Choosing the Right Images for Your Brand Vision Board

August 17, 2017

Hi, friends! Welcome back to our conversation this week about vision boards — what they are and why they matter for your brand. Today, I wanted to share my top suggestions for choosing images that will elevate your brand’s vision, and will help meet our three criteria of a strategic vision board that I shared in yesterday’s post! In case you need a refresher, a strategic vision board will define your brand’s long-term direction, will spark your inspiration, and will hold you accountable as you pursue that specific vision. So, let’s dive in, shall we?

How to choose the right images for your brand's vision board via b is for bonnie design

As we get into the nitty gritty of vision board creating, it can be tempting to choose images that are popular on Pinterest or that reflect the latest design trend in the industry. Instead of choosing images that are pretty for pretty’s sake, it’s important that we intentionally choose imagery that reinforces and complements your brand’s vision in the first place. So, if your long-term vision for your brand is to create a high-end, elevated, warm, feminine, brand that empowers women entrepreneurs to grow their dream business through actionable education, you’ll want to choose images that reinforce that vision. Overly romantic, soft images from a popular wedding blog may not be the best way to complement the go-getter, boss lady attitude you’re going for.

Which leads me to my first point — choose images based on emotion. When you look at an image, how does it make you feel? How will it make your ideal client feel? Consider what type of emotional response that specific image solicits. If it’s a perfect fit with the emotional vibe of your brand, then it may be a great fit for your vision board! If it clashes with how you want your brand to make others feel, then forgo it altogether.

Next, be specific about the aesthetic you’re creating. As you dream big for your brand’s long-term impact, I’d imagine that you have a very specific look and feel in mind. Whatever that desired aesthetic is, only highlight imagery on your vision board that reflects the aesthetic you want to create. If your dream brand’s aesthetic is elevated and romantic, then highlight images from a Silk & Willow photo shoot or Style Me Pretty. An image from a Shop Ban.do catalog shoot may not be the best fit.

As you move forward and continue to gather visual inspiration from all sorts of sources, be sure to create around a common color palette. The easiest way to create cohesiveness when pulling content from different places is to ensure that common colors and hues are reflected in each image. When creating your color palette for your brand’s vision board, be sure to explore what types of colors evoke the specific emotional response and perception that you want your brand to evoke. Color palettes that are popular right now may not convey the experience, aesthetic, or emotion that’s truly representative of your dream brand.

For as important as it is to create a strategic, intentional vision board for your brand, what you do with that vision board truly matters more. Use this tool to inspire your brand’s trajectory as you move forward, ever pursuing the kind of business, workflow, and visual identity that meets your goals.

If you’re ready to create an elevated visual brand that not only empowers you to reach your unique goals and your ideal client, but one that enables you to tell your story well, then let’s chat! I currently have just 4 openings in my 2017 design calendar, and these spots are going quickly. Contact me today to book a complementary consultation!

 

  1. Paige says:

    Ohhh I’m going to bookmark this one. I always have to give such a detailed explanation on how to do this, maybe next time I’ll just send this link instead! Thanks Bonnie!

  2. Ignazio G. says:

    This is so helpful! I love looking at mine first thing in the morning and deeply feeling how it would look like if I manifested those images.
    I used http://www.visionprojekt.com to strategically combine all the images and print it out for me.

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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