Photography
01.Introduction
Photography and product imagery is utilized broadly across our brand within most Sales and Marketing channels. It should support messaging around product features and benefits as well as provide an up-to-date, continually evolving brand presence that elevates our narrative as well as our customers and their industries.
We use photography in the following instances:
- Existing customers for testimonials and case studies
- To showcase someone using the product where focus is more on the broader tone and less about the product platform itself
- To showcase the product platform itself but in a creative and stylized manner. These images should still allow the product to be legible on the device and primarily be top-down or straight on
- Similar to the previous point, we utilize stylization to add an industry theme that can consist of common industry-related objects
The purpose of photography is to aspirationally represent our product and customers, resetting and heightening the benchmark in our industry and elevating our visual narrative. Where possible, we should be utilizing photography to add a human element, support narratives and tone, industries, and allow the content to inspire and motivate. Photography can encompass both people and product that has been stylized and given more dimension than traditional product screenshots or mockups.
There are a few different rules around imagery we deploy in the GoSpotCheck visual system. The following will explore these different treatments and message points to keep our brand consistent and striking.
02. Composition
The first rule around imagery is to question is communication purposes. We want to control the complexity of each photo we put forward — this means clean and crisp messaging, simple in form (no complex backgrounds or numerous subjects), and restrained colors.
03. Duotone
Keeping the images in a duo-tone process will communicate and maintain a consistent brand narrative. It is a goal to adhere to this image presence whenever possible; however, duo-tone processing can strip the image of depth and meaning. If you need to communicate your image clearly, use your better judgment when applying a duo-tone process, if in doubt ask three questions to determine:
Is the natural color of the photography necessary, or will it be a more precise image without it?
Is the image visually complex and would it benefit from a single/two color treatment?
Is there going to be text or graphic elements on top of the image? (if yes, duotone may be your best option)
04.Lifestyle Photography
GoSpotCheck has begun to streamline our imagery by using strong lifestyle photography as a way to elevate our visual narrative. Unlike both the standard photo and duo-tone photo, these images take on the feeling of minimalism through it’s natural presence.
When developing or selecting lifestyle imagery we strive to achieve a few things:
- Minimal color
- Clean and simple backgrounds
- Reduction in subjects
- Clean lines and straight angles
- Intentional cropping and framing
- Precise messaging
- Colors supportive of the brand palette
Note: This is the ultimate goal for all Photography selection. Whenever possible, use a lifestyle photo over both Standard and duo-tone images.
05.Brand Interaction
The GoSpotCheck brand may interact with photography, it can be a strong communicator and build great brand equity in the audience. When placing any form of the identity there are a few things to follow:
- Always place the logo on a simple, uncluttered, portion of the image such as negatives space or unfocused areas; let the logo be seen strong and proud.
- Do not place the logo on complex imagery or contrasting colors.
- When in doubt, always show the logo in white on top of a photo.
06. Good Continuation in Design
When selecting imagery to pair with your designs practice good continuation in your color palette. If the imagery is in your control then use the brand palette to your advantage — match color usage through your supporting elements, typography, illustration, color blocking and patterning.
Photography Should
- Follow outlined photo brand standards and guidelines and feel proprietary to GSC
- Be clean and highly-compositional
- Be aspirational
- Utilize crop as a way to create abstract support imagery in a more compelling way
- Elevate our customers’ job and industry
- Utilize a gradient map from approved brand colors if image is stock, customer-provided, or falls outside of listed standards. The gradient map adds uniformity and brand aesthetic to otherwise less-than-ideal imagery.
Photography Should Not
- Be busy and overwhelming
- Be hard to see when scaled down
- Be amateur captured (non-professional or on an iphone)
- Be inconsistent in terms of tone, perspective, depth, and style
- Be generic, corporate, or feel like it’s a stock image
- Be negative or devalue our customers’ job and/or industry
