand. And you're going to want to build your theme around your niche audience. Personally, this part is my favorite. It can be overwhelming making sure all of the pieces come together properly, but in the end, it can be stunning and help your business stand out. Your theme will be made up of your color pallet, logo, fonts, and designs as a whole. It's important to pick a niche prior to your theme, because you'll want the two to blend well. Here are a few theme examples below:

Now, of course, you can blend themes. You can have luxury beach, or modern luxury, etc. Don't add more than two concepts to your theme, though. Don't complicate it. Less is always more when it comes to branding in our day and age. Colors can change, logos can change, websites can change, but your niche and theme is something you want to stay dedicated to, a shift in those two will have a bigger impact than any minor changes to parts of your brand.

Don't lose focus of your target audience, and that's why it's important to be sure to sit down and really decide who it is you will work with the best. You're going to create a brand consumers can connect to, but how can they connect to something if YOU aren't connected to it? Really mull over what it is that gets you excited, what fits your personality the best, and the type of people you enjoy working with the most. Don't be drawn by pretty things into something that will leave you exhausted. Focus on who you are, what type of people you connect to the best, the things you are passionate about, and apply that to your theme.

And please, please, for the love of marketing, make sure it is consistently shown throughout ALL of your designs. Don't make your logo fit your theme and everything else look like it's from another universe. Consistency, is the key to branding success.

Just remember, when putting together your theme, express what you want people to feel when they look at your company through your branding content.

THEME DON'TS:

DON'T BE INCONSISTENT. DON'T BE OUTDATED. DON'T BE UNPROFESSIONAL.