WAIT! Don’t hire a designer (yet).
BRAND FOUNDATIONS
Do these 3 things before starting design
Is Your Brand Ready for a Designer?
I’m the first to admit that hiring a designer to bring your brand to life is fun! However, a strong brand isn’t just about the pretty things like logos, colors and landing pages—it’s built on strategy. While not always sexy, getting clarity around these foundational elements is essential. It will make your design investment more effective as it will truly represent your brand... and that’s kind of the point of all of it right?
As a thank you…
At the bottom of this post is a link to download a Brand Voice MadLib. Enjoy!
1. Know Your Business Inside and Out
Before working with a designer, be clear on your business’s mission, values, and goals. A strong brand stems from a well-defined purpose. Ask yourself:
What problem do I solve?
Who is my ideal audience?
What makes my business unique?
2. Develop Your Brand Strategy First
Great design is built on great strategy. A designer can help refine your vision, but they shouldn’t be creating it from scratch. Having a brand strategy in place ensures that your visual identity aligns with your business goals and speaks to your ideal audience. Key elements of brand strategy include:
Brand positioning: Where do you stand in the market?
Brand voice: How do you communicate?
Core messaging: What do you want your audience to remember?
3. Gather Visual Inspiration
Creating a moodboard is fun and can help communicate the look and feel you envision. Consider:
Colors that resonate with your brand personality (neutrals, punchy and bold, playful, friendly, warm, cool, neon, pastel… ask yourself what feels exciting and familiar?)
Typography styles that match your aesthetic (bold, thin, serif, handwritten, etc.)
Images that evoke the right emotions (Notice details you’re drawn to such as are the people looking at the camera? What’s the lighting like? Are they busy photos with a lot going on or more minimalist with empty space?)