A style tile is a tool that graphic designers use to capture design details like the font, colors, and styles they’ll use before creating each page of their web or app designs. Style tiles help keep all stakeholders focused on your website’s overall look and feel by showing how the individual elements work together before a more polished version of your design is created.
The goal of a style tile
The goal in creating a style tile for your website is to make sure that all the elements of the design work together to create a cohesive look and feel. By using a style tile, the graphic artist can communicate their design choices with clients and developers, so everyone is on the same page and all parties can work together to create a beautiful website.
The parts of a style tile are the logo, the primary and secondary typography, the color palette, and any icons or images that are associated with the brand.
The Logo
Logos are the primary visual representation of a brand, usually in the form of an image or combination of images. They can be used on websites and other digital materials, as well as in print media like business cards and advertising. A good logo should be simple, clear, and easy to remember. It should also be versatile; that is, it should work well in different sizes, styles, and color schemes.
Logos are very important to businesses because they can help customers identify a company or organization at a glance, and they can enhance the brand’s image. A good logo helps customers remember a product or service, which can lead to increased sales and profits over time.
The Typography
The typography helps define the voice of the brand and supports the overall messaging. Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and appealing when displayed.
Typography involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing), adjusting the spaces between groups of letters to provide “optical harmony” for easy reading.
The Color Palette
The color palette conveys emotion and gives users a sense of what they can expect from this particular brand. A color palette is a set of colors that are strategically chosen to represent the look and feel of your brand. Your color palette will vary depending on the type of business you run, but it should always reflect who you are as a brand. Colors convey emotion and meaning, so it’s important to choose them carefully.
When coming up with your color palette, think about what resonates most with your target audience, and keep in mind how different colors are perceived across cultures. Depending on the industry you’re in or the message you want to send with your product or service, some colors might be more appropriate than others.
For example, if you sell products for children or baby items, using bright, bold colors may help attract attention and attract new customers. On the other hand, if you’re selling luxury products or services, using neutral, sophisticated colors like black and gold may be more effective in representing your brand and conveying a sense of exclusivity.
Once you’ve decided on the colors you want to include in your palette, there are many different ways to use them strategically. Some businesses choose to use their branding color palette for all aspects of their visual identity, including website design elements and social media posts. Others might choose to incorporate just one color into specific parts of their brand’s aesthetic, such as for a logo or product packaging.
Whichever approach you take, remember that consistency is key! When it comes to creating an effective branding color palette, it’s important to maintain a consistent look across your company.
How Style Tiles create flexibility
Style tiles give designers flexibility when working on projects for clients or employers who have specific branding guidelines that must be followed. In addition to helping keep branding consistent across many different types of media, style tiles also provide a concrete set of guidelines that designers can refer to when working on projects. This ensures that all design elements are in harmony and consistent with the overall brand messaging.
Style tiles follow basic design principles like unity, balance, and contrast, which help create aesthetically pleasing layouts. For example, color is used to create visual unity through a cohesive palette, while white space helps maintain balance within a layout by giving each element room to breathe.
Contrast is utilized in the typography through size and weight choices as well as in images and icons through content differentiation. Overall, using these various design principles helps ensure that each visual element makes sense within the context of its surroundings and supports the overall branding message effectively.
