We are a small, but perfectly formed Oxford graphic design agency. A team of experts in graphic design and branding, working closely and collaboratively with our customers to help define, build, and enhance their brand.
XIST2 have been working with customers in and around Oxfordshire to provide solutions for all creative needs, from brand consultancy to graphic design and videography. Whatever your design needs, we can help.
Identity & brand design
A brand is more than just your name and logo, it’s how your business is perceived by a customer through their complete experience with you, at every touchpoint.
A great brand helps you to stand out from the crowd, and set you apart from your competition, but more than that, it has meaning and builds an emotional connection with your customers.
So, let’s go back to basics, what makes up a brand?
7 main elements make up a brand. They are:
- Brand name
- Brand logo
- Graphics and images
- Colours
- Typography
- Tone and voice
- Slogan or tag line
At XIST2 we pride ourselves on taking the time to talk to our clients, listen to them, and understand them. This enables us to work with them collaboratively to carve out a strong brand and visual identity that will work for them, for years to come.
We run sessions with businesses where we fully establish their brand. Open conversations around how the company wants their customers to perceive them allows us to create a robust brand strategy that will guide their marketing approach.
A brand’s visual identity refers to the visual elements of your brand. In most cases this starts off with a logo, but also includes typography, colours, shapes, and imagery. All of these helps create a brand or visual identity that builds an emotional connection with your customer.
Whether you are a start-up and looking for a company logo and brand guideline to get your business off the ground, or an established company looking for a brand refresh to keep up with the ever-changing design trends we have a team of graphic designers and brand experts who can create a brand story and visual identity for you, as unique as your business.
We can help you with:
- Brand strategy
- Product naming
- Brand identity
- Messaging
- Brand visuals
Print design
It may feel like the world is turning digital, but there will always be a place for beautifully designed print materials.
It’s true, we tend to see much less printed marketing material now, but as a result, the material we do see, we tend to pay more attention to.
A well-considered piece of printed material with great content and a fantastic design, still very much has a place within the marketing mix.
Our designers deliver printed collateral that really packs a punch. Designed with the customer in mind, we will deliver printed marketing material that will be an important element of your marketing strategy.
We take care of the design, printing, and delivery of your printed materials, meaning you can sit back and relax.
What we can help with:
- Product brochures
- Visitor guides
- Business cards
- Company branded Items
- Exhibition stands
- Internal and external signage
"It was a real pleasure working with XIST2 on our latest digital catalogue. Although we weren't the easiest client to work for, they demonstrated remarkable patience and good humour, coupled with excellent design abilities and a prompt response to all requests. Thanks XIST2"
Videography and animation
Pictures paint a thousand words; videos paint a million!
Video is among the most powerful form of content for use on websites and social media. In the ‘YouTube’ era video content has the highest rate of engagement across all platforms, therefore if your current written content is falling upon deaf ears, it may be time to get the video reels in motion.
Whether you are looking to create a montage of video clips for a website banner or to create longer form content such as video interviews or testimonials, we can help.
We work closely with talented voiceover artists and videographers and can deliver anything from drone footage to customer testimonials.
How we go about creating awesome video content:
We will spend time with you to understand exactly what you are trying to achieve with your video content, understanding who you are speaking to and what your key messages are. Once this is clear, we will go away and create story board for your video content. During this process, a script will also be produced by one of our brilliant scriptwriters and we will create a basic vision for the final video. The next step would be to present this to you for feedback, any amends would then be made, and sign off. On the day of filming, you can expect a videographer, and director on site to ensure the day runs smoothly. All video editing and voiceovers will be done by our in-house video editors.
Animation
We are pleased to be able to offer animation as a service. We have skilled in house animators, who can create beautiful and impactful animations, getting your messages across in a creative way.
The last few years have seen video content take the lead in terms of engagement and that is not limited to traditional video. Animation is very much included in the term ‘video content’.
Website visitors are far more likely to watch to end the of an animation explaining the benefits of your product or service than they are to read through all your content. Add a call to action at the end and your viewers will know exactly what you want them to do.
One of the main benefits of animation over a more traditional video, is that you can make edits to it without having to re-shoot. In an ever changing digital world, it is important to be able to update your marketing collateral as and when needed.
If you would like to talk to us about integrating animation into your marketing mix, just get in touch!
Product and brand photography in Oxford
Imagery is a strong element of your branding and great imagery can really take it to the next level. By using a mix of still images and video content, you can really make your marketing pack a punch.
Why is photography important for brands?
One of the most incredible aspects of photography is its ability to convey emotion. Colours within imagery can create different emotions, so it is important to understand what emotions you want your brand to convey and work your imagery around that.
Images used by brands often deliver the first impression and good imagery can add perceived value leading to customer loyalty and good engagement. Bad imagery can have the opposite effect and can lead to poor customer trust and poor customer loyalty.
We have delivered photography for many of our clients in and around Oxford providing them with a bank of professional photos to be used across all forms of media including social media posts, brochures, and websites. Consistent imagery across all marketing platforms helps to build your brand and deliver consistent messaging.
Illustration
Looking for a way to make your brand stand out from the others? Then perhaps adding illustration is the right choice for your brand. Illustration can add real depth to a brand. It can be used for infographics, websites, print media and social media and can give your brand extra character. You can use it to tell a story, visualise data or give visual aid to intangible or complex subjects.
We have talented illustrators in house who can deliver the perfect design to give your brand the wow factor.
FAQs
Branding is the process of creating a perception of a company. Any association that a person has becomes part of a brand. This is why it is important to ensure the perception of the company is positive. Through good design, advertising, marketing, and positioning, you can create associations with your company, all of which help create your brand. There are also more familiar visual elements of a brand including your name, logo, colours, fonts and slogans.
Yes, very! Even for small businesses, branding is an incredibly important aspect of your business. A brand influences your customer’s perception of your company. A good brand helps to build trust, loyalty and reputation all of which are vital to the success of a business of any size.
Yes, there is. Every touchpoint a customer has with your business builds your brand. While the visual elements of a brand are important, you also need to consider, your tone, your communication, and your culture.
Unless there is a fundamental issue with your current brand, there shouldn’t be a need to re-brand. You may find that your brand visuals are looking a little tired or dates, in which case a brand evolution may be a better option for you.
If you want to create a professional image, then it is usually a good idea to hire a graphic designer. They understand how to use colour and language to portray your business in a professional way.
It really depends on what your business does, but more often than not, yes! Professional images of your products or service should be used on your website, and across printed materials as well as marketing channels such as social media. You want the first impression to be a good one, and professional photos will certainly look better than stock images or images taken by someone who is not a professional.
All images used to promote your company help build your brand. That is why your images should be considered and reflect your business.
