Exactly what kind of impact social media will have on graphic identity design has yet to be determined. Preliminary indications point to a significant impact, one in which do-it-yourself tools allow customers to create and protect their own identities in spaces where they commingle with the graphic identities of companies large and small. On Twitter, Facebook, or any social networking site, who’s to say a company’s graphic identity has any more influence than an individual bloggers graphic identity?
Organizations will need to consider how their brands—as represented by their graphic identities—translate into these new channels. A focus on consistency and clarity is warranted. More importantly, designers can encourage organizations with whom they work to stay open to learning about the new constraints and opportunities presented by social media as they arise.
These tools—and the customers using them—are changing rapidly. As organizations venture into the social media landscape, they need to have a greater willingness to learn and experiment than they may have allowed with other media. Adopting the mantra of Web 2.0 software developers, “failing fast” is a good way to think about progress here. The winners on this new frontier will need to take some risks. At the same time, consider how other program materials interact with social media materials, and how traditional program elements work in these new environments.
Branding on social media isn’t just about setting up your accounts and getting a pretty design across each one. Every single post you make, every single reply you post, every single piece of content you share is building your brand. Your social media personality should be a reflection of your business personality, and that should stay consistent from day to day.
In the old communication model, many interactions were not captured. The social media model creates digital links between groups of people. Many of these links existed already; now that they’re quantifiable
In this area, companies need even more diligence about clearly conveying intent, being genuine, and not overpromising. Slip up in any of these areas, and the social consequences can be detrimental to a brand reputation—and hard to correct.
