This study examines how brand recognition is constructed through visual identity in the Instagram feeds of digital-first skincare brands. Through a qualitative visual analysis of published Instagram posts from Glossier, Rhode, and Glow Recipe, the study explores how color, composition, imagery and typography recur and are structured over time.

The findings show that brand recognition does not primarily emerge from individual images, but from the relationships between multiple posts within a feed-based context. The analyzed brands establish recognition through different visual strategies such as color as a defining marker, restrained visual aesthetics or thematic continuity, but all rely on the consistent application of recurring visual principles. Based on the analysis, design principles are formulated to describe how visual identity can be developed in digital feed environments. The study thus contributes to a deeper understanding of how brand recognition is constructed within contemporary social media branding and digital visual communication.