Think about some of your favorite companies. What do you like about them—great service, special offers, the right selection of products or services? All those things are important elements of a companies’ brand authenticity, but if you think a little longer you might also decide that the way they communicate and how it is presented—verbally and visually—is another reason why they’re near and dear to your heart.

In this article, we’re going to focus on the visual design that shapes and colors your brand’s identity and carries it through on everything from emails and web pages to brochures and videos.

The key takeaway is that consistency is key for great brand design—and for building trust with customers. If you got a fun email full of humor and brightly colored photographs from a company one day, and then got an email with a serious typeface and black and white illustrations from the same company the next day, you wouldn’t really know who you’re dealing with.

One way to determine what your brand should be is to think carefully about the products and services you offer, your target audience, and your organization’s core values. And of course, give a lot of thought to the experience; the feelings and sentiments you are trying to convey to your reader through your brand.

If you’re the Chief Marketing Officer of a pharmaceutical company, for example, you might decide to use calming colors like blue, green, and gray, along with a positive, action-oriented voice to promote a sense of authority and compassion. You might choose clean, simple typography to convey the idea that you’re a modern, innovative organization. And to emphasize quality care, you might feature images of caring professionals helping diverse patients.

If you’re the Marketing Director of a local bank, on the other hand, you’ll make different design decisions to emphasize stability, trust, and convenience, as well as community and relationships. And if your audience skews older, you may consider a conservative approach with typography, imagery, and voice. But if you’re targeting Gen Z and Millennials, you may want to develop a more contemporary look and feel.

Once you make these decisions, you’ll want to make sure you carry them through all your communication channels, from brochures and web pages to emails, social media and company newsletters. If all your communications aren’t “on brand,” you might be confusing customers and turning away potential business.

Here are some quick tips to help bring your brand design in line with your customers’ expectations and desires: