18 Sep Brand Design 101

So, you want to start a business. Where to start?

Listen, I get it. Designing your brand and starting a business can be extremely overwhelming. Having moved through this process many times with my own businesses and having helped countless entrepreneurs do the same, I can confidently say the key is taking things step by step. There are many pieces that come together to create a brand, which is the foundation of your business. If you want to be successful, it’s important that you feel clear about what you’re doing, where you’re headed, and why. The good news is working through this process can be incredibly empowering, inspiring, and transformational with a seasoned designer on your team.

What is Brand Design?

My definition of Brand Design is the process of defining the foundational elements of your brand, becoming empowered by your story, and then creating visual elements to represent it. 

FOUNDATIONAL BRAND ELEMENTS

• Your Story | Your story is a piece of writing that expresses to your audience what brought to where you are now, what drives you, where you are headed, and why. Ideally, this letter has your core values, mission and brand voice weaved into the copy, leaving your target audience feeling inspired to take action to purchase your goods or services. Potential clients are not just buying goods or services from you, they’re buying your story, values and mission. Authenticity is the name of the game!
• Core Values | The ideas or concepts that drive you in all you do. For example, some of my top core values are empowerment, freedom, creativity, joy, beauty, partnership, communication, and love.
• Your Why | Your why is your purpose statement. It’s a simple one-liner that fuels and supports everything you take action toward in life with the work that you do. For example, my purpose statement is: “To help people level up in life, business, and wellness.” 
• Mission Statement | A statement that defines the purpose of your business. For example, if you are a yoga instructor, your mission may be: “To inspire and educate students to develop deeper self-awareness and vibrant physical and mental health through the practice of yoga, both on and off the mat.”
• Target Audience | Potential clients who are interested in what you are selling or offering. It’s important to know what your potential clients are desiring, what they are interested in, and how they want to interact with you so that you can develop the right brand voice and strategy to reach them.
• Brand Voice | The tone of voice you use across all platforms that represents your company and helps readers identify your brand. Brand voice can include word choice, communication style, and emotional tone.

VISUAL BRAND ELEMENTS

Once the foundational elements are set, the visual elements come next. This is when your vision and passion really come to life:

• Logo | A simple representation of your business that may contain artistic elements, symbols, and text. The logo design process also sets the fonts and color palette for your brand.
• Business Card | A sleek card that contains your logo and represents your brand and vibe is a must as you’re out and about in the world connecting with folks. Everyone becomes a potential client when you’re an entrepreneur. Having your card on hand is crucial in directing clients to contact you.
• Website | A place on the internet where potential clients can learn your story, values, mission, and offerings, and contact you. Websites vary in complexity, ranging from simple to highly developed with extensive functionality. It is wise to choose a platform that will support your growth and evolution as an entrepreneur, such as WordPress.
• Social Media Content | Branded graphics that carry the tone and message of your business across all platforms, using consistency to establish a strong brand identity.
• Professional Photography | An important part of establishing credibility and respect for what you’re doing is to invest in a branding photo shoot (one powerful new headshot, at the very least). Investing in good photography = investing in yourself. When people see that you take yourself seriously, they take you seriously. In addition, powerful, aesthetically pleasing photos increase a potential client’s desire to buy your goods or services. Utilizing stock photography throughout your branding (in addition to photos of yourself or ideal clientele) is a great way to level up your visual elements and showcase the beauty of your story – your photos tell your brand story visually.

Ready to get started? Book your free 30-minute coaching conversation today. I look forward to connecting with you!