🔧 Trades Design Playbook™
Common design patterns and branding guidance for electricians, plumbers, HVAC, and other skilled trades businesses.
What Trades Customers Often Expect
Understanding what visitors commonly look for helps inform design decisions. These are general patterns, not universal rules.
- Fast response and availability
- Licensed and insured professionals
- Transparent pricing or clear quoting process
- Local service and community presence
- Reliability and showing up on time
- Generate service call inquiries quickly
- Communicate licensing and insurance clearly
- Build trust for in-home service visits
- Differentiate from unlicensed competitors
- License numbers displayed prominently
- Insurance and bonding information
- Response time guarantees
- Customer reviews and ratings
- Years serving the local area
- Burying contact information below the fold
- No clear service area listed
- Missing licensing or credential information
- Slow-loading sites that frustrate urgent visitors
Common Colour Directions In Trades
These colour combinations are frequently seen in trades branding. They are starting points for exploration, not prescriptions.
Blue and white is one of the most common colour combinations in trades branding. Blue may communicate reliability, trustworthiness, and professionalism. The clean white background keeps the design approachable and easy to read.
Red and dark gray combinations are frequently seen in trades businesses, particularly electrical and plumbing. Red may communicate urgency and energy, which can align with emergency service availability.
Green-based palettes are sometimes used by trades businesses to communicate environmental responsibility or to differentiate from the more common blue and red approaches.
A Sample Palette For Trades
This is one example of a colour direction that may work well for trades businesses. It is a starting point, not a requirement.
Common Typography Approaches In Trades
Typography choices contribute significantly to how a brand feels. These are common approaches seen in trades design.
Simple, highly readable sans-serif fonts work well for trades businesses. Visitors often need to find information quickly, so clarity takes priority over personality.
Heavier weight sans-serif fonts can communicate strength and reliability. Often used for business names and key service headings.
Common Brand Personality Directions For Trades
Trades businesses often align with these brand personality directions. Use Personality Palette™ to discover which fits your specific brand.
Sections Commonly Used In Trades Websites
Visitors to trades websites often expect to find these sections. Including them may help meet visitor expectations and reduce friction.
Accessibility Considerations For Trades
These accessibility considerations are particularly relevant for trades websites. They apply in addition to general web accessibility best practices.
Recommended Journey For Trades Businesses
Follow this sequence to build a complete brand direction for your trades business using the Design Lab tools.
Apply These Principles With Design Lab Tools
Recommended Website Designs For Trades
These designs are built for trades businesses and reflect common design patterns for this industry.