Study first
Review the ideas behind the questions
Review the visual system before campaign files are final. Focus on whether people can read the message, understand visual cues, and get the same meaning when images or color alone are not enough.
Brand Assets Need Usable Rules
A visual identity system should help teams create recognizable work without making the campaign harder to read or understand.
- Brand identity includes visual and symbolic elements that represent the brand.
- A brand system should not use color as the only way to communicate an action or difference.
- Instructions should not rely only on sensory traits such as shape, color, size, visual location, orientation, or sound.
In Practice
Recognition Is Not Enough
A color palette can be distinctive and still need labels, text, or icons when color carries information.
Keep Instructions Clear
A layout can point to an element visually, but the copy should still name what people need to choose or read.
Common mistakes
Using brand color alone to show which plan is recommended.
Add a text label, icon, or other cue so the meaning does not depend only on color.
Q&A
Can brand color still matter if it cannot be the only cue?
Yes. Color can support the identity, but important meaning also needs another cue such as text, shape, icon, or label.
Check Contrast Before Approval
A campaign asset can match the palette and still fail if people cannot read the words or understand essential graphics.
- Normal text and images of text need at least 4.5:1 contrast against the background in WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
- Large-scale text can meet a lower 3:1 contrast threshold under the same WCAG criterion.
- Important graphical objects need at least 3:1 contrast against adjacent colors unless a listed exception applies.
In Practice
Palette Still Needs Testing
Do not approve a color pair only because both colors are on brand. Check whether the actual text and background meet the right contrast threshold.
Charts Count When They Carry Meaning
If a chart line, icon, or visual indicator is needed to understand the creative, it needs enough contrast or another accessible way to get the same information.
Common mistakes
Approving low-contrast text because it matches the brand palette.
Adjust the color pair or layout so the text meets the applicable contrast threshold.
Q&A
Does a logo have the same contrast rule as body copy?
No. WCAG lists logotypes as an exception, but normal campaign text and images of text still need the applicable contrast check.
Use Text And Images Carefully
Marketers often review images as style assets. They also need to check whether the image carries information that people must be able to access.
- When technology can create the same visual presentation, WCAG says text should be used instead of images of text.
- Digital.gov requires images to have alt text for screen readers or a caption below the photo.
- Image use needs permission or a license before publication.
In Practice
Do Not Bake In Copy By Default
If a quote, offer, or disclaimer can be real text, keep it as text so people can resize, translate, and access it more easily.
Describe The Useful Image
Alt text should explain the useful image briefly. Decorative or repeated context should not become a long caption pretending to help.
Common mistakes
Treating every image as only decorative because the layout looks better that way.
Check whether the image carries information, then provide text, alt text, or a caption as needed.
Q&A
When is an image of text risky in brand creative?
It is risky when the text could be real text instead, because real text is easier to resize, adapt, and access.
Review The Layout As A Message
Visual identity decisions shape what people notice first and what they think they can do next.
- Legible, well-organized writing is easier to understand than more traditional styles.
- Clear, descriptive headings and consistent hierarchy help people read and understand content.
- Only important information should be emphasized, otherwise the emphasis loses impact.
In Practice
Hierarchy Is A Review Item
If every element is loud, the viewer has no clear path through the offer, proof, and action.
Asset Rights Are Part Of Readiness
Before the work goes live, confirm that images have permission or licensing. Good visual style does not solve a rights issue.
Common mistakes
Treating image licensing as a production detail after creative approval.
Check image rights before approval so the campaign does not depend on assets it cannot use.
Q&A
Why should marketers review visual hierarchy?
Because layout affects what people notice first, whether they understand the message, and whether the call to action is easy to find.