Branding
Visual identity
A visual identity is the set of visual elements a brand communicates with: logo, colours, typography, image treatment and graphic principles. It is more than a logo; it is the rule for how everything looks together.
What it means in practice
The minimum that genuinely gets a company started: the logo in every version it needs, defined colours with exact codes, two licensed typefaces and rules for photography. Without that every new supplier designs to their own taste and the brand fragments into ten different styles.
Where companies usually overshoot: paying for a sprawling system covering dozens of applications, three of which get used. Better to start with what you actually need this year and extend the system when the need appears.