Corporate Design for Founders - The Dos and Don'ts

If you see the lettering from the Coca-Cola logo or its typical color combination, you immediately know which product is behind it. This also applies to the color of Telekom, the bald head of Meister Proper or the bitten apple of the technology giant. It is the corporate design that makes a company unmistakable and recognizable at first glance.

The corporate design includes the logo, the colors, the homepage and printed products such as business cards. Once you have decided on certain details, you should use them consistently.

Meeting the expectations of the target group

All doctors have a website with shades of blue? Then you shouldn't think it's a good idea to choose red just to be original. Colors have a psychological effect that cannot simply be reversed. Every target group has certain expectations and patterns that they trust. This starts with the navigation on the website and doesn't end with the color. Which font looks trustworthy? Which wording is appropriate? Which symbols and signs are suitable for the message?

The expectations of your own target group, which may not be looking for originality but for trust, should not be ignored under any circumstances.

You need to know exactly who your target group is, but this is one of the most important questions when setting up a business anyway. You should also consider the following: if you want to sell across Europe or even worldwide, you need to do your research particularly well. This is because colors, words and symbols sometimes have a completely different meaning in other countries. In European countries, for example, the color white stands for purity and innocence, while in many Asian countries and in Buddhism and Hinduism it stands for mourning.

Not too complicated

You can invest a lot of time in designing a logo that combines all the statements you want to make in one image. The problem is that if the logo is too complicated, it can no longer be identified on small printed matter. The logo should also be easily recognizable on a business card and on a cell phone screen.

There is nothing wrong with starting with a simple logo, perhaps with the initials of the founder or the first letter of the company. Later on, the look can easily become more complex.

Don't keep changing your look

The following applies to all decisions that you make for your own company: once you've made them, you stick with them. It's normal to start doubting some things quickly, especially if you haven't gained much experience yet. But how are you supposed to find out what works if you don't give it a serious try?

Sufficient time should be invested in thinking about how things should work. Of course, this also applies to the corporate design. Once the look has been established, you should always be careful with changes. Even large labels can damage themselves immensely by re-branding.

Working with professionals

Many founders don't have the money to outsource their corporate design tasks to professionals - or so they think. They try to draw their logo, decide on a color scheme or program their website themselves. This is usually not the best decision.

If building websites or designing logos is not one of your core competencies, then it is best to outsource these tasks. Working with professionals also ensures that you don't inadvertently infringe any rights.

Delegating tasks doesn't always have to be expensive! Other founders or freelancers who need references usually offer good quality at a fair price.

Filling the corporate design with content

Having a look is all well and good and ensures that you are remembered and recognized. But what exactly do you want people to remember? Not primarily a pretty logo, but the skills.

It is the emotions that ensure that we remain in someone's memory. Here, the focus should be on your own customers so that you can trigger positive emotions in them. You should offer the best possible service and ensure that they associate the right things with your corporate design. Ultimately, it's all about creating a coherent corporate identity. In addition to appearance, this includes above all the values that are lived within the company and communicated to the outside world.

Conclusion: It's not witchcraft, but it's time-consuming

A functioning corporate design is not rocket science, but it is also not something that can be organized on the side. It makes sense to turn to experts for these tasks and work everything out together. Your company's identity begins with the corporate look, but it is personality and values that form the corporate identity that really matters in the end.

* Louis Victor is a designer, book author and content creator on Instagram and Tiktok. He has been an expert in the field of design, including social media, for over ten years and has already helped many companies achieve success.