Good design is good ministry
Communicating in this time of crisis?
In this time when everyone is having to find ways to bridge the “social distance” needed to curb a pandemic, maybe in a quiet moment you can take a look at your communications and consider whether you’re able to show up as who you really are. Taking stock now can help you be ready for a fresh, new restart when the crisis resolves.
A design system is the foundation that supports your identity, so that people begin to recognize messages that are coming from you, even before they read the content.
In the same way that you might recognize a friend from a distance, a strong visual system conveys the essence of your organizational personality. It also serves to support and enhance content by providing signals and signposts to help people move through the information you give them, and by underscoring key points with visual cues.
A design system also simplifies your internal design process by providing guidelines and frameworks within which the full range of messages can be accommodated. Rather than spending time “reinventing the wheel” for each flyer, brochure, or newsletter, your communications staff can concentrate on emphasizing key points and using the system to work harder to get your messages out.
01. Wordmark or logo
This is your organizational signature. It may be purely typographic or it may include a graphic element other than type, by which people recognize communication coming from you. The logo should also set the visual tone for the overall look and feel of the design system. If your logo is at odds with the rest of your design look and feel, it’s time to assess what’s working and what may need an update. Sometimes a logo can be stuck in a time warp. It may need a simple refresh, or it may be time to go back to the drawing board to be sure your logo is reflecting who you are now.
Logo development is a very specific, iterative process that involves exploration of the organization’s identity. Because a logo has to be both unique to you and evocative of something accessible and somewhat familiar to your audiences, the most effective logos take time to create. Done well, a strong logo will serve you for many years to come.
02. Typographic hierarchy
A typographic hierarchy is a system of type fonts, used in consistent relationships to organize and emphasize information. Depending on the level of complexity in your communications, you need enough levels in the hierarchy so that people can navigate easily to find and understand the information you’re providing. You may need a system with more than one font family. Or you may be able to stick with one font in different sizes and degrees of emphasis. The fonts you choose should also reinforce your identity and work in harmony with your logo and overall brand.
03. Color palette
The color palette is a defined set of interrelated colors that are used to reinforce the brand as well as to underscore content distinctions. Colors, like type, are a reflection of your identity. They signal everything from the degree of seriousness or playfulness you wish to convey, to the relationships with other aspects of your brand (such as position within a parent entity or a particular context). A color palette should be intentionally limited so that people begin to recognize whatever meaning you have attached to your use of color. But, again like type, colors should relate to each other and to the content of your messages.
04. Imagery + photography
Imagery and photography provide a particularly effective way to emphasize aspects of your identity, while using visual interest to highlight specific ideas and events. Imagery and photography communicate mood as well as visual content. Lighting, relationships of subjects and objects in the photos, composition, and other stylistic choices work together to create a system.
As with all visual elements, photography can add to or detract from a sense of cohesion. While use of stock photography will inevitably be necessary, engaging a photographer to compile a family of photos with a consistent look and feel can go a long way toward creating a strong, consistent visual impact. Once you have a core set of custom photos you can use them as a guide to select appropriate stock photos as needed.
05. Overall cohesion
Taken together, the identity mark (logo or wordmark), typography, color palette, imagery and photography create a design system that will become recognizable to your audiences. A strong design system makes people feel confident and taken care of as they navigate your communications, allowing them to focus on their immediate priorities rather than trying to figure out how to make sense of your communications.
