Like some of the finer things in life (wine, cheese, designer items), your brand has the opportunity to age timelessly. A timeless brand will help you become a well-known expert in your industry and save you money in the long run. Who doesn’t want that?! Building a brand that withstands the test of time isn’t always easy, there’s some work you have to put into a long-lasting brand. Thankfully though, you don’t have to do it alone. There are six different design tips we have in our toolbox to make timeless design possible for everyone, even if you’re not a professional brand and web designer. 

Avoid trends that don’t align with your brand strategy 

Trends aren’t always a bad thing! But we want to be careful not to go overboard and base our brand identities only on what’s popular right now. Timeless branding takes into consideration what has worked in the past, what is working now, and what’s likely to continue appealing to your ideal audience in the future. Design trends come and go, but when you take into consideration your brand strategy, there may be some elements you can include that are popular right now and will continue to attract the right people. Some trends you may want to consider using or avoiding are…

• Arches – whimsical, feminine brands are using lots of soft arch shapes in their main logo and submarks. This can be great when you’re looking to portray inclusion, vision, or connection. Not only are brands using arches in their design elements, but you can also try curving your text for a more playful and interactive look! 
• Heavy font contrasts – recently we’ve seen lots of unique font pairings. This could be anything from one letter in a different font, a sentence written in two different fonts, or using your font choice to convey a second message. If you’re looking to make a bold statement while still keeping things simple, then thinking outside of the box when it comes to typography may be the way to go! 
• Neons and candy colors – black and white has always been a safe, luxurious choice, but recently even high-end brands have been leaning into a more colorful online presence by using neons and bold, candy colors. This also helps attract a younger demographic, so it may be a good choice for you if Gen Z is in your target audience. 

Download our Brand Strategy Workbook

Building a brand strategy is not only extremely important but it’s also a lot of work, especially by yourself! To make this task more enjoyable (and successful) for you, we have created an in-depth and interactive brand strategy workbook that you can download right now!

 

Think about the big picture 

It can be easy to get caught up thinking about what’s in front of us right now, what problems we’re currently facing, and how we can get closer to reaching our goals. But when you take a step back, you can focus on your long-term goals and the big vision you have for your business. By remembering the big picture, you can start taking steps today to build a brand that gets you closer to that reality with less stress and rebranding along the way. 

Don’t focus too much on personal preferences

Remember that your brand identity is there to help increase brand recognition amongst your audience, it’s not just for you! This means that your design decisions should be made based on what your potential customer is going to resonate with and not just the colors, images, and fonts you like. There’s a fine line between balancing your personality that makes your business unique and letting it take over your visual branding. Our personal preferences are going to change with time and trends, so when you’re looking to create something truly timeless, it’s better to stick to the brand strategy you’ve created. 

Related read: 5 Questions Your Brand Strategy Should Answer

Keep it simple

Don’t box yourself in by being too descriptive or letting your niche define your brand since that may change as your brand goes through future stages of growth. Design elements with too much detail can confuse your audience, don’t always show up well when they’re scaled-down, and may require rebranding when you decide to make changes in your business. Keeping your brand simple from the beginning gives you a strong foundation to build the rest of your brand on so that even as you grow, you won’t lose time, money, or reliable customers. 

Differentiate yourself from competitors 

Sometimes people think that creating a timeless brand means getting rid of any personality that makes your brand unique, but that doesn’t need to be the case! You simply need to know what makes your brand different from others in the same industry as you. To figure this out, ask yourself the following questions: 

• What gap do I fill in the market?
• How is my approach different from others?
• Why would someone work with me over another person in the same industry?

Knowing what makes you different can serve as inspiration to create a unique, simple, and ultimately timeless brand. Building a classic brand doesn’t mean leaving behind what makes you unique. Working with a design expert will help you balance timelessness with originality. 

Don’t be afraid to stand out as different 

Trends start with new, original ideas that go against the grain. Don’t be afraid to stand out as different. When you build a unique brand, people have nothing to compare it to. This means that over time, something that’s uncommon is going to stay relevant. A brand that blends in isn’t going to stand out as memorable in your ideal client’s mind. When you think outside of the box, you become more memorable and increase brand awareness. It’s more than just your visuals that can help you stand out as different. You can also lean further into your…

• Brand voice 
• Philosophy 
• Niche 
• Values 
• Process 
• Offerings 
• Marketing 

Building a timeless brand doesn’t have to be overwhelming and confusing. Not only can you use this blog post as a simple checklist, but you can invest in a professional designer who specialized in creating timeless brands for wellness professionals, service providers, and women in the beauty industry. You can learn more about getting started working with our team of talented designers and creatives by clicking here.