How to succeed in your online visual identity?

A website has become an essential tool for successful communication. It serves as a source of information about the services or products offered, and it also reflects your online image. Often, it is the first point of contact that prospects will have with your brand, so it must align with your image and the atmosphere of your company. The objectives of a website can vary: sales, service promotion, or information. However, the goal is always to inspire trust in users so that they interact with the site and engage.

Define your brand image

To succeed in your online presence, you need to start by defining your brand image, finding your tone, and determining what role you want to play.

Find the essence of your brand

Initially, you will want to generally explore the atmosphere you wish to create, meaning how you want to be perceived by visitors.

Are you more of a young, dynamic brand? Or do you position yourself as an authoritative leader?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to these questions, but the more you define this overall atmosphere, the more precisely and relevantly you can develop all concepts.

Inspirations

In parallel, you can start a reference work to more concretely define where you want to head. You should not limit yourself to websites; while they are useful for visualizing concepts, you can also draw connections from object design, art, sculpture, photography, and video.

You need to select, group, and explain all inspirations so that they are useful, avoiding simply saying “I think it’s nice.” You will find all these inspirations in a document called a mood board.

Create your graphic universe

Choose the right typography

The typography of a website is a crucial element of online brand identity. It is not just about alphanumeric characters; it is the written equivalent of the tone of voice.

You should choose typography that aligns with the messages you want to convey about your company. Typically, you will opt for multiple fonts: one will serve as the primary support for most texts. It should be easily readable and relatively simple so that the eye can decipher it effortlessly. You will pair it with one or more more expressive fonts that you will use sparingly to emphasize concepts, for instance, in titles or call-to-action buttons (CTAs).

You should also establish a size scale for fonts associated with their use, defining a size for the body text and another for titles, and consistently adhering to these to maintain uniformity, which signifies precision and rigor to the user. This also helps to establish a clear system that guides the visitor through the types of content.

Choosing colors

Another important aspect of a website’s visuals is its color palette. Careful attention must be given to color combinations. The human eye analyzes colors based on their surroundings; for example, the same gray may appear lighter if surrounded by dark colors and vice versa.

You will define what is called a color theme, typically with one dominant color, a secondary color that appears regularly to create rhythm, and an accent color that contrasts with the previous two for important elements such as CTAs.

These are general rules that may be broken if necessary; for instance, you might have more secondary colors to mark different distinct categories of equal importance, such as the different sectors of a company.

In the realm of colors, we again seek to respond primarily to a need defined earlier rather than to aesthetic taste.

The media

In a visual society, it seems essential to present images on your site. These should once again be well-chosen and must make sense within the rest of the graphic charter and the messages you want to convey. Generally, images should be of professional quality to strengthen visitors’ trust in your storytelling. They must also fit the mood, meaning the atmosphere decided upon earlier. An image with a strong artistic direction, depth of field, and visual effects will not convey the same feeling as a very corporate, polished image. The same goes for videos.

Rhythm and animations

Movement and animation have become integral to successful communication, and some agencies even specialize in motion design. It adds an additional layer of meaning that effectively defines a mindset visually.

For example, a very rhythmic appearance does not convey the same message as a slower fade-in. One presents a dynamic and responsive image, while the other conveys calmness, seriousness, and a quiet strength.

Once again, it is essential to break down the global concepts to define the animation style you seek, then adhere to it for all site elements. At Ronce Bleue, we pay particular attention to animations, whether they involve appearances, transitions, or interactions, fine-tuning each timing until we achieve our objectives.

Visual identity and user experience

Directing attention

A key point of web design and graphic design in general is to effectively lead the audience’s attention to the messages we want to convey, and in the digital realm, encourage them to interact with the site.

We will utilize the elements previously defined to support our messages and encourage visitor actions. For example, when a new section appears on the screen, we will animate this appearance to ensure the gaze is directed where we want it. We will use accent colors on buttons or form fields. We will trigger actions on scroll to maintain attention, make navigation more engaging, and encourage further exploration of the site. All these techniques help keep and direct users’ attention.

Keeping attention

The most important messages on the site must be immediately accessible; however, a website that is too repetitive, presenting only a succession of textual sections, loses user attention. We can introduce interactive sections, such as a dynamic carousel or sections that reveal themselves upon clicking, always respecting the previously defined visual identity and animations. The goal is to diversify content and keep our visitors’ senses alert.

Conclusion

Creating a website is not just about having an online presence; it represents a strategic lever for reflecting the identity and brand image of a company. Every element, from typography to colors, media, and animations, must be thoughtfully designed to provide a coherent and engaging user experience. The design and graphic choices should not only capture attention but also maintain it while guiding the user toward interaction with the site. Ultimately, a successful site is one that combines aesthetics, functionality, and relevance while enhancing visitor trust and engagement.