I love Pinterest. As a branding designer, looking through Pinterest is one of the perks of the job and before long I’ve wasted spent hours on the platform.
Whether you’re planning on working with a brand stylist on creating your new brand or rebrand, or if you’re planning on going down the DIY route initially, I want to teach you how to use Pinterest to build a Pinterest board that will them form the basis of your branding.
I require all of my clients who book me for branding projects to put together a Pinterest board which they send to me along with their branding homework. The main reason for this is to ensure I get a clear picture of their style and putting together a Pinterest board is SO much easier than trying to explain verbally.
Pinterest has always been around during my experience working with clients on their branding and web design projects so it’s the only way I have known to work with clients, however, I can only imagine it was a lot harder BP (before Pinterest). Being on the other end as a client in a corporate company working with agencies on branding projects, I used Google images A LOT.
Sometimes when a branding client sends me over their Pinterest board and their homework, it’s clear that the two are not reflective of each other and this is something we discuss during the branding session at the start of the project.
Whilst I give an outline in my welcome packet of what a client should pin on their Pinterest board, I think it can be confusing for a client to know exactly what to pin which is why I have put together some example boards.
Example Pinterest Board – Natural Branding
Example Pinterest Board – Feminine Branding
How to choose what to pin
Keywords – Pinterest is a search engine for images so just like on Google, you will need to type in keywords or phrases in order to bring up relevant pictures. This is where your brand keywords come in. In my branding workbook, I ask clients to describe their brand in three words. For example, words that you may use to describe the brand in the image below are modern, timeless, feminine, chic, empowering, strong.
Colours – Whilst you may not necessarily know what colours you want to use in your brand identity (this is where I come in), try and think about colours and colour palettes that portray the look you are going for. Think back to your brand keywords. When I think of feminine I may think of pink or when thinking of timeless, I may think of black. Search for colours you are drawn to and delve into the world of Pinterest.
Logos – I always recommend to my clients that they pin around 5 logos that they love. As designers, we will not copy logos that you pin but we will be inspired by them. Whether this is by the layout or the fonts used. There’s no point in your designer wasting time creating logos with serif fonts when you would prefer a sans-serif font with a much more modern feel.
Web Designs – Same as above, pin around 5 websites you love. Us designers will not copy the web designs that you have pinned but we might take elements from it. Or it will help us determine whether you would prefer a long scroll, one-page website or a traditional above the fold, click through website.
Patterns / Textures – Patterns and textures are an important part of the branding and can be used on the website and in collateral such as business cards or notecards. Again when looking for textures, think back to the words you use to describe your brand. Modern brands might go for geometric patterns however girly, feminine brands might prefer a floral pattern. Holistic brands might look for nature patterns such as wood or leaves.
Fonts / Typography – Similar to the logos above, pin fonts and typography styles that you love. This is so important as a font can make or break a design. Serif fonts tend to be more connected to timeless, classic brands whereas calligraphic and hand drawn fonts are better suited to brands looking to attract a female audience. Sans serif fonts are better suited to brands looking for a more modern look.
Graphic Elements – Look for images that feature graphic elements that you like. This could be flowers, leaves, animals etc…
Personal Style / Target Audience – If your brand is going to reflect your personal style and tastes then look for interior images or fashion based images. Or think about what your ideal client might wear or how their house might be decorated.
Whilst the images should have some connection, try not to worry too much about whether or not the images are completely cohesive. This is where a designer comes in. They will hopefully be able to see the connections and use this along with your branding homework to start to build your brand identity.
How many pins?
I usually recommend to my clients that they have around 50. Any less than this and it will be difficult for you or your branding designer to get a clear picture of what you are looking for. Try not to exceed around 75 pins. Any more than 75 and it can get quite confusing and overwhelming.
Review your board
Once you have pulled together images for your branding Pinterest board, step away from it for a little while and revisit it later. This way you can ensure that you still love all of the images you have pinned and if not, remove the ones you don’t like so much and add more. You don’t need to complete your Pinterest board in one sitting. Do it over a few days. Most designers will give you a period of at least two weeks to complete your homework so there’s plenty of time.
Comment on your pins
It’s important for your designer to know what you specifically like about the image that you have pinned and you can do this in one of two ways, as you go or at the end. Use the description field to make comments on the colours, textures, fonts, anything that draws you to the image.
Here’s what I’ll do with the board
Once I receive the Pinterest board from my clients and we have had their branding session, I will go through the board and look for elements that connect to their brand. I also may add further images of my own. Once I am happy the board is complete, I will use these images to create a brand inspiration board of about 8 images which will guide the design throughout the project and also the colour palette.
Fleurir Creative is a small branding and website design agency and marketing consultancy for creative entrepreneurs and small businesses. I work closely with clients on their business strategy and target audience before we dive into the branding. For this reason, I only take on a limited number of clients per month.Find out more about how you can work with me via my branding & web design, marketing strategy and SEO services pages and then pop me a message via my contact form.
