Glossary of Branding

Strategic terms, decoded. So your next packaging brief doesn’t sound like a therapy session gone wrong.
Designed for founders, skincare nerds, and anyone tired of guessing what “brand architecture” actually means.
Brand Infrastructure

Brand System

What it means:

The full ecosystem of your brand’s visuals, voice, behaviour, and structure — not just your logo. It’s how your brand behaves when you’re not watching.

What it really means:

More than just vibes. It's your brand’s operating system.

Brand Infrastructure

Consistency Fatigue

What it means:

The point where brand guidelines feel like a prison — but breaking them too early kills your recognition.

What it really means:

When you want to change everything but know you probably shouldn’t (yet).

Brand Messaging

Voice vs Tone

What it means:

Voice is who your brand is. Tone is how it sounds in different situations. Think of it like this: same personality, different volume settings.

What it really means:

Voice = your brand’s personality. Tone = the mood it’s in today.

Brand Messaging

Skincare Copywriting

What it means:

Words that balance science, emotion, and regulatory compliance — used on packaging, websites, and ads.

What it really means:

It’s not just about glow. It’s about credibility, clarity, and conversions.

Brand Personality

Founder-Led Brand

What it means:

A brand where the founder’s voice, story, and presence is deeply embedded in its identity — often magnetic, but sometimes messy.

What it really means:

Equal parts power move and pressure cooker. If you know, you know.

Brand Structure

Brand Architecture

What it means:

The structure of your brand ecosystem — how your main brand, sub-brands, product lines, and extensions all relate to each other.

What it really means:

Like a family tree, but messier (especially when no one planned it properly).

Customer Experience

Brand Touchpoint

What it means:

Every single place your brand makes contact with someone — from your unboxing experience to your Instagram bio. If it leaves an impression, it’s a touchpoint.

What it really means:

Basically, anywhere your brand whispers, shouts or seduces someone.

Consistency

Design System

What it means:

A structured set of design components, rules, and behaviours that ensure consistency across brand touchpoints.

What it really means:

Like a brand bible, but cooler and actually useful.

Layout & Flow

Visual Hierarchy

What it means:

The intentional order in which your eye moves through design. It’s how we make sure the product name hits first, not the recycling symbol.

What it really means:

A.K.A. why we don’t make the SPF size the smallest type on the label.

Layout & Flow

Whitespace

What it means:

The intentional empty space in a design that gives your content room to breathe, digest, and be seen.

What it really means:

No, it doesn’t mean it looks empty — it means you finally stopped cramming things.

Layout & Flow

Grid System

What it means:

A structured design framework that keeps layout clean, consistent, and readable — invisible when done right.

What it really means:

The lines you follow before your layout goes off the rails.

Typography

Typography Hierarchy

What it means:

The structure of your brand's text. Headlines, subheads, product titles — all laid out in a way that your reader doesn’t get lost (or bored).

What it really means:

Making sure your text knows who's boss.

Compliance

Compliance Design

What it means:

The design work that balances creativity with legal requirements — ingredient labels, SPF disclaimers, barcode positioning, and anything the TGA might breathe down your neck about.

What it really means:

The stuff that keeps your pretty packaging from getting pulled from shelves.

Compliance

SPF Label Hierarchy

What it means:

How SPF, broad spectrum, PA ratings, and ingredients are visually prioritised on sunscreen packaging to meet compliance *and* look damn good.

What it really means:

Making sure your SPF doesn’t look like a budget chemist knockoff (even if it is).

Customer Experience

Unboxing Experience

What it means:

The emotional and sensory moment of opening your product — where design, messaging, texture, and timing collide.

What it really means:

How your brand says 'I’m worth it' before they’ve even tried the product.

Design Tools

Packaging Mockup

What it means:

A visual rendering of what your packaging will look like — used to test, pitch, and visualise before production.

What it really means:

How you sell the vision before you’ve spent a cent on print.

Hierarchy

Front Panel Hierarchy

What it means:

The order in which a customer processes your packaging at first glance. What jumps out first, what lingers, what’s absorbed subconsciously. It’s make-or-break stuff.

What it really means:

How to make someone care in 1.3 seconds.

Label Content

INCI

What it means:

International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. The universal language for what’s actually inside your skincare — whether it sounds sexy or not.

What it really means:

The fine print that ingredient nerds live for (and founders love to ignore).

SKU Structure

Packaging System

What it means:

A cohesive, scalable structure for all your product packaging. Built to expand across SKUs without losing your brand identity.

What it really means:

Your packaging’s personal ecosystem — minus the chaos.

Visual Recognition

Shelf Impact

What it means:

The instant recognisability and desirability your packaging creates at first glance on a physical or digital shelf.

What it really means:

The reason someone picks you instead of the boring beige tube next to you.

Conversion

Call to Action (CTA)

What it means:

The prompt that tells someone what to do next — buy now, book a call, swipe, save, click, convert.

What it really means:

Where you stop being mysterious and start being direct.

Conversion

Conversion Copy

What it means:

Writing designed to get a specific action — buy, book, sign up, click — without fluff or filler.

What it really means:

Where your words stop being cute and start doing their job.

UX Patterns

Above the Fold

What it means:

The area of a web page that’s visible before scrolling. Prime real estate for attention and conversion.

What it really means:

Where you win or lose them in under 3 seconds.

UX Patterns

Information Scent

What it means:

The cues a user follows (copy, layout, buttons) to decide if they’re on the right path — especially in digital experiences.

What it really means:

If they can’t smell the answer coming, they bounce.

Layout & Flow

Grid System

what it means

A structured design framework that keeps layout clean, consistent, and readable — invisible when done right.

what it really means

The lines you follow before your layout goes off the rails.

Design Tools

Packaging Mockup

what it means

A visual rendering of what your packaging will look like — used to test, pitch, and visualise before production.

what it really means

How you sell the vision before you’ve spent a cent on print.

Brand Infrastructure

Consistency Fatigue

what it means

The point where brand guidelines feel like a prison — but breaking them too early kills your recognition.

what it really means

When you want to change everything but know you probably shouldn’t (yet).

Brand Messaging

Skincare Copywriting

what it means

Words that balance science, emotion, and regulatory compliance — used on packaging, websites, and ads.

what it really means

It’s not just about glow. It’s about credibility, clarity, and conversions.

Brand Personality

Founder Energy

what it means

The unfiltered charisma, chaos, and conviction a founder brings to their brand — often magnetic, sometimes overbearing.

what it really means

When the brand *is* the founder... for better or worse.

Conversion

Conversion Copy

what it means

Writing designed to get a specific action — buy, book, sign up, click — without fluff or filler.

what it really means

Where your words stop being cute and start doing their job.

UX Patterns

Information Scent

what it means

The cues a user follows (copy, layout, buttons) to decide if they’re on the right path — especially in digital experiences.

what it really means

If they can’t smell the answer coming, they bounce.

Customer Experience

Unboxing Experience

what it means

The emotional and sensory moment of opening your product — where design, messaging, texture, and timing collide.

what it really means

How your brand says 'I’m worth it' before they’ve even tried the product.

Visual Recognition

Shelf Impact

what it means

The instant recognisability and desirability your packaging creates at first glance on a physical or digital shelf.

what it really means

The reason someone picks you instead of the boring beige tube next to you.

Decision Bias

Anchoring

what it means

A cognitive bias where people rely too heavily on the first piece of info they see — often used in pricing, messaging, and layout.

what it really means

That sneaky thing that makes $49 seem like a deal after $89.

Consistency

Design System

what it means

A structured set of design components, rules, and behaviours that ensure consistency across brand touchpoints.

what it really means

Like a brand bible, but cooler and actually useful.

Brand Personality

Founder-Led Brand

what it means

A brand where the founder’s voice, story, and presence is deeply embedded in its identity — often magnetic, but sometimes messy.

what it really means

Equal parts power move and pressure cooker. If you know, you know.

Compliance

SPF Label Hierarchy

what it means

How SPF, broad spectrum, PA ratings, and ingredients are visually prioritised on sunscreen packaging to meet compliance *and* look damn good.

what it really means

Making sure your SPF doesn’t look like a budget chemist knockoff (even if it is).

Consumer Behaviour

Brand Recognition

what it means

How quickly and consistently someone identifies your brand from a logo, tone, colour, or even shape — often without needing to read a word.

what it really means

When someone sees hot pink and immediately thinks 'Oh, that’s them'.

Trust Signals

Credibility Markers

what it means

Visual or verbal cues that build trust with your audience — like certifications, reviews, years in business, or clean design.

what it really means

The quiet stuff that screams 'You can trust this' before they even read your label.

Brand Psychology

Perceived Value

what it means

What someone believes your product is worth — shaped by your visuals, words, price, packaging, and entire brand experience.

what it really means

It’s why you can charge $72 for serum in a frosted dropper and no one blinks.

Conversion

Call to Action (CTA)

what it means

The prompt that tells someone what to do next — buy now, book a call, swipe, save, click, convert.

what it really means

Where you stop being mysterious and start being direct.

UX Patterns

Above the Fold

what it means

The area of a web page that’s visible before scrolling. Prime real estate for attention and conversion.

what it really means

Where you win or lose them in under 3 seconds.

Layout & Flow

Whitespace

what it means

The intentional empty space in a design that gives your content room to breathe, digest, and be seen.

what it really means

No, it doesn’t mean it looks empty — it means you finally stopped cramming things.

Brand Structure

Brand Architecture

what it means

The structure of your brand ecosystem — how your main brand, sub-brands, product lines, and extensions all relate to each other.

what it really means

Like a family tree, but messier (especially when no one planned it properly).

Brand Infrastructure

Brand System

what it means

The full ecosystem of your brand’s visuals, voice, behaviour, and structure — not just your logo. It’s how your brand behaves when you’re not watching.

what it really means

More than just vibes. It's your brand’s operating system.

Typography

Typography Hierarchy

what it means

The structure of your brand's text. Headlines, subheads, product titles — all laid out in a way that your reader doesn’t get lost (or bored).

what it really means

Making sure your text knows who's boss.

Brand Personality

Brand Behaviour

what it means

How your brand acts, speaks, and shows up — everywhere. It’s the consistency between your tone, visuals, values, and actions. The good ones get this right. The forgettable ones don’t.

what it really means

It’s what makes your brand feel real — not just designed.

Hierarchy

Front Panel Hierarchy

what it means

The order in which a customer processes your packaging at first glance. What jumps out first, what lingers, what’s absorbed subconsciously. It’s make-or-break stuff.

what it really means

How to make someone care in 1.3 seconds.

SKU Structure

Packaging System

what it means

A cohesive, scalable structure for all your product packaging. Built to expand across SKUs without losing your brand identity.

what it really means

Your packaging’s personal ecosystem — minus the chaos.

Customer Experience

Brand Touchpoint

what it means

Every single place your brand makes contact with someone — from your unboxing experience to your Instagram bio. If it leaves an impression, it’s a touchpoint.

what it really means

Basically, anywhere your brand whispers, shouts or seduces someone.

Compliance

Compliance Design

what it means

The design work that balances creativity with legal requirements — ingredient labels, SPF disclaimers, barcode positioning, and anything the TGA might breathe down your neck about.

what it really means

The stuff that keeps your pretty packaging from getting pulled from shelves.

Brand Messaging

Voice vs Tone

what it means

Voice is who your brand is. Tone is how it sounds in different situations. Think of it like this: same personality, different volume settings.

what it really means

Voice = your brand’s personality. Tone = the mood it’s in today.

Label Content

INCI

what it means

International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. The universal language for what’s actually inside your skincare — whether it sounds sexy or not.

what it really means

The fine print that ingredient nerds live for (and founders love to ignore).

Layout & Flow

Visual Hierarchy

what it means

The intentional order in which your eye moves through design. It’s how we make sure the product name hits first, not the recycling symbol.

what it really means

A.K.A. why we don’t make the SPF size the smallest type on the label.

I'm not a dirty secret, I'm a shiny weapon.

Let's make something worth keeping confidential.