How brand photography works together with brand & web design to create a strong & consistent brand.
A collaboration between brand & web designer ‘JM Creative’ & personal brand photographer ‘Self Made and Seen’.
If you’ve been keeping up with me for a while then you’ll already know that I’m a personal brand photographer. You might not know though, that I also have a background in brand design. So I’m very aware of how brand photography works together with brand and web design to create a strong & consistent brand. As a business, it’s super important for you to consider this.
To share some useful tips about this with you, I thought it would be helpful to talk to expert Jane McGrath of JM Creative. Jane is a Brand & Web Designer who works with passionate small business owners to help bring their vision to life. Her services include Brand Strategy & Design, Brand & Web Design, & Design Intensives.
So for those of you who are thinking about investing in brand and web design as well as brand photography, read on to find out Jane's tips on how it all works together. (And check out the photos from my mini shoot with Jane which we did especially for this collaboration!)
Strategy.
I first asked Jane to tell us a bit about brand strategy and how it can help your business alongside design. Here's what she had to say
“Strategy is a key point of the process, and should always be the starting point before any designing happens. It’s just like building a house - and starting with the foundations, before jumping into the build.”
Jane says that strategy is crucial so that you can define your USP, connect with your ideal client, and create trust.
“Brand strategy helps you to stand out from your competitors, by defining what makes your brand unique. We can then show and communicate this value through visual design.”
Brand Consistency.
I then asked Jane her view on how photography works alongside design to create a strong & consistent brand. She said
“Your brand is not just made from your logo. It is about communicating your brand values and message across copy, branding, photography, and tone of voice. Photography helps to establish a visual language that aligns with the brands’ identity. Brand photography is part of the brand story, and reinforces the connection with your audience, creating trust. For personal brands, it is crucial to see the person behind the business, and to really get a sense of who they are to build on those connections.”
The Brand Process.
Before beginning the design stage, Jane follows a careful process in order to get to know her clients and their business. Similar to me, Jane offers her clients a zoom chat, a strategy questionnaire, and a moodboard to make sure she is on the same page as her client. She can then begin the design stage confidently, knowing that her designs will be right for their business. I asked Jane at what stage of her process a client would need personal brand photos for their website.
“In an ideal world, the brand photos would be taken after we have completed the strategy and brand design. It is really helpful for the photographer to get a true sense of your brand, and to have all the information about how we want potential clients to feel when they land on your website. Colour palettes and tone are also really important - so if the brand is casual, colourful and playful for example - the images should reflect that too. The photography, copy and visual brand all need to be communicating the same message.”
Websites.
Next, we spoke more specifically about web design, and Jane shared some great tips of things to consider:
A website is a tool that guides the user to a specific action. Each page needs to have a goal e.g sign up to a newsletter, or book a call.
The navigation needs to be really easy.
Think about how to make certain elements stand out like headers & buttons.
Choose a colour palette with light and dark tones so there is enough contrast to make everything easy to read.
Website Photography.
We then discussed how photography can be used to enhance your website. In terms of the kind of photos that are needed on a website, Jane suggested
“It’s always great to have a variety of locations, and outfits so that there will be visual interest in the photos and it doesn’t all look the same. The most important thing is to make sure that they reflect the brand - so if you want to come across as fun and personable, your images should too! You don’t always have to do ‘laptop’ or office shots too - people want to know and see the real you as well.”
We agreed it is useful to have a range of photo types and formats to be used across the website in different places e.g. horizontal & vertical, lifestyle shots, portraits, shots with and without props etc.
“variety is always good. It gives the designer more freedom to experiment with layout and design something that truly reflects the brand.”
We also agreed that your web designer and brand photographer sometimes need to work together. Jane always shares the brand strategy and design documents, along with the website site map. As she thinks it's really important that the photographer fully understands the brand's values, and how her and her client want the business (and person) to come across.
Is It Time To Invest Or Refresh?
Finally, we spoke about when is the right time to invest in or refresh your branding.
Jane suggested it may be time to consider a brand and website refresh (which could include personal brand photography too) if your ideal client has changed, your business is growing, you look the same as your competitors, or if your website is not converting.
I think it’s also important to update your personal brand photos when your look changes, when your offers change or you have something new to announce, and to keep up with seasons, trends and current affairs.
“Brands evolve as businesses do.” - Jane McGrath
So now that you know how brand photography works together with brand and web design to create a strong & consistent brand, you might be thinking it's time to invest in or refresh your branding. If this is you, feel free to reach out to us as we're happy to work alongside each other to make sure everything is consistent.
To find out more about Jane and how to work with her, you can visit her website or find her on social: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
And if you’d like to discuss your personal brand photography options with me, please get in touch!
So are you ready to get your business seen by standing out with personal brand images?
I’d love to help!
As your personal brand photographer, I’ll aim to show off your unique personality & your specific offerings in a creative way through the beautiful brand images we create together.
I also want to give you more confidence to show up for the people who need your help, so you can build a strong and recognisable personal brand.
Personal brand photography can really help you stand out, make an impact, and get seen!