From Desktop to Mobile, Brands that go Everywhere Feb 2014

From Desktop to Mobile, Brands that go Everywhere
Today, it is not enough to simply have a web presence. The most successful businesses have entire
marketing plans that include print media, billboards, desktop websites and mobile apps. Their brand
identity is clear, consistent and appealing across all of those platforms.
If you want to stand out from your competitors, then you will need a similarly creative and
consistent brand identity. There is no room for template based or turnkey designs in a competitive
marketplace. Even consumers who are not web developers themselves can spot amateurish designs,
and they will be put off from purchasing from you if they think that your website is not up to the
standard it should be.
Design that Speaks to You
If you give some thought as to how to pick a really creative website designer, you will find that it
becomes easier to identify a high quality designer. Some hallmarks of good desktop and mobile
web designers include:
1. Use of white space - sometimes it’s what isn’t shown that matters.
2. Creative colours - complementary and contrasting colours can be used to create interesting
effects and to draw attention to important information.
3. Typography - there’s more to the web than Arial, Calibri, Verdana and Times New Roman!
4. Animation - slick movement and graceful transitions can make a plain looking website much
more appealing.
Creating a Brand
Take a look at the websites of some of your favourite companies, and compare how the website
looks versus how the company presents itself elsewhere. Is the website instantly recognizable as
belonging to the brand in question? If you removed the company’s logo from the header graphic,
would you still give the same answer to that question? How memorable is the website? Does it
simply convey information through text and images, or does it offer a more interesting experience
than that? Another big issue is whether the website mobile friendly.
As a brand owner, you want your customers to enjoy the best possible experience whenever they
engage with your brand. When you are looking at the portfolios of rouge-media, pay attention to
how well each website reflects the brand in question. A website for an insurance company is likely to
be less quirky than a website for a fashion designer - this is no bad thing. What you want to see is
variety, and personalization. Can the website designer really put forward the personality and tone of
each brand?