
?We exist in a place where bits and atoms come together?.
In its recent rebrand, Uber describes a new world order: a world in which new digital businesses, from Hassle to Deliveroo, are using technology to power physical services. Trust has been the cornerstone of business for centuries but these businesses in particular rely on trust more deeply than ever before. Why? Because they require us to put our faith in the unknown. We must trust unproven concepts, we must trust fledgling businesses, we must trust strangers we have never met before. In an online world, trust is no longer built through face-to-face interaction but through logo, design and interface. Building instant trust Building trust used to take time. Today, with a myriad online services ? from nannies to taxis ? at our fingertips, we have to make instant decisions on the ones we choose to trust. And very often, it?s all about those first impressions. In 2006, a team of Canadian researchers showed that the average person takes just 50 milliseconds to judge the aesthetic appeal of a website. What?s more, these initial impressions were found to have a lasting impact on the person?s perception of the company. Symbols, visuals and colours all contain inherent semiotic codes that help bring familiarity to the unknown. Dark blue can make a company appear more credible. An intuitive interface can convey professionalism. Recognisable symbols can make a new concept, or emerging company, appear less alien. Processed in an instant, these factors come together to help us make instant decisions on the companies and brands we choose to trust.Read more on branding:
- Design for design?s sake: Brands should avoid Uber approach to redesign
- The dangers of parody Twitter accounts to brand reputation
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Building trusting communities The sharing economy is built upon transactions between two individuals. Whilst in the ?real? world, people can choose to trust others based on face-to-face interaction, the online world needs a new model. Often, companies employ visual signposts to promote trust between users. As laid out in BlaBlaCar?s D.R.E.A.M.S. Trust Framework, many brands ensure that users have a clear public profile, complete with visible star ratings and other visuals clues such ?Ambassador status? which help users to make decisions on who to trust. They, and others, also use the global online background checking provider Onfido to verify their users? identities and histories. Just a few weeks ago, the company launched its new logo, designed to be recognised as a global trust symbol. For third-party verification services in particular, logos are not just about looking pretty. They become a modern hallmark, carrying a much deeper significance and indicating that any company associated with it can be trusted for one reason or other. From the BSI Kitemark to the Michelin Star, these visual seals of approval provide an instant air of legitimacy, helping users make more confident purchase decisions and in turn, helping businesses to grow. You trust what you can see Trust is the linchpin of any successful business. But as we move to a digital society, businesses must learn to build that trust without the luxury of human interaction. With an increasing amount of services becoming available through our mobiles, it?s what we see on our phone screens ? the design, the logo, the interface ? that will determine whether we can trust the person on the other end.Onfido was founded by Oxford University graduates, who?secured a $4.5m investment last year to declare war on identity theft.
Chiara Quadranti is director of marketing at?OnfidoShare this story