Using design elements to communicate a brand

The issue at the heart of any brand is trust. Trust reassures the customer that the product or service they are buying will live up to expectations. Buildings can play a key role in reinforcing this, using different elements of design to convey identity and image of a company and communicate the values of the brand. It can function as a ‘calling card’ for customers, partners and shareholders and provide motivation and pride in the people that work there. Colour, form and materials can all be used to reinforce the brand in a building.

Colour is perhaps the most commonly used way of communicating a corporate brand image. At its simplest, the building can reflect the company’s in-house colours.

More subtly, colour can also be used to convey specific values about a company, for example, the use of vibrant colours can create an impression of strength, and metallic shades can reinforce a high-tech product offering.

But colour can also be used to convey a positive company image and suggest what the customers might expect to find inside.

Like colour and building form, different materials and systems can be used to create an impression and perception of a building which supports the brand and reputation of the company.

Glazing can suggest openness and build a perception of being able to see into a company and what it can offer.

Pre-finished steel can suggest strength and function as well as innovation.

Light steel framing modular units can support values of function, efficiency and consistency which owners would like associated with hotel accommodation. This is further reinforced in the example below by the  use of rainscreen panles in pre-finished steel.