What Are You Looking At?

Would you go to an important meeting in your work-out shorts with jacked-up bed head and road kill breath? I hope the answer is “no”, but if you would, well maybe you need a little more help than I can cover here. Keep reading anyway.

Most of us care enough to make sure we’re put together in a reasonable way when we leave the house. We invest in the appearance of our cars and homes and yards. The personal care/beauty industry rakes in billions every year to help us make a decent impression on fellow humans. We take time and spend lots of money on our visual presentations to the world around us.

Your professional organization has a visual identity, too. It deserves even more care than your personal appearance because your business provides a livlihood to you and others. It provides resources to those who need or want what you offer. No matter what your service or product actually is, you play an important role in our community and beyond. That’s why it’s so important to trust professionals to create the content that communicates for you, representing your expertise in whatever you offer.

There are many factors that go into brand development. Some are obvious but most are perceived on a subconscious level by the viewer. A carefully selected color paired with the perfect typeface will break through the first impression barrier that leads to trust (or diminishes it). Our eyes absorb details that evoke emotion without us noticing what’s happening. Details travel straight to our brains, bypassing awareness. It’s all at once subtle, authentic, universal and beautiful. It’s how we’re made.

When developing a fresh brand identity, the first things I need to know are “Who are you?” and “Who are you talking to?” It requires reflection and careful consideration from both sides. I also ask about your preferences and the things you find absolutely unappealing. (We all have them.) I call on experience gained over a lifetime of working with businesses, nonprofits, and general psychology of human behavior to start working. The process begins with trial and error but its backed by a history of knowing what might work well and what probably won’t. (Here’s a quick tip: If someone tells you they know exactly what will bring people to your door, they are not your friend. People are fickle and one campaign can explode with success one day and totally flop the next week. That’s why we say, “Let’s See What Happens!”)

I guess this is a good place to mention Artificial Intelligence. I get it, it’s just so amazing, isn’t it? There is definitely a place for AI in this world, but in case you haven’t noticed, we were born to connect with other humans. I know, I don’t always like that either! (Fellow introverts, I won’t ask you to raise your hand!) Anything creative requires a human touch. When AI is used to find early stages of cancer, that is a valid and responsible application. Visual Identity: logos, copy writing, illustrations, the use of color, tone, light and dark, those things fall into the category of Art. AI graphics can be sloppy, unoriginal and very obviously uninspired. Empty. A greater concern is that AI platforms get their content by stealing real artists’ work! It can’t “create” because that is a God-given, intuitive talent. Nothing feels real, so how do you connect with an audience? I realize I’m not likely to win this argument. My background in fine art painting (yes, by hand with real, messy paint) leads me to cringe inside because it was ingrained in us, as artists, to never dare copy another person’s work! Even painting from a photograph was a huge no, unless we had permission from the photographer. (Does anybody remember copyright law?) When it comes to any creative output, my opinion holds a fierce “no” for generating images, music or writing with AI. Nope. Fake. I’m encouraged to hear others echo this opinion. People tell me they’re tired of the AI crap they see and that viewpoint shows me they are in tune with the importance of real life connection, even if they don’t know why they hate AI content. (Thanks for letting me share that!)

Once brand elements are established using our natural, highly flawed, human souls and Authentic Inspiration, one important and useful tool we provide at Tangerine is a Brand Basics Guide. This is crucial for consistency in everything done for your organization. We’re not trying to monopolize every piece of content that comes from you. Your Brand Basics Guide is given so you can make some stuff yourself and stay “on brand”. We are all creatures of consistency so it’s important to have materials and communication elements that belong together. There should be a recognizable style that weaves through everything.

Do you have a Brand Guide? Are you guessing at your colors when you create something on your own? Stop! Believe it or not, color is one of those subconsciously perceived pieces that can make someone lose trust if it’s not consistent. A shift in shade or tone can wreck your brand’s reputation and in turn, give viewers a feeling of unease ... “Something’s not right. This is fake.” Make sure you develop a brand guide and use it.

Saving the best for last, let’s cover logos. It’s usually the first thing to think about for New Business Musts. The biggest issue I’ve come across with logos is the lack of professional assets. Someone has a logo that might look great on their website viewed on their iPhone, but they have no additional files to use for anything else. I won’t get into vector/rastor/resolution here. Just know your logo designer should be providing multiple files. It’s also important that your logo still looks great in one color. If you want to order custom pens or promotional give-aways, imprinting is usually used for those things and most of the time, only one color is available. When you choose Tangerine Creative Services to design your logo, you’ll get up to three versions of it and up to 4 files types of each version.

Download a helpful guide on our logo services that covers what to expect. Even if you don’t use us, make sure you have these file types and versions! You might want to put up a billboard one day! Your website logo won’t cut it.

TangerineCS_Logo Services26.pdf

Download PDF • 103KB

I know it can feel overwhelming to consider all these pieces for something that won’t directly generate revenue, but your branding and visual identity is not a place for short-cuts and lowest bidders. Most professionals outside of the creative fields don’t want to be bothered, they just want to get to work on the things they’ve been gifted to contribute to the world. That’s completely understandable and its why we’re here for you! We don’t take your money and disappear. When you become a client of Tangerine Creative Services, you’re kinda like family now! We’re invested in your success and we can’t wait to see the wonderful things you’ll do.