Why Layout Rules Are The Most Underrated Part of Brand Design
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Color And Type Get The Spotlight, But Layout Is Their Quiet Cousin In Our Graphic Design Toolkit
Need some inspiration or some practice? Try our design prompt at the bottom of the article.
Don’t let your customers stub their toes and other layout and brand design considerations.
The Air BnB sounded perfect.
Sleeps four comfortably, panoramic view of the beach, top floor, private balcony, eat-in kitchen. Did we mention it’s also in your price range? What are you waiting for? Book it.
Weeks later, you finally arrive, ready to relax, but your big toe encounters a table immediately inside the front-door. Hmm, what a strange place for a table? You forget your throbbing toe, after noticing tall piles of books and house plants blocking the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the surf. And now that you’re thinking about it, why are all the walls bare, there’s no artwork or decorative items anywhere? Clearly, your rental space is suffering a layout emergency.
Better call Design 911.
Layout is your creative conscience.
When done strategically, layout moves potential customers through a brand’s design elements with intent. Whether it's a brand’s advertising, website, signage, or brochures, layout underpins the effectiveness of your communications tools.
Layout helps viewers understand and respond favorably to messaging by navigating them safely through typography, visuals, and white space. Effective layouts explain how the various elements in your communications relate to each other. And, perhaps most importantly, a good layout extends a halo over the products and services your brand delivers.
It connotes quality.
Clear, compelling layouts help build trust, the foundation of any meaningful relationship. Quite simply, layout is a powerful source of good.
Then, how do layouts become virtuous?
For starters, layouts don’t brag. They work hard. Selflessly behind the scene. Effective layouts don’t ask for credit. They derive satisfaction by simply building your brand into a recognizable, respected entity. So, how does this happen?
If layouts could speak for themselves, they’d probably say…
One Size Doesn’t Fit All Think about both your audience and your objective. Create a layout that honors how your viewers think and what you want them to feel in response to your messaging. A product or service that offers comfort would likely employ different layout devices than one that promises a dose of rebellious energy.
Layout is More than Just a Pretty Face Yes, typeface, image placement, color palette, and logo position are wonderful, but there’s structure underneath all those beautiful features. Structure is the fundamental layout device that holds everything in place. Identify a core grid or framework, and then move in. Start decorating.
Fit your design elements into your framework so the viewer’s attention flows intuitively and meaningfully through your messaging. Every time you communicate, think about that structure as a starting point. You can diverge, of course, but don’t stray too far because your viewers will come to associate it with your brand.
Hierarchy is Encouraged On the page, that is. Some elements are of primary importance because they capture attention and elicit emotion. Images and headlines often reveal a great deal about your brand promise. Other layout components serve secondary or tertiary functions like providing product details or directing a call-to-action. These are essential, but they likely don’t warrant the same proportion as key illustrations, photos, or thought-provoking headlines.
Feel Free to Feng Shui
Ultimately, you want the pieces of your layout to work in harmony. Your structure, hierarchy, and design elements need to live in balance. Use white space purposefully. It allows viewers time to breathe and think. The integration of your design elements will give off energy holistically, so be sure it’s the type of reaction you want to elicit.
Be Consistent. Be. Be. Consistent
Brand layout doesn’t have to be formulaic. A + B doesn’t always have to equal C. Feel free to mix things up a bit. Surprise your audience (and yourself). But work within a relatable range. Buttons, banners, color, typography, and structure become associated with your brand. Your customers, your marketing team, and senior management have all grown to associate certain conventions with your brand. Consistency makes their job easier.
And more rewarding.
Of course, you’re allowed to color outside the lines but remain true to who you are aesthetically. This helps brands seem familiar, like trusted friends or advisors.
Chances are you know a NIKE ad before you see the swoosh. NIKE communications are built around expressive, emotional photos featuring an athletic insight. The elation of hard-won victory. Fear of not showing up for oneself. Inspiration from a parent or a coach. In truth, NIKE makes movie posters not simply ads. And like movie posters, the brand utilizes a small number of standard structures to deliver the hero image, headline, and explanatory body copy when necessary. All of these elements are structured to make NIKE’s emotional promise front and center.
The layout of Gap ads and store signage have been highly consistent over several decades. You know a print image is from Gap a mile away. Brand communications have been built around larger-than-life photos of models, celebrities, or real people wearing Gap products in approachable, down-to-earth ways. White space generously frames these images. And type is treated as small captions; it does not compete for attention. Gap imagery is highly accessible to viewers. The net take-away is that anyone can look fantastic when styled in Gap clothing and accessories.
How’s Your Toe Doing?
Remember that crowded vacation rental space? By now, you’ve iced your throbbing toe, and you’ve rearranged the room. Love what you’ve done! The view invites visitors in. The comfy sofa faces the ocean. The sunset is going to be gorgeous. Makes you want to sit down for a while with a frosty drink. Feel relaxed? Excellent.
Now try this same exercise in an ad or web page. Before applying your layout skills to your own brand, try our Singing Plumber Design Challenge. It’ll get you thinking about the layout elements we’ve been talking about. And we might feature your submissions in our new Squeeze Instagram.
Have fun.
Design Challenge: Layout An Ad For The Singing Plumber
Here’s the brief.
Brand: The Singing Plumber
Tag Line: We’ve Got Pipes and We Fix ‘Em.
Copy: Singing Plumber has years of experience fixing your household plumbing problems. Plus, our plumbers unclog, install, clean pipes, and perform rooter services with a song. From arias to pop performances, we show up with all the right parts and a song in our hearts. Some of our plumbers even take special requests. There’s nothing out of our range.
Services:
24/7 Emergency Home Service
Drain Cleaning
Garbage Disposal Installation
Water Line Repair & Replacement
Kitchen & Bathroom Fixture Maintenance
Call to Action:
Book Online Now
Call 800-GOT-LEAK
Credits
Editor: Jenn Hart (More About Me)
Associate Editor: Sarah Dawoud
Art: Sharon Bakas
Julie Garel
Julie Garel is a brand planner, qualitative researcher, and facilitator based in the Washington, DC area. She has extensive travel & tourism, environmental, transportation and hospitality industry experience. Julie has a Master’s in International Management and a Master’s in Environmental Management & Sustainability.
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Everything we share here is meant to be helpful and inspiring. We’re speaking from experience and past proof of concept. We respect each other's works, cultures, and opinions. The trends, examples, and observations in this article are provided for educational and inspirational purposes only. Mentioned brands, businesses, and cultural references are not affiliated with or endorsing this content. Opinions on all subject matter, audience behavior, and strategies are general observations and may not apply to every audience or situation. Always consider your brand values, goals, and audience sensitivities before implementing changes or creating new visual content. Please consult a qualified professional when needed to help make decisions. You are responsible for how you choose to use this information, and we are not liable for any loss, damages, or issues that may arise. We can’t be responsible for how things play out, but we’re always rooting for your success!
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