When you meet someone for the first time, whether that’s over coffee or over Zoom, first impressions stick. In fact, it’s a topic that I’m sure you’ve all talked about in one sense or another; it’s about sitting up straight and picking the perfect business-casual outfit for your job interview, or about the ideal shade of lipstick for that upcoming first date.  

But what about our businesses? The first impression a customer has of a business is that first click onto the website, first scroll through the Instagram, first glance through the shop window. It’s far less personal but arguably, far more valuable.  

I’m a Film Practice student at an art school, so it’s easy for me to go on and on and on about aesthetics, graphics and pretty pictures. Having said that, I do think we need to apply the principles we use in the real world to our online worlds, especially nowadays. So, what does that entail?

First of all, it means finding a tone and style. Colours, fonts and images can all contribute to this, and it’s important to not only be distinctive, but also to be consistent. You want your Instagram feed to match your website, and both to shout about your brand’s personality. An easy example would be using intense, bright colours and weighty, bold fonts to show that your products are fun and out-there. Alternatively, a more minimalist style could convey a more classical, timeless brand personality.

“The first impression a customer has of a business is that first click onto the website, first scroll through the Instagram, first glance through the shop window. It’s far less personal but arguably, far more valuable.“

Secondly, it entails using the right techniques to ensure that the graphics and content you produce looks and feels professional. Things like line spacing, font size, and negative space can all seem insignificant, but greatly impact the way that your media is consumed. You might create a fantastically colourful, exciting post for your Instagram story, but if you have a tiny font, nobody will be able to read what you have to say. In the same vein, a text-based graphic you intend to post to Instagram might be otherwise perfectly composed, but if the content is place slightly off-centre, it will look funny. It sounds like a lot to think about, but it’s not as scary as it seems. All it means is looking at the bigger picture and how it fits together, rather than just the individual elements on their own. 

I hope that these two tips are helpful for your online creative endeavours, and that it makes you think a little more about the importance of the content you produce. I love seeing pretty social posts and webpages, so I wish you all the best of luck!

Cara is our creative intern, she has almost ten plants around my desk because she doesn’t feel productive if it feels like she is stuck inside!