Content & Social Media
03 / Imagery & Templates
Key question
How do people recognise you before reading your name?
In the feed, you only have a split second. If people recognise you from the image before reading your name, you've won. You can achieve this with a clear visual style and a small number of recurring templates.
Learning objective: You will be able to describe a visual language, set up a template system for social media, and design a carousel with good flow and readability.
Identifiable before the name.
3.1 / Visual language
Light, framing and colour.
Visual language is the sum of recurring decisions made when taking photos and designing. Anyone who writes it down can pass it on to others and remains instantly recognisable, even with a mobile phone.
01
Light
Bright and soft or dark and high contrast. Always the same.
02
Excerpt
Close to the detail or expansive in the room. A perspective that repeats.
03
Colour
Two to three colours that appear in image, text, and area.
A visual style can be summed up in five sentences: light, framing, colour, people, and what never appears.
Visual language is a list of decisions.
3.2 / Templates and series
Few templates, frequently repeated.
Templates save time and build recognition. For most profiles, three are enough: one for photos, one for text or quotes, and one for tips or how-tos. Each content pillar gets its own set format.
A rhythm emerges from the templates in the profile grid. A pattern such as a chequerboard or rows creates a calm feel. It is important that each post also works on its own, because in the feed it is seen without its neighbours.
Three templates are enough.
3.3 / Design carousel
The first slide sells the second.
The first slide determines whether someone swipes. It needs a clear message in just a few words and a reason to keep swiping. The middle slides should stick to one idea per slide, whilst the final one summarises and includes a call to action.
Design carousels with a consistent grid: the same margins, the same font sizes, and page numbering. An element that extends beyond the edge of the slide encourages users to swipe.
One slide, one idea.
Exercise
A templating system
Task: Develop a template system for Atelier Lumen featuring three templates and a carousel.
STEP 1
Describe the imagery in five sentences.
STEP 2
Design three templates: photo, quote, tip. Same margins, same fonts.
STEP 3
Set up the templates as a grid in the tool and check the rhythm.
STEP 4
Design a five-slide carousel with a continuous grid.
Evaluation: Would an unfamiliar person recognise that all posts belong to the same brand without a logo?