* In the feature image of this post: Campaign for McDonalds by the advertising Agency: Cossette, Canada
In the world of design and branding, terms like brand assets and visual anchors are often used interchangeably, but usually they serve distinct purposes. Understanding these differences is essential for creating a cohesive brand identity and improving user experience. Let’s break it down.
What Are Brand Assets?
Brand assets are a compilation of core visual elements crafted with the brand’s identity in mind. These components help recognition, evoke emotions, and communicate the brand’s personality across all platforms. Successfully creating brand assets is not an easy task and everything starts with a curated brand identity and visual design system. With time and consistently exposing the audience to distinctive brand assets they will create and reinforce memory structuctures in the audience minds that will develop on brand associations and familiary.
Examples of Brand Assets:
- Netflix’s “N” Icon: A compact logo representing Netflix’s bold and innovative identity.
- Starbucks’ Green Mermaid Logo: A symbol of comfort and community in coffee culture.
- Nike’s Swoosh: A minimalist design that conveys movement and empowerment.
Brand assets are tools for building long-term recognition and emotional connections with audiences.
What Are Visual Anchors?
Visual anchors are design elements used to guide attention within a layout or interface. Their primary function is to establish hierarchy, improve usability, and direct focus to key areas. Visual anchors are defined in a well-crafted and branded design system, with defined font and color hierarchies and variations on repeatable elements such as CTA blocks.
Examples of Visual Anchors:
- Call-to-Action Buttons: Boldly colored buttons that prompt users to take action.
- Large Header Images: Used to create focal points in web design.
- Navigation Arrows in Apps: Help users move through interfaces efficiently.
Visual anchors are functional tools aimed at enhancing user interaction and navigation.
Key Differences Between Brand Assets and Visual Anchors concepts:
| Brand Assets | Visual Anchors | |
| Purpose | Build identity and recognition | Improve usability and navigation |
| Scope | Broad (branding across platforms) | Narrow (specific to layouts/interfaces) |
| Examples | Logos, colors, repeatable patterns | Buttons, headers, highlighted elements like hyperlinks animations |
| Focus | Emotional connection | Functional guidance |
Can Brand Assets Act as Visual Anchors?
Yes, and because of it the common confusion. Brand assets can sometimes act as visual anchors, but this depends on the context in which they are used. While their primary function is to establish a brand’s identity and evoke recognition, they can also serve as focal points that guide attention or improve usability in certain designs. This overlap occurs when a brand asset is strategically placed to act as a visual cue within an interface, layout, or physical space.
- The Netflix “N” icon serves as both a recognizable brand asset and a visual anchor in its app interface by guiding users back to the homepage.
- The Amazon’s smiling arrow, it is both a brand asset and a visual anchor on its website and packaging.
- McDonald’s Golden Arches, probably one of the most recognizable brand assets in the world. They are used to grab attention from afar directing people towards McDonald’s locations while reinforcing brand identity.
Why These Examples Are Both Brand Assets and Visual Anchors
In all these examples:
- As Brand Assets: These elements represent the company’s identity, values, and mission, ensuring consistency across platforms.
- As Visual Anchors: Their strategic placement within designs (e.g., interfaces, packaging, signage) directs users’ attention or guides navigation while reinforcing the brand.
In essence, sometimes the brand assets can play a dual role, since they could fulfill two functions simultaneously but this can only happen if we created them carefully to help with attention grabbing and to mantain our visual brand identity, and of course we will need to use them with consistency and evolve them over time if needed.
Conclusion
While both brand assets and visual anchors contribute to effective design, their role is generally different, however sometimes brand assets can act as visual anchors but not the other way around. Brand assets are design elements to help comunicate visually who you are at a glance, creating recognition and emotional resonance. Visual anchors guide users through experiences, ensuring functionality and focus. Mastering both concepts allows you to build a strong brand while delivering seamless user interactions.
