Twitter is a social networking site, but it is also your company communications portal. The design should reflect company colors, logo and "mood". Just as importantly, page elements should be positioned for visual impact.
The design of your Twitter profile page should incorporate the company image in colors and style that reflect both the corporate image and the company attitude. Do you want to portray a trustworthy, solid and somber image, like FEMA? Hip and lighthearted like @dzgraphicdesign? Chaotic and artsy like @PopArtDiva? Your choice of design should convey a message to contacts and potential clients and match your website and other corporate branding, including printed materials and advertising. Consistency is the key to effective branding.
How the space is used is important. The main focus of the design should center to the far left, especially if words are included. The most common design mistake on twitter is graphics and words hidden behind the content area with no way for the visitor to see them. This would be fine if most Twitter users had gigantic monitors, but that is unlikely to be the case. Careful consideration goes into what you want people to see, so take just as much care to be sure it shows on the page….and don't forget that the top or side area is a prominent and practical place to display your URL. Here are a few great examples of branding and use of space:
And a few tragic near misses:
- @todayshow – beautiful graphic, but most of it is behind the content area.
- @HumerusOnline – looks like a really nice illustration, but it's hard to say for sure.
If possible, your user name should be the company name to avoid any confusion and also to reserve the name so no one else can claim it. The company logo should be used as the avatar unless the person posting is the face of the company, for example @mashable.
Twitter profile pages have several areas that can be customized. On your home page, look for the "Settings" link in the top right menu bar. This will open your profile settings. Click the "Design" tab to begin. From there, you can choose to:
1. Change the background image – clicking on this link expands the bottom text on the page to include a "choose file" feature that allows you to browse your computer for an image. Other options are "Don't use a background image" and "Tile background".
2. The other option is "Change design colors" After clicking on this link, you can set colors for the following page areas: background, text, links, sidebar, and sidebar border.
For best results, keep the foreground light, the background striking, and the colors complimentary. The real star of the show should be your content, brilliance delivered 140 characters at a time.