Now I’m going to look at popular brands that share the same mannerisms as my bank brand. We then have to create case studies explaining why it works and how they pull off what they do as a brand.
What is brand guidelines?
Brand guidelines, also known as brand standards or brand style guide, are a set of rules and guidelines that define how a brand should be presented to the public. These guidelines are designed to ensure consistency in the use of a brand's visual identity, messaging, tone, and other elements across all communication channels.
Asana
Asana is a web and mobile application designed to help teams organise, track, and manage their work. Asana’s brand guide is simple and minimalist. Asana also has a Trademark Guidelines that explains rules on using the logo and other branding assets of the company.
I am most likely going to add a gradient into my brand as I feel it gives off a modern vibe. I chose to look into asana and their brand guidelines around colour as it is aesthetically the style I will be going for. Asana wants to feel clarity punctuated by energy. ****
Asana may be a lot more fun and colourful than the old Asana, but they are being very intentional about how they use that colour, so it never disrupts your focus. I personally feel they have a very bright colour palette that is eye catching and inspiring which is why I overall chose it as a case study. They use a gradient colour as well as the solid colour which compliments each other. Using a wide range of colours without sticking to one colour palette is something that I would love to add into my banking app. For instance depending on your mood you can change your colour tone for fun. It doesn’t add a lot of actual interaction to the development of the app but it makes it quirky and rememberable.
Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters is a lifestyle retailer that sells trendy fashion and homeware for the younger generation. They focus on people in their 20s as they have more disposable income rather than young children or teenagers. Another key note to take is that they don’t appeal to audiences above the age of late 30s max. The reason for this is because they are big advocates for fast trendy fashion. Many older people would feel uncomfortable wearing their clothes as it is targeted for youth. They target the age range between 16 and 28 which is similar to my target audience for my banking app which is the main reason I chose Urban Outfitters as a case study. Urban Outfitters also use many discount codes for sales aimed at students. Each student will get 20% off their purchases which makes the target audience much more willing to shop at their store or online. As my banking app will have a savings area this will be a good area for the users to see the amount they can spend each week on retail therapy. I also took note that their target audience will be using my app for future purchases, they find Urban Outfitters overall appearance including marketing advertisement appealing therefore I will need to make sure my app has a similar youthful style.
Below is a user persona of what a ideal customer looks like that shops at Urban Outfitters. A student in their 20s with a higher disposable income who enjoys fashion and uniqueness. Overall I feel Urban Outfitters creates a create stage for its brand. It knows how to lure in the exact age range they want and continue to do so by putting on many promotions.
Monzo
Monzo was founded in 2015 and bought to the market an alternative that challenges banking of the past. Rather than selling financial products, Monzo focuses on solving problems. They strive to change people’s lives and create a bank that’s made for everyone with features that can be used and loved by all. They make everything easy from the app layout to their overall appearance. I decided to look into Monzo as a case study as I took huge influence from it while I was researching how I would like my banking app to appear and function. I love the simplified logo and solid bank card using a strong colour which makes it stand out from the rest. I like how they give the option to get paid a day before which is a unique selling point especially for students. This is something I will need to consider for my app. I also like how they have a spending area on their app were you can track exactly what and how much you are spending every week/month. You can also make a savings pot for travel which is extremely smart to draw in the younger generation.