Branding is a crucial element of any business. A brand encapsulates the company’s essence and helps consumers recognise that business very quickly, which is why it’s so important to get the branding right.
On average, it takes about 0.05 seconds for someone to form an opinion about your business based on your website, which is why we’ve highlighted some key trends you can expect in branding over the next year.
Table of Contents
What is branding?
First, what is branding? Branding captures what people see when they first come across your business. Without it, every business would look the same, so companies use its brand to separate themselves from other businesses and make their products/services more appealing to their target audience.
There are lots of things that go into branding, such as:
- Name of the business
- Logo
- Branding on any graphics
- Designs
- Colour palettes
- And more.
With 86% of people saying authenticity is a key factor when deciding which brands they like and support, making sure your brand appeals to your audience is important.
Branding trends in 2021
Branding is never stationary, and therefore your brand must keep up with the times too. To help you, we’ve collated some of the most popular trends in 2021 below.
Simplicity and Minimalism
Brands are going simple but effective.
Many businesses, including the big ones, are going for a simple but effective approach to their brand. Removing extra details from their graphics (especially their logo), it makes their brand much easier to recognise.
Outside of graphics, many companies are focusing on short and sweet slogans too. A great example of this is Nike, who are well known for their simple logo and simple slogan. Anywhere worldwide will recognise the famous ‘Just Do It’ slogan or their ‘tick’ logo, making their brand simple and incredibly effective.
How to Implement
Look at your branding and see if there are ways you could simplify what you currently have. Could you remove some of the finer details whilst keeping to your main theme? For example, could you remove some elements from your graphics but keep the same style?
Fonts
Simple fonts are making an impact.
As part of a minimalist branding style, many companies are using simple fonts. Sans-serif based fonts lack the styling that fonts used to use, such as a flick at the end of an F, or the curves at the end of a C.
This type of font is becoming popular with businesses because it links to the simple and refined branding in their logos, graphics, and more.
How to Implement
Update the fonts used on your website, documentation, and other places with written content. It’s important to use a consistent set of fonts for your brand. The fonts you choose form part of your branding, and using different fonts for different elements of your brand can adversely affect your audience.
Animated Logos
Animated logos are catching the eye of the consumer.
Almost every company has a logo, but how do you make yours stand out? Videos are proven to catch consumers attention and have had lots of success in the past, which is why animated logos are becoming popular.
Many companies are using this to draw attention to their logo. Although the logo isn’t changing, it’s catching their audience’s eye all over again and making their logo more memorable.
Here are some great examples of animated logos.
How to Implement
There are many tools out there, such as Adobe Spark, or there are companies that offer a service to animate your logo for you. From marketplaces, such as Fiverr or Upwork, to direct companies, there are lots of businesses and professionals who can help. Searching for something like ‘Video Animation Company’ will help you find some examples of businesses that will be able to animate your logo.
Colour Palettes
Many companies are opting for muted colour tones after 2020.
Businesses use certain colours to make themselves distinctive in the eye of their audience. Apple is renowned for its use of the colour white, whilst Cadbury is well-known for its use of the colour purple.
In 2021, many companies are opting for a more subtle approach by using muted colour tones. According to Just Creative, this is attributed to instilling a natural and safe feeling, something many of us are looking for after the turbulence of 2020. As a result, this can make a company more appealing to a consumer.
How to Implement
Look at your colour palette and see if it instils a natural and safe feeling. If not, perhaps consider a different shade of colours used. A great resource for creating a colour palette is Coolors.
Dark Mode Compatibility
Dark mode is growing in popularity.
Many love the contrast of dark mode compared to the typical light mode that we all know; however, many companies didn’t consider dark mode when their branding was created. As dark mode is a relatively new concept, this is a common dilemma for many businesses. As a result, some companies have branding that looks odd when viewed on a device with dark mode.
Companies are adapting their branding so it works with both light mode and dark mode, allowing consumers to engage with their branding no matter their preference.
How to Implement
Make sure your branding works with both light mode and dark mode. If not, consider different colours/styling that works with both.
Increased Interactivity
Interactive websites are becoming favourable amongst many.
Websites used to be full of text that you could scroll through, but as technology has progressed, many businesses have opted to use animations and images on their website. This is utilised in several different ways, including:
- Limiting how much is shown on screen at one time
- Making a specific piece of content stand out
- Guiding visitors through a journey on your website.
By using animations, it makes a website more engaging and easier to follow. If the content only loads as you scroll to it, it also makes the website seem less busy and therefore keeps your audience focused on what’s displayed to them .
How to Implement
Add animations to your website for your content to grab the attention of your audience. At Weave Studios, we can help you with creating an attention-grabbing website. Take a look at our Website Packages for more information about how we can help!
Geometric Shapes
Geometric shapes are taking the world by storm.
Many companies are using geometric shapes in their branding. Geometric shapes are attributed to being futuristic and modern, something which many businesses, especially technology-based and forward-thinking companies, are aiming to achieve.
Geometric shapes are also very aesthetically pleasing, making them satisfying for consumers to look at. Because of this, your audience may find themselves spending more time looking at your branding because of the aesthetics.
How to Implement
Look for ways to include geometric shapes in your branding, such as any graphics produced.
Asymmetry
Breaking the norm is grabbing attention.
Over the years, we’ve become accustomed to symmetrical design. However, many companies are opting out of this with their branding to catch the eye of their consumers. Compared to symmetrical logos, asymmetrical logos tend to be perceived as more exciting, making them a popular choice for businesses looking to grab the attention of their audience.
How to Implement
Look at ways your business can include asymmetry in your branding. A great example is your hero banner. When accessing a website, a hero banner is a big image on the homepage that often has text in front of it. Head to our Homepage to see an example of a hero banner. This is a great place to include some asymmetry on your website.
How Weave Studios can help with your branding
With years of experience in creating stand-out brands for our clients, we’re a great team to help you create a brand that’s worth noticing. We take the time to understand your audience, your market, and how your brand should look to make the most beneficial impact on your audience.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you with your branding, head to our Branding Services or contact our team today.