Visual Branding & Brand Identity: Building a Brand People Remember

When most people think about branding, they think about logos. Maybe it's a colour palette, a font choice or a clever tagline. While these elements certainly play a role, they only tell part of the story.

A logo is not a brand.

A font is not a brand.

And a colour palette alone won't make people care about what you're building.

That was one of the key messages from FishTank's Visual Branding & Brand Identity masterclass, led by Graphic and Motion Designer Wale from Studio Moross. The session challenged founders to think beyond visual assets and explore the deeper question at the heart of branding:

How do you want people to feel when they encounter your business?

Because ultimately, that's what a brand really is.

Branding Is a Feeling

One of the first things explored during the session was the difference between branding and visual design.

Many founders assume branding is something that happens after the business has been built. They see it as a finishing touch, a logo, some social media templates and a few brand colours added once everything else is in place.

The reality is quite different.

Branding is the overall perception people have of your business. It's the impression they form before they've worked with you, bought from you or even spoken to you.

Think about some of the world's most recognisable brands. When people think about Apple, they often associate it with simplicity, innovation and sleek design.

• Nike is often linked to confidence, ambition and performance.

• Coca-Cola is recognised for being energetic, familiar and emotionally driven.

These associations didn't happen by accident. They were built intentionally over time through consistent messaging, design and experiences. Your brand works in exactly the same way. Whether you're a startup, freelancer, social enterprise or global company, people are constantly forming opinions about your business.

The question is whether you're shaping those perceptions deliberately or leaving them to chance.

The Three Ingredients of a Strong Brand

Throughout the workshop, Wale introduced a simple way of thinking about brand building. According to the session, strong brands are created when three elements come together:

Your Big Idea

What are you trying to achieve?

Why does your business exist beyond making money?

What change are you trying to create in the world?

Your Customer Story

Who are you helping?

What challenges are they facing?

Why does your work matter to them?

Your Personality

How do you show up?

What values guide your decisions?

How do you want people to describe your business when you're not in the room?

When these three elements align, a brand begins to feel authentic and memorable. Without them, branding can easily become superficial.

A business might look good visually but struggle to communicate what it stands for.

Simplicity Is a Superpower

One of the most practical lessons from the session was surprisingly simple:

If you can't explain your business clearly in one or two sentences, your audience will struggle too.

Founders often know their businesses inside out. They understand every service, every offering and every long-term ambition. The challenge is translating that complexity into something other people can understand quickly. People rarely give businesses unlimited attention.

Whether someone lands on your website, scrolls past your content or hears about you at an event, they're making decisions quickly.

Can they understand:

• What you do?

• Who you help?

• Why it matters?

  
  

If the answer isn't immediately obvious, there may be an opportunity to simplify your messaging. Clear communication doesn't make your business less sophisticated.

It makes it more accessible.

Building a Visual Identity That Reflects Your Brand

Once founders understand their purpose, audience and personality, visual branding becomes much easier. Design should support strategy, not replace it.

Colours, typography, photography and graphics all contribute to how people perceive a business, but those choices should be guided by what the brand is trying to communicate.

For example, a business working with young people might want to feel creative, energetic and approachable.

A financial consultancy may need to prioritise trust, professionalism and clarity.

A wellness brand might focus on calmness, simplicity and reassurance.

There isn't a single correct visual identity.

The goal is alignment. The way your brand looks should reinforce the way you want people to feel.

Learning From the Ting Case Study

The workshop explored Ting as a real-world example of branding in practice.

The challenge was an interesting one.

Ting wanted to engage with young people and communities while also being taken seriously in professional and corporate environments.

Those objectives aren't necessarily in conflict, but they do require careful consideration.

The visual identity needed to balance creativity and accessibility with professionalism and credibility.

This is a challenge many founders face.

How do you remain approachable without appearing amateur?

How do you look professional without feeling cold or corporate?

Strong branding often exists in that balance.

The answer isn't about copying what everyone else is doing. It's about understanding your audience and creating an identity that reflects both your purpose and your personality.

Consistency Builds Recognition

One of the biggest advantages larger brands have is consistency.

Over time, people begin to recognise their colours, language, imagery and tone.

That familiarity creates trust.

For founders, consistency can be more important than complexity.

You don't need an enormous design budget.

You don't need hundreds of assets.

You don't need a complete rebrand every six months.

What matters is creating a recognisable experience.

When someone visits your website, sees your social media content or attends one of your events, it should feel like the same organisation. Consistency helps people remember you. And people are far more likely to engage with brands they remember.

Questions Every Founder Should Ask

If you're currently building your visual identity, it can be helpful to reflect on a few simple questions:

• What do you want people to feel when they encounter your brand?

• How would someone describe your business after interacting with it?

• Does your visual identity reflect your values and personality?

• Can you clearly explain what you do in one or two sentences?

• Would someone recognise your content without seeing your logo?

These questions can reveal gaps between how you want your brand to be perceived and how it is currently showing up.

Final Thoughts

Branding is often misunderstood as something visual.

In reality, visual identity is just one part of a much bigger picture. Strong brands are built through clarity, consistency and connection. They help people understand who you are, what you stand for and why your work matters.

The most memorable brands aren't necessarily the loudest.

They're the ones that create a clear and consistent feeling every time someone encounters them.

Whether you're building a startup, launching a creative project or growing a social enterprise, investing time in your brand can help people connect with your mission long before they become customers, partners or supporters.

Ready to Take Your Idea Further?

The FishTank Incubator Programme helps founders move beyond ideas and build businesses with strong foundations.

Through expert-led workshops, mentorship and a supportive entrepreneurial community, founders gain the tools they need to test, refine and grow their ventures.

Keep an eye out for future cohort applications and opportunities to join the FishTank community.