What makes brand imagery feel more tangible?

Depth, material texture and movement make brand imagery feel more tangible by turning familiar symbols into objects with an apparent physical presence. The strongest use of 3D gives those qualities a purpose, rather than treating an attractive render as an end in itself.

Use material qualities to create presence

Material qualities such as texture, depth and movement can make a familiar logo feel like an object rather than a flat mark. In his design commentary, Ross Sweetmore points to Citroen's animated logo rendered in materials ranging from water to plants. The symbol remains recognisable, while its changing substance offers something visually satisfying to watch.

Sweetmore also highlights BBC Two's idents, created by Superunion, as an example of 3D attracting attention and expressing a channel's diversity and creativity. The practical distinction is between rendering something beautifully and giving that treatment a role. Use material effects to invite attention or express a brand quality, and ask whether the result has a purpose beyond visual indulgence. Tangibility is a reason to explore 3D, not a requirement for every identity.

Sources: Trendspotting: What’s Caught Our Eye in Design

How The Frameworks helps

Giving brand imagery presence

Your brand imagery needs to make your expertise recognisable rather than look interchangeable with competing offers. The Frameworks focuses on the relationship between what your business can do and what its imagery communicates, so visual choices have a reason beyond aesthetic appeal. It works with you to identify the capabilities and qualities that competing brands do not adequately convey, then develops a visual expression that gives those differences a more tangible presence.

The Frameworks delivers visual identities, design systems and interactive experiences that put this expression to work. The identity establishes a distinctive visual language for your imagery; the design system supports its consistent application; and interactive experiences give audiences ways to explore the expertise behind it. You gain imagery that can carry a recognisable character across campaigns and digital settings, with a shared basis for judging whether new executions express your business or simply resemble the rest of the market.

Let’s talk about giving your brand imagery presence 

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