Building Brand Trust Through Design

According to Merriam Webster, trust is defined as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something”. The definition does describe the concept properly, but aside from that, it is much more complex than that. Before trust can be achieved, it has to be earned. For businesses, they earn this through their reputation, messaging, and a variety of other factors that will endear people to your brand.  

Besides the philosophical aspects of building brand trust, there is also a practical side. Design offers a way to bridge the gap between the desire to build trust, and actually making it happen. It is the design that offers your audience visual cues that can help create this trust. 

Building Brand Trust

Sure, we know how trust is defined, but how is it actually built? For businesses, trust starts with the way you do business. It is in how you convey your message to your audience. It is in the transparency of your sales process. It also lies in the way you handle your customer service. When customers learn to depend on you, they will begin to associate your brand with everything good and this builds trust between you.

What is needed, exactly, to help develop this trust? Here are some things to think about:

• Integrity. If you deliver on your promises as a company, this can help build trust. For example, if you promise a quality product, and that is exactly what you deliver, trust is built.
• Kindness. When people realize you genuinely have their best interests in mind, this will also help build trust.
• Values. Are your actions as a company aligned with your values? Are these expressed in your branding? If so, this also builds trust. 

How Design Relates to Trust

Once customers learn to trust your brand, they will begin to pay more attention to the visual cues, or designs, that are also associated with your brand. The visual aspects of your brand will remind people of their good experiences with you, and they can also help you build relationships. Along those lines, a good designer will also help facilitate this process. 

From a practical perspective, there are some design elements that show customers you are looking out for them and have their best interests top of mind. These design features could include:

• Security. Transparent payment process that makes customers feel secure. Design can show people that the process is safe and their finances are protected. 
• Website. Your website’s performance can go a long way in building trust. If your site is well built and intuitive to navigate, this is also a trust-builder. On the other hand, if your website crashes all the time, it will negatively impact the trust-factor. 
• Truth. The way your brand messaging is conveyed can also build trust. If you are truthful about your business practices and customers realize this, it can also build trust.

When deciding on your design strategy, it is helpful to keep the issue of “building trust” in mind. You want to make sure your branding represents exactly who you are. As a result of this, your audience will respond by offering you the trust you desire.