So she hits up your site. What will make her stay? A dazzling first impression. Beauty. Seduction. Meaningful words, images and space. Brand alignment. NOT pages packed with SEO copy, flashing room specials, and cheesy stock photography.

Lure her in with a gorgeous brand identity, coupled with photography, typography, voice and user experience that communicates the service level of the property. Whether it be luxury, quirky, family or low-budget, in order to be perceived as professional, the image of your site, brochure or first point of contact is crucial. Many visitors are researching, and making a good first impression will determine whether or not you make the shortlist.

Sanderson London

Little Palm Island

The Benjamin

Hotel Missoni

Grand Hotel Tremezzo

Hotel Guarda Golf

If you make it to the shortlist, you’ll be subscribed to. So, send out spectacular, image-rich emails that act as love notes to remind her of her pending journey.

Portico by Exclusive Resorts

Huntley Santa Monica

Auberge Resorts

Unless you previously identified with the company, you were challenged to make a judgement call on which cereal to have for breakfast before sundown. Part of the judging process included weighing health statements and nutrition facts against price, but could you find the information?

Fast-forward to today, where natural foods brands are much more prevalent. Giant food manufacturers actually own organic brands and many natural foods brands co-exist beside their over-processed cousins on the same shelf. Because of this on-the-shelf battle, natural foods brands had to simplify their messages, instill benefits into their philosophies, and clean up their packaging act.

In terms of brand messages, there’s a little of each home-grown hippie, crafted artisan, slick salesman, and everything in between. I did a survey of natural food brands web sites, looking for a design balance of clear story, fun messaging, authentic approach, and social community. These examples didn’t go too overboard on any of those four pillars. They are attractive, and make me hungry. And they’re not covered in green leaves!

Yumnuts Naturals

Cascadian Farm

Nawgan

Bora Bora Foods

Solixir

Kind Snacks

Plum Organics

Rebootizer

Luna and Larry’s

Hooray Puree

Turtle Mountain So Delicious

Horizon Dairy

I think the attachment theory might explain the success of marketing and branding.

In the 1950s, Psychologist Harry Harlow conducted experiments with baby rhesus monkeys to demonstrate the importance of care-giving and companionship in social and cognitive development for humans. The theory of attachment explains that from birth, humans are biologically pre-programmed to form emotional attachments for survival, infants specifically, to at least one of their parents. Infants become attached to adults who are most sensitive and responsive to them. When they receive strong care and responsiveness, they have a better chance at staying alive. Deprived of attachment, infants will develop mental distress.

Harlow gave the monkeys ‘mothers’ to form attachments with. To create a ‘mother’, Harlow’s assistants covered a wire frame with terrycloth. A second mother was identical to the first but had no terrycloth; it was just a wire frame with a built-in milk bottle and nipple. Between the choices between ‘mothers’ that provided either food and comfort, the infant monkeys always chose comfort.

Attachment theory explains that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life. After attachment is initially formed, children feel secure enough to explore and have an emotional place to return for comfort.

Throughout life, adults continue to seek and reconfirm that connection in friendly, business and romantic relationships.

So, what does this have to do with branding? A brand is a ‘mother’ to which humans begin to form relationships with and where one can return to for comfort. So, that ‘brand-name’ burger might not taste great, but it’s reliable, consistent and secure. Just like mom.

We will pay attention to what comforts us. We recognize what looks familiar to us, and if the brand is ‘attractive’, we will return. We see the value in good brands, and prefer them. And we will pay more for comfort.

The moral of the story? Don’t just feed your audience your product or service, build a nurturing brand. And the monkeys will come.

Kate Spade

Captain Morgan USA

The New York Times

Nike

Sprinkles Red Velvet

Ben & Jerry’s

Red Bull

Virgin America

American Express

Rogue Fitness

Personality + Communication = Love
A relationship starts with an attraction to personality (brains) and physical traits (beauty), and trust continues development through socializing (conversation). The continuing interpersonal attraction can have different levels of intensity, which affect our mental and emotional understanding of each other. Lasting love depends on behavior as much as biology.

First impressions are hardwired into our psyche.

Brand Attributes + Experiences = Trust
Brands work the same way. In dealing with companies, products and services, consumers are emotionally seeking certain brand traits (story and image). Once consumers find brand personalities they identify with, they decide if brands embody convenience and comfort, and as the relationship continues, loyalty is fostered. Customer commitment to a brand is key to a company’s value and longevity.

People are attracted to brands.

The one thing that does break customer loyalty, is a violation of trust. Bad service, low quality products, frustrating user interface and inconsistency of image can cause consumers to seek new brand relationships. If you want to keep friendships, relationships and customers, stay consistent, dependable, appealing and committed to your fan base.

The NPR post 3 hours prior only got 370 ‘likes’.

Is this the case of the shoemakers’ kids having not shoes? Maybe the editors are so busy finding good design examples, tips and articles that they cannot design something easy on the eyes for themselves? Kinda makes me cringe. The blogs are very unorganized, or look very generic, have hard-to-read type, or just features messy graphics. Many times, there’s just too many advertisements. There’s quite a few out there, but here are five.

Graphic Design Basics

Design Sites Up

Graphic Design Junction

Graphic Identity: Graphic Design Articles & Free Design Box

Graphic Design Web Design Blog

While designing the identity for the Pacific Asian Consortium for Employment, we were immediately drawn to the lyrical and playful approach of Sarah McMenemy’s illustration work. Her work has been published in picture books, food packaging, posters, galleries, environmental graphics, and more… seen both Internationally and locally around London, where she resides. Sarah’s work seemed to complement the feeling we were seeking out for the PACE Web site, and we’re very happy with the outcome.

Your work has a consistent charming style that is flexible enough to fit various industries and a broad range of clients including BBC, Mastercard, Singapore Airlines, Beefeater Gin, Kodak, Mercedes, Harrods, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Elle Magazine, and more. Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes mostly from a wide variety of artists and illustrators that I have admired over the years. Childhood picture books left a lasting impression. Artists such as Ardizzone, Sasek, Ravillious and Shirley Hughes lead to a fascination with drawing. As a student of Illustration fine artists such as Dufy, Matisse, Picasso, L’Autrec fuelled my work. As a professional my influences have broadened out to design in all it’s forms, architecture, nature. My own children provide enormous inspiration and have kept the sense of joy and celebration in my work.

Can you share a bit about your approach to the illustrations you did for PACE?
My approach to the PACE project was to create illustrations which would be engaging, uplifting and friendly, providing welcoming visual guidance to the potential clients who may be at a point in their lives when they most need help.

Rough sketch for the Asset Building Center

There were loose ideas for the concepts for all sections of the website within the brief. It was my job to make the ideas work visually and to capture the meaning in a symbolic way while creating an attractive and sympathetic image. Simple line roughs were developed then discussed and approved to move on to the next stage of adding colour. When colour roughs were approved, the artwork began, using Gouache watercolour paint, black ink and paper collage on watercolour paper.

PACE Home Page sketch

The handmade and human touch lends itself to differentiating so much of what we see now on the Web, which is computer-generated imagery and stock imagery. The fact that you’re using such a tactile process is evident in the texture and whimsy of your illustrations. Is all your finished work done by hand?
Yes, all my work is done by hand. The act of drawing and painting on paper is central to the freshness and integrity of the image from my perspective. It is also a key part of the enjoyment of the process. It is a daily pleasure to be working on hand made paper, squeezing tubes of paint and dipping a pen into ink. Computers are a fantastic tool and are now vital for scanning, correcting and sending images but direct contact with materials is what inspires me.

The finished home page illustration for PACE's Web site

How do you maintain balance in your life between work and play?
When I’m not working, singing in a choir plays a big part in my life, walking in the beautiful British countryside and coast, seeing friends and family, playing the piano and dancing. It’s important to keep some fun and joy in the week as it’s tempting to fill all available time with work when you are a freelance artist. I consider myself very lucky to enjoy my work and get huge satisfaction from it.

Thank you Sarah. You can see more of Sarah’s beautiful work on her Web site at http://www.sarahmcmenemy.com/.