We all know that social media content is aggregated by mysterious algorithms that decide what you see and who sees your content. But what is an algorithm, and how does it determine what content to show? 
SEO comes to mind; however, not all content is accessed via a search engine, social media is an integral part of any marketing strategy worth it’s salt. Social media platforms act as a proxy homepage for your business, and they are fantastic ways to communicate with potential and existing customers. Still, the question remains: How can you optimise your content to be prioritised within algorithms?
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<h1>What is an Algorithm?</h1>
I should first state that I’m no tech wiz, but I’ll do my best to describe the basics. In its most simple form, an algorithm is a set of rules used to sort data. This data is put through three phases: input, transformation, and output. The input is the data that will be sorted, the transformation is the series of decisions that are made about the data depending on the rules that are programmed in, and finally, the output is the presentation of the transformed data.
Jory Deny, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, describes it in relation to getting dressed in <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-an-algorithm-how-computers-know-what-to-do-with-data-146665">this article</a>:
<ol>
<li>Input: What clothes do you have? What is the weather? Do you need to dress for rain or sunshine?</li>
<li>Transformation: You can do the maths from your input quantities and decide that as it is cold outside, you need a jacket. This can then be repeated for each piece of clothing to decide if it is appropriate.</li>
<li>Output: Having made your decisions, you put on your clothes and go about your day.</li>
</ol>
This is an extremely simplified version of events, but it describes the process that your data goes through in an algorithm. This happens in social media too. You post your content which is then analysed by the platform’s algorithm. The algorithm sorts your post and decides where to show it on your audience&#8217;s feeds by measuring it against its ‘rules’. These rules are kept extremely secret, and very few people know exactly what each social platform’s ideal post looks like. However, through trial and error, we’ve gotten pretty close. There are hundreds of ways you can optimise your content for each social algorithm. In this blog, I’m going to take you through 5 you may not have considered.
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<h1>How to optimise your content</h1>
Typically when people talk about content optimisation, they are referring to SEO and copywriting; however, there are many ways to boost your online presence without writing blogs.
<h2>Write for humans, not for the algorithm</h2>
This may seem obvious, but when it comes to optimisation, people seem to write what they think the computer wants to read. However, the programme is written by people and is trying to show the people what they want to see. Keywords are important but making sense is paramount. Use clear CTAs and full sentences when writing blogs, captions and even subtitles. 
It’s also worth mentioning that when people search, they are using voice controls more and more often. By writing in full sentences, you can optimise your content for all platforms.
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<h2>Tracking links</h2>
Using links in your content is a great way to link out your content to other pages such as your eshop, business landing page, or other relevant media. But when you&#8217;re using links, it’s a great idea to use sites like Bit.ly, which allow you to track how many people have clicked through and their locations and demographics. For platforms where you are limited in how many links you can post, for example, Instagram, you can use intermediary platforms such as Linktree, which will also show you how many clicks you have amassed. 
Whilst adding trackable links to your content won’t boost your position in the algorithm, it will provide you with a set of data through which you can analyse what your customers want. After all, knowledge is power!
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<h2>Business accounts</h2>
Many social media platforms, for example, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all offer business accounts for companies looking to use these platforms. Business accounts are a simple way to see your social media analytics. Knowing what your audience is engaging with means that you can produce more similar content and spot any weaknesses in your output. Having a business account also means that you can easily boost your content in a relatively inexpensive way and even use it as a customer service tool.
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<h2>Time of day</h2>
Time of day is hugely important in boosting your place in the algorithm and, as a result, your engagement. If you post your news at 3 am then very few people will see it. This means that the amount of people who interact with it is limited, which means that the algorithm will rank it lower. This means that it won’t appear near the top of people’s feeds which again means that you will get fewer interactions. Poorly timed content is often subject to a vicious cycle of poor performance; however, this is easily solved. Posting at times your audience is online is a great way to boost your engagement. By knowing who your audience is, you can predict (and even track) what times they are most active. For example, 1 pm on a Wednesday might be a poor time to interact with working professionals; however, it’s a fantastic time to engage with a stay at home parents. Knowing your audience is the key.
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<h2>Consistent Content</h2>
Posting constantly can easily boost your positioning in the algorithm, but what does consistency mean? I think these are two important facets to explore: your posting consistency and your theme consistency.
<h3>Posting Consistency</h3>
Posting content consistently is important as it can amplify your platform within the algorithm as it learns to expect your posts. However, it is also important not to overdo it. Posting more than once in a day or ‘double posting’ can actually harm your ranking. An easy way to manage this is to write a 30, 60, or 90 day content calendar. By planning your posts, you can set aside weeks to devote to themes and promotions well in advance and even schedule your content ahead of time, which will save you some late nights. When planning content, it’s important to leave some room for versatility and reactiveness. Your plan may be set in stone, but current events fluctuate daily and addressing current events and trends is a great way to boost your posts.
<h3>Theme Consistency</h3>
Theme can refer to the colour palette of your social channel, but in this case, I’m referring to the theme of your content. Brand identity is a powerful tool and can serve to confuse or engage your audience. For example, If you’re selling smart home products posting content that is relevant to smart home will serve to boost your position as a smart home focussed platform. This will allow the algorithm to push your posts towards people who are interested in smart home technology and result in better exposure. This results in followers who are attuned to your content and willing to engage. Staying on theme is an understated way to build up your brand’s identity.
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And there you have it, five easy tips for boosting your place in the algorithm. If you need help with your business&#8217;s social media, contact Beacon at beaconagency.co.uk

5 Minutes To: Algorithms and Social Media

Welcome to the sweet world of photo manipulation!
Now I realise that some of the first things to pop into your head when I say that are the glitzy, over-edited pictures of celebrities on magazine covers, or tons of influencers posting seemingly perfect images on social media. But I’m here to teach you there is far more to it than that! If we look back in time, traditionally, companies would paint their adverts and murals on walls (as seen below), and whenever a change was needed, the artist would bring their paints and correct the mistakes, or simply paint up a new advert.
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1358 aligncenter" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1-300x168.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="280" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1-300x168.jpg 300w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1-768x431.jpg 768w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1.jpg 902w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" />
Moving into more recent times, this has evolved  into printed publications that could be pinned just about anywhere, until, that is, a new one is created and put up to replace the last. We are lucky enough to have the technological tools to hand to not only make updates to existing creations, but also to enhance them! Adobe Photoshop, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a photo editing application that has grown into the industry standard for designers and creators, especially when it comes to photo manipulation. I’m going to introduce you to a few of the basic tools that every designer should have when beginning their journey into photo manipulation. 
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<h1>Clone stamp tool</h1>
This tool will be your best friend in times where you need to quickly remove or duplicate any part of your image. Simply select it by pressing the keyboard letter shortcut (S), then hold (alt) and click on the part of your image that needs to be duplicated. From here, you can paint your image in a new place anywhere on your canvas. To remove, hold (alt) again and select an area of unfilled space and then paint over anything you don’t want to see in your image. This can be a lifesaver when you didn’t mean to capture someone’s hand in your lovely flatlay of products, or can see a pesky microphone above someone’s head in a video thumbnail!
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1359 aligncenter" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2-300x129.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="215" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2-300x129.jpg 300w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2-768x330.jpg 768w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2.jpg 902w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" />
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<h1>Spot healing brush tool</h1>
The spot healing brush tool is the infamous ‘airbrushing tool’, and while you could choose to remove every blemish and spot, it is actually much better put to use removing smaller details in a pinch. Choose the brush using the keyboard letter shortcut (J), and click on the detail you want removed, and voila! Job done! In less than a minute, you’ve rescued your perfect mirror shot from some grubby fingerprints! 
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1360 aligncenter" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/3-300x129.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="215" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/3-300x129.jpg 300w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/3-768x330.jpg 768w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/3.jpg 902w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" />
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<h1>Patch tool</h1>
The patch tool is a good place to start if you quite feel confident with approaching the clone stamp tool yet, or you just want to save yourself some time. In any case, it’s still good to get to know a variety of tools for personal growth.
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<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1361" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/4-300x129.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="215" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/4-300x129.jpg 300w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/4-768x330.jpg 768w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/4.jpg 902w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" />
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Select the patch tool by pressing the keyboard shortcut (J) or click and hold on the spot healing brush tool and hover down the mini menu to select the patch tool manually. Draw a frame around the object or area you want to remove, then click and drag from inside the selected area outside the lines, to a part of the image that you want to be replicated within your selection (this will be highlighted by animated dashed lines).
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And there you have it, three quick ways to save yourself reproducing content that was already perfect to work with. Using these tools, you can expect your content to wow viewers and designers alike! But most importantly, you’re saving precious time that you can use to nourish your business in plenty of other ways.

5 Minutes To: Photo Manipulation Basics

It seems it’s always true that the kitchen is the heart of the home. I’m reminded of a great Ikea advert ‘<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gm9rxNxyDU">You can always find me in the kitchen at parties</a>’, a classic that is a throwback to 2010… yes, I’m showing my age! In my continued exploration of what a smart home can be, the Kitchen seems like the perfect place to start. So, this week I’m looking at the top 5 ways to make your kitchen smart:
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<h2>Lighting control</h2>
The days of shouting for the family to gather at dinner time are thankfully over, when you deploy smart bulbs, or smart dimmers into your kitchen. Setting lighting commands via product apps like Philips Hue or Lightwave allow you to flash the lights at the other end of the house when it&#8217;s time for dinner. Much more civilised. 
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<h2>Automated food management devices</h2>
I can’t be the only person to have had that annoying moment in the supermarket (usually buying last minute supplies for that kitchen party!) where you’re 99% sure you already have the dips and crudités, but you’re going to have to buy it anyway just to make sure… Samsung has finally solved this problem. The <a href="https://www.samsung.com/uk/refrigerators/french-door/rf9000jc-637l-black-rf65a977fb1-eu/">Family Hub Style French Fridge Freezer</a> incorporates a camera which links to an app on your phone. Meaning you can virtually open the fridge from the checkout queue and never forget that vital ingredient again. 
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<h2>Make your herb garden Smart</h2>
All the best recipes call for fresh herbs. But, if you are a resident of the UK, finding enough light in the summer months to keep a basil plant alive is somewhat of an undertaking. Create the perfect environment for fresh herbs year round with the <a href="https://www.aerogarden.com/harvest-base.html">Aerogarden Harvest</a>. Which uses automated light, irrigation and nutrients to keep your plants in peak condition. 
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<h2>Smart mugs for smart people</h2>
A super handy invention for those of us always on the go; the Ember Mug is here to keep your tea warm, even if you got distracted 10 jobs ago and still haven&#8217;t managed to take a first sip! Check out <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/house-garden/coffee/ember-mug-2-review-b1822183.html">The Independent</a> for a comprehensive review of this genius smart invention: ‘&#8230;four sensors for temperature control and a dual-band microprocessor-controlled heating system. The heater and circulating convection current maintain the drink’s temperature between 50C and 62.5C, while the sensors detect the temperature of the contents and automatically switch on the mug when hot liquid is poured in. Equally, it enters sleep mode when it becomes empty.’
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<h2>Easy clean-up</h2>
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, the clean up. At the end of the day, kitchens are messy places. Especially after a party! In my mind there is no better smart automation than a robot vacuum cleaner, controlled by your phone and programmed to regularly keep things clean. Why not check out <a href="https://www.irobot.co.uk/roomba?gclid=CjwKCAjwsNiIBhBdEiwAJK4kho7ZTWyLLSXnIw2zYAgf-lfS4d2YR0xg-AOKcGf0F3TYen95JhAaixoCb-cQAvD_BwE">Roomba vacuum</a> and focus on having fun in the kitchen!

The Smart Home: What's in your kitchen?

<blockquote>“A perfectly scripted eBook  is a vehicle to position yourself as a thought leader by delivering super high quality, engaging and targeted content to add massive value to the life of your customer.” -Heather MacEachern</blockquote>
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<h1>What is an eBook, and how can it help my business?</h1>
If I had a penny for every time somebody asked, &#8216;What is an eBook and how can it help my business?&#8217; I would be rich indeed. In recent years global companies such as Amazon have made self-publishing a reality for content creators, marketers, authors, companies and institutions alike. The main goal of an eBook is to help solve the burning issues that keep your customers awake at night. A perfectly scripted eBook is a way to position yourself as a thought leader by delivering high quality, engaging and targeted content which adds value to the lives of your customers. 
By taking the time to truly understand your customer&#8217;s problems, you can use eBooks as a way to build your brand identity, establish trust and rapport with your target audience and become an expert in your chosen niche. This has the knock-on effect of opening up a powerful marketing funnel to offer your audience relevant and useful back-end products and services further down the line. In this blog post, we will take a sneaky peek behind the scenes to show you how to generate ideas, plan and write your perfect eBook. 
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<h2>Step One: Planning Your eBook</h2>
A great saying that can be applied to any eBook writing project is &#8216;“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” (an original quote from Benjamin Franklin). While there isn&#8217;t an optimum length for an eBook, it is generally best to aim for at least 10,000 words or more. The central purpose of ANY ebook is to serve the readers and give them what they want, which is a book that they will learn a lot from and enjoy reading.
Therefore, a great exercise is to draw a plan outlining your typical customer. Write down their fears, pains, what gender they are, how old they are, what goals they want to achieve and what they spend their spare time and money doing. This information will go a long way to helping you create the appropriate tone of voice for your eBook during the writing stage.  
There are two straightforward methods you can use to identify ideas and topics for your eBook. The first method is to go directly to your customers. Create a survey or an engaging Facebook post to ask them what problems you can help them solve. The second method is the Amazon spy method. Open up Amazon.com, go to the bookstore and enter your niche keywords in the search bar. Look inside the bestselling ebooks within your niche to gain ideas of topics that your customers want to get to grips with at the current time. Reading the reviews from customers of these eBook can also help you generate lots of ideas. 
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<h2>Step Two: Creating the Perfect eBook Outline</h2>
Always start with the following question &#8211; what is the problem or trigger that will lead customers to purchase this eBook? Once you know this, you can research the topics and sub-topics you need to cover within the eBook. Type the main research questions into Google to generate links to high-quality books, blog posts, articles and research papers. These will form the resource list needed to flesh out the eBook. It is also worth visiting your local library to look at print books and articles.
Here is a sample outline template that you can use to plan your entire eBook. By using this template, you will save a great deal of time when you sit down to write your eBook, ensuring that your precious writing time doesn&#8217;t go to waste.
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<h3>eBook Outline Planner</h3>
Title:              
Subtitle: 
Target audience:     
The problem that will lead the customer to purchase this book:
The solution to that problem:
Book summary: 
Book purpose: 
Introduction: 
Body chapters Outline: (add talking points, questions to answer and research materials here)
Conclusion:
Resources Page: add all fully referenced resources here
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<h2>Step Three: Writing Your eBook</h2>
The introduction is the most crucial part of the perfect eBook. It helps set the tone and acts as a hook to inspire a customer to keep reading! It is the ideal place to identify and state the problem and present the solution. In order to build your reputation as a thought leader within the Book, the introduction is the place to assert your credibility. Think about why customers should trust you above others? Clearly state the benefits and outline why the eBook contains the answers they need to know.
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<h3>There are Five central pillars that you should always build to support the structure of your perfect eBook.</h3>
Information &#8211; Anything that you add should be valuable and in-depth information. The information should be well-researched, and resources should always be referred to and fully credited and referenced. Failure to reference external material would be considered plagiarism and could get you in serious trouble.
Focus &#8211; The content of each topic and subtopic should be straight to the point and specifically relate to the questions/problems you are answering.
Organisation &#8211; It is vital that all the information you have researched is presented logically and is simple to understand. Think about taking your customers on a journey. Your starting point of the ebook is the problem you are presenting, and the solution is the endpoint.
Flow &#8211; Check that the chapters and content work together and flow nicely. A helpful tip is to check the flow of your copy in a writing assistant such as Grammarly. This will help you gauge the correctness, tone, clarity, engagement and delivery of the writing. 
Language &#8211; Your writing style can make the difference between an enjoyable book, and a book that sends you to sleep. This is where understanding your customer helps you to speak their language and compel them to keep turning the pages of your eBook.   
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<h3>Always Add a Resources Page at the end of the Ebook</h3>
It is of vital importance that you include text citations within the main body of the eBook. It is easy to create APA style citations using free citation generators such as <a href="https://www.scribbr.com/apa-citation-generator/.">Scribbr</a> This will also allow your readers to conduct further in-depth research if they wish.
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So there you have it, how to effortlessly research and write your perfect eBook in a nutshell. Good luck!

5 Minutes To: Writing the Perfect eBook

I probably ought to preface this blog with the fact that I’m not an audio engineer! But the past few months and years have seen technological developments reach the consumer market that I think hold an awful lot of potential for marketeers in the not too distant future. You’ve heard of ambient lighting, but what about ambient sound?
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<h1>What is Immersive Audio?</h1>
Immersive audio is, in short, a multi-dimensional audio experience that surrounds the listener with a soundscape or audio track. In June earlier this year, Apple announced that it would be adding Spatial Audio through Dolby Atmos to its Apple Music streaming service. Apple described this as a way to ‘[give] artists the opportunity to create immersive audio experiences for their fans with true multidimensional sound and clarity’ using the technology of Dolby Atmos. It&#8217;s essentially a system whereby the sound is not just produced using stereo channels, or even a model of 5.1 surround sound, but through the use of artificial intelligence, it creates a 360º soundscape, in which the listener is at the centre. 
When it comes to hardware, too, Apple released further support for immersive audio with their  AirPod Pro and AirPod Max lines, which use small inbuilt gyroscopes for ‘dynamic head tracking, [which] provides cinema-like sound that surrounds you from the film or video you&#8217;re watching, so that it seems as if the sound is coming from all around you. The sound field stays mapped to the device, and the voice stays with the actor or action on screen.’
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<h1>Why should marketeers be interested? </h1>
A trend that’s been slowly growing over the past 18 months as people have been working from home is the demand for immersive soundscapes. These are usually marketed as escapist background listening or study aids. Whether based in the real world (a charming woodland cottage) or a fictional world (Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter soundscapes are some of the most popular) their notoriety is growing. Other incredibly popular pieces of content include generic office ambient soundscapes, crackling fireplaces or even coffee shops in the rain. 
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e3UFuF4sXlc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jATVgJ_grys" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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This content is hugely popular. Garnering tens of millions of views, it presents a problem for anybody creating paid ads (especially on YouTube). With the advent of the ‘Skip after 5 seconds’ button, YouTube ads have had to frontload a lot of excitement and ‘hook’ to get people to keep watching. But where content creators are now monetising their channels (and rightfully so), mid-roll ads that interrupt this flow are not only ineffective, but quite an irritation which comes at a cost to the brand’s reputation. 
Reaching users was once the main milestone, and serving them the right message was the next. Now, however, with users used to the interruption the way those ads are served is more crucial than ever. Particularly as the ability to target users becomes that much more accurate.
Technology such as Dolby Atmos and spatial audio, means that creatives and marketeers have the ability not just to reach users, but to engage them in immersive adverts that consumers may well want to continue listening to. With the rise of TikTok, the rate of media consumption is arguably higher than ever before, but good quality audio marketing is, I believe, still some way behind. 
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<h1>How can we use immersive audio?</h1>
So how can brands get in on the shift towards immersive audio? Why not think about how users could interact with your brand if they aren’t able to see your brand? Ask questions like ‘what does my brand or product sound like?’ and you’ll be surprised to find what sort of content people seek out. 
For example, say you’re a white goods company asking how you could possibly reach customers through this kind of content. There are ambient videos of the sounds of laundromats and tumble driers racking up hundreds of thousands of views. 
If you’re a car company, there’s a big demand for the comforting sound of a car on a motorway at night. Why not meet the demand with the sound of your brand’s latest model?
As more and more people spend time at home with work, they’re looking for ways to both escape and enjoy their homes in equal measure. Using smart home skills, ambient lighting and smart speakers, smart home brands already have the perfect set of tools to create immersive experiences in peoples homes, and as marketeers, there’s a big opportunity to help create those worlds that consumers are reaching out for.
Now, is creating a branded audio experience a little bit gimmick-y? Perhaps, however, the basic idea behind immersive audio experiences is providing a comfortable space where your customers can exist and relax. Even if you don’t want to create audio content like this, the lesson is transferable; the way your brand sounds is just as important as the way it looks. As the world continues to open up and experiential events become more commonplace, pay attention to the way they sound. Is there a way you can engage your customer without going for a hard sell?

5 Minutes To: Immersive Audio

For the more cynical out there, I think there’s a tendency to see graphic design as little more than ‘making things look nice’. But scratch the surface, and designers have a lot of different components to consider, sometimes on the smallest of decisions, which is why I want to talk to you today about buttons. 
This may seem a particularly niche topic, but I actually want to begin today with the well-documented ‘bouba / kiki’ experiment. It’s very simple, and you can take part right now!
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<h1>The Language of Shapes</h1>
Look at the two shapes below, and consider which shape is called ‘bouba’ and which is called ‘kiki’.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1304" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/kikibouba-300x154.png" alt="" width="600" height="307" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/kikibouba-300x154.png 300w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/kikibouba.png 750w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Of course, neither of these shapes are named kiki or bouba, in fact, neither of the words are real, but if you’re in the western hemisphere, chances are, you ascribe the word ‘kiki’ to the shape on the left, and ‘bouba’ to the shape on the right. 
This effect was discovered nearly 100 years ago, in 1929. Why this is important to design though, is because the effect also applies to names and characters &#8211; whether they’re real people, fictional characters, or even brands. A study undertaken by <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0126809">Sindhu &amp; Pexman </a>concluded that names with “round” consonants such as Molly were consistently paired with round silhouettes, and names with “sharp” consonants such as Kate with sharp silhouettes.
They went on to write that people will link metaphorically “round” adjectives like easy going with “round names”; and metaphorically “sharp” adjectives like determined with “sharp names.”
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<h2>Character Design</h2>
UX Planet undertook a character analysis to show how character traits can often be communicated through design, with a few examples below using three key shapes: squares, circles, and triangles.
Square Characters are commonly seen as reliable, uniform, traditional, and professional.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1306 size-full" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/square-character.png" alt="" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/square-character.png 600w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/square-character-300x225.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Round Characters are commonly seen as charismatic, endearing, harmless, and friendly.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1305 size-full" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/round-character.png" alt="" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/round-character.png 600w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/round-character-300x225.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Triangular Characters are commonly seen as cunning, dynamic, and competent. Downward pointing triangle is especially aggressive and evil (used in many cartoon villains).
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1307 size-full" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/triangle-character.png" alt="" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/triangle-character.png 600w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/triangle-character-300x225.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
There’s also a brilliant set of designs from Geoff Wheeler that show how shaping can influence character design with the same set of features:
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1303" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/geoff-wheeler.png" alt="" width="484" height="600" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/geoff-wheeler.png 600w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/geoff-wheeler-242x300.png 242w" sizes="(max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px" />
<h1>Brand Design Psychology</h1>
So what impact does this have on your design? As part of any good brand, you’ll know what your brand’s messaging is, and how it wants to be perceived by potential new customers. Whether you’re positioning your brand as a strong, powerful company, a kind, holistic brand, or a fast-paced, exciting organisation, you can attach these qualities subliminally into your design.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1302" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/brand-shapes.png" alt="" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/brand-shapes.png 936w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/brand-shapes-300x225.png 300w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/brand-shapes-768x576.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Credit: UX World
That also goes for the fonts and typefaces you use across your marketing &#8211; and it’s why these sorts of decisions have to be made carefully, considerately, and by a design team who can guide you through how your brand’s choices can alter its perception. <a href="https://uxmovement.com/thinking/why-rounded-corners-are-easier-on-the-eyes/">This article </a>by UXMovement offers a really interesting insight into how rounded corners are easier on the eye.
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<h2>Amazon&#8217;s New Design</h2>
And speaking of rounded corners, in the middle of last year, Amazon began experimenting with the shapes of the ‘add to cart’ and ‘buy now’ buttons on their product pages:
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1301 size-full" src="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/amazon-ux.png" alt="" width="630" height="630" srcset="https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/amazon-ux.png 630w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/amazon-ux-300x300.png 300w, https://api.beaconagency.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/amazon-ux-150x150.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px" />
Changes to Amazon’s web design are few and far between, so these changes are well worth paying attention to. 
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<a href="https://newlee.com/amazon-test-round-buttons-ux-design/">Newlee</a>, in their analysis of the changes, delivered this conclusion:
“Amazon may be gearing up for a softer brand image. After all, the company has netted impressive gains over the course of the pandemic; others have fared poorly. While no one will stop buying from Amazon, everyone has the ability to complain about Amazon. Congress will hold more hearings. Tech companies will remain an easy target.  At least when those companies reside here, in the physical plane of existence. 
Currently, Amazon’s buttons strongly recall the real, a UX choice that aligns with current thought and best practices. There’s something mechanically satisfying about pressing them. The embedded icons signal urgency, that time is of the essence. Perhaps Amazon’s button changes are forerunners to a larger move: a move away from the messy, tangible world of supply chains and trucks and into the tame, abstract reality of information—just real enough to love, too light to hate.  One could argue that excitement and power have been traded for geniality. 
Or maybe Amazon has realized that the internet is our home now. A home, above all places, should be stress free.”
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So, when it comes to working with designers, I promise you, that any designer worth their salt isn’t just there to make things look pretty. There’s a psychology behind design, even down to the smallest detail, for brands and organisations of any size. If you’re thinking about creating a new brand logo or any other projects, get in touch with us at <a href="mailto:hello@beaconagency.co.uk">hello@beaconagency.co.uk</a>

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