At Luminous, we’re known for creating brands that look great, but also work hard and stand the test of time. To unpack what that really means, we sat down with Mark Litchfield, our Executive Creative Director, to talk about what makes a great visual identity, why it matters and how we bring it to life for our clients.
Mark, tell us a bit about your role at Luminous.
“It’s about making sure the creative work we produce aligns with and pushes our clients’ ambitions. It’s not just about making something beautiful; it’s about ensuring every element supports what the brand wants to achieve, while looking for opportunities to go beyond the brief.
Why is visual identity so important for brands, especially in B2B?
“It’s all about instant recognition. A strong visual identity is what stops people scrolling and makes them pay attention. It brings a company’s personality and offer to life, immediately. Think of ‘The Simpsons’: flick through TV channels and you can’t miss them because they look like nothing else. The same idea applies to brands – distinctiveness cuts through.”
Key takeaway: In B2B, where messaging can be complex and competition fierce, a compelling visual identity makes the difference between blending in and standing out. It’s the hook that might get someone to listen to what you have to say.
Can you share some B2B brands you think do this well?
“Consumer brands shook up banking by looking and sounding different – they felt fresh and authentic. In B2B, I think of JTC, one of our clients. Their visual identity genuinely reflects their unique employee-owned model and the creativity they bring to complex portfolio management. It’s distinctive for their sector and connects back to who they really are.”
What makes a visual identity memorable?
It comes down to three big things: authenticity, uniqueness, and consistency.
“Authenticity is key – it comes from looking inward at what your business does well, instead of copying others. Uniqueness naturally follows. And then consistency makes it stick. It’s a simple truth: people inside a business see the brand every day and get bored quickly. But just as they’re tired of it, the outside world is only just starting to notice it. Resist the temptation to tinker too often – consistent application is what builds memorability over time.”
However, consistency doesn’t mean rigidity.
“A brand needs flexibility to adapt to different channels and audiences, but all the pieces should still feel like they belong together. Too strict, and you risk looking repetitive or dated. Too loose, and you lose recognition.”
So how do you develop a visual identity from scratch?
It starts with strategy and understanding where the brand is today and where it wants to go.
“We always balance what’s working now with the ambition for the future. We do a detailed review of what equity the current brand has, whether that’s loyal customer base, recognisable assets, or practical realities like an instantly recognised typeface. We don’t just sweep that away without reason. Then we align that to the new story, positioning and personality the strategy defines.”
Building a brand on these foundations is even more important in an AI landscape. It’s great that companies can now produce things fast. But without a brand strategy or system, it can get messy quickly – inconsistency in visuals and messaging, a disjointed brand experience, all lead to poor engagement.
The bridge between strategy and design is a strong creative idea.
“A good creative idea reveals what a company stands for. It gives people a glimpse of what it’s like to work with that brand – is it playful, bold, reliable? That should come through in every touchpoint.”
Want to know more about our Brand work? Please get in touch.