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When we have a business idea, one of the first steps we have to think about to create a brand board for the business. This consists of a solid set of specific colors, fonts, and a few variations on a logo that we will use throughout any business materials, the website, social media graphics, and basically anything that we release that represents the business. Without it, we may use a lot of different fonts and colors which creates inconsistency and visual confusion for the viewer. When we create a brand board, we create an identity for our business. Just as we don’t wake up a tall brunette one day and a short blonde the next, our business needs to have a cohesive appearance and feel that is recognizable as your business every time your viewer sees it.
Layout
If you want to be able to print your brand board, keep the layout size to a 8.5″ x 11″ size (standard piece of paper). I mostly work with online clients and I like to be able to have an elongated board for more space. In the free template I am providing for you, the size is 5.5″ x 12″.
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Logo
Your logo represents your business. If you’re not a graphic designer or want a little help without breaking the bank, check out Tailor Brands, Fiverr, Upwork or 99 Designs. If you can afford to hire a brand strategist to help you define your brand further, I would highly recommend this.
Color Palettes
The colors that you use should work well with your industry and the photography you will be most likely to take. For example, if you’re a nutritionist, choosing faded colors might not work well with the vibrance of fruits and vegetables. If you’re an interior decorator, hot pink likely won’t work for you unless you’re designing for small children or have a VERY niche audience that tends to that particular color. Take a look at what photos you ahve already taken. Look at what others in your industry use. Pinterest can be a fun way to get inspiration for color palettes. Adobe Color (previously Kuler) is also a great resource to see what colors go together well.
Typography
Typography is between 1 and 3 fonts that you will use throughout your materials. Generally, the Logo Font should be used sparingly so as not to weaken the strength of the logo itself. You then have a Header Font, and a Body Font. In some instances, you may add an additional font for other uses like products, special uses on the website or social media. For additional advice on font pairings, simply google it, search up the term on Pinterest, or check out Canva’s blog on brand fonts.
Submarks & Stamps
A submark is used once the main logo has already been seen, for example at the back of a flyer, or on the bottom of a webpage. It’s just a way to reinforce the brand without coming across as repetitive and pushy.
I particularly love using stamps. The cleanliness and simplicity of a stamp adds a modern feel to your imagery.
Patterns & Texture
Patterns give a little extra fullness to a brand. You tend to use patterns and textures on the background of your materials, websites, and social media graphics. You can find these on Canva, or my favorite, Creative Market. Creative Market has patterns and textures that you can use directly in the Adobe Creative Suite.
Inspiration & Photography
In the inspiration section, I generally will collect imagery from Pinterest that pertains to a clients’ needs (as I learn from the questionnaire I give them – the creative brief). I will screenshot imagery that catches my eye and then play with their sizing on the inspiration section to create an overall ‘mood’ for the business. If you have your own products and/or photography, add that in this section, along with any imagery that fits your vibe and will fuel your brand inspiration moving forward.
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Wrapping Up
When you’re learning how to create a brand board, expect the first time to require some effort, attention to detail, and sometimes, you’ll want to scrap it all and start over from the beginning – this is totally normal! Have patience with the process and if you need a break because you’re having a hard time wrapping your brain around whether it should be rose pink and lilac purple, or fuschia and violet, etc. etc, just go do something else for a little while. Sometimes the tiny details start to wear us out and drive us a little crazy. Again – totally normal!
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