I’m ready to re-brand my business... Now what?

Investing in business branding > where to start...

So you’ve decided it’s time to up your business branding game. Your current logo has served its purpose, but it never really felt quite right. Maybe you purchased a pre-made design from Etsy, maybe you chose the DIY route, either way, you’ve outgrown what you have and it no longer represents you, your business values or direction. It’s not conveying the right message and it’s certainly not appealing to the right customers. But where do you even start?

Interestingly, I had quite a few responses to my Q+A a few weeks back stating that some of you were considering investing in business branding, but honestly just didn’t know where to begin with the whole process. And while I was a little surprised, it also makes sense. This is new to you, just like commissioning a painting or having a bespoke piece of jewellery made is something new to me. So I thought I’d give a little run-through of what you can expect when joining the brand design journey with me. 

Firstly, let me be upfront about one point: I may not be the designer for you. I’m most certainly not a one-size-fits-all kinda gal. Most designers aren’t. We all have our own specific styles, specific types of clients/industries we understand and excel at working with. Be sure to do your research and find a designer you gel with - one who has similar values, a killer style and someone who has insight and an understanding of your industry. This will help ensure you’re well on your way to creating something magical together. That may not be me, and that’s completely fine, but hey, you’re here and you’ve read this far so #winning!

The very first step on our journey together is obtaining a copy of my Branding Package Guide. To make things super easy, you can download this direct from my website straight to your inbox. This includes all you need to know about me, the kind of clients/industries I like to work with, my current brand design packages (inclusions and price-points), a run-down on my design process and answers to things you might be just generally too nervous to ask. From here you can chose the package most suited to your needs or get in touch if you have further questions or are looking for something more specific and I can pop together a custom package.

Once you’ve (hopefully) decided I’m the designer for you and have locked in your package details, it’s time to complete your client Welcome Kit. This includes all the details of your project in writing, plus the expectations for each of us during our time working together. This document also includes a copy of your Client Questionnaire. This is where I ask you to spill all about you and your business - your values, goals, plans, target audience... Everything. The more information you can give, the easier it makes my job and the more likely we are to nail the visual identity of your dreams. I’m a detail-oriented person and I weave a lot of that into the designs I create, so I’m definitely all about the over-share at this point. It includes questions about your competitors, what makes your business different, and who your audience is specifically, so now’s the time to get clear and definite about your business plan if you’re not already. I’ll also need to know where you plan on using your logo. This might seem obvious, but how your branding works for you within your business can directly dictate design aspects and the ways certain elements are incorporated into your brand story. So be sure to give these kinds of things significant consideration. Finally, I’ll need to know about any aesthetic details you have in mind - colours you like/dislike, any pre-existing branding, styles, fonts, the works. You don’t need to know exactly what you want your design to look like... funnily enough, I very rarely get projects where the brief is exact in terms of the how the final design should appear, and to be honest, I prefer this. How your final design looks is, for the most part, determined by the culmination of many factors that are uncovered during the research phase, so having trust and an open mind when it comes to the exact look of your design is always beneficial to the process.

From here, I’ll spend some time familiarising myself with your questionnaire answers and compiling reference notes (old school pen and highlighter at the ready). This helps narrow my focus and really pinpoint the important aspects and points of difference to keep at the forefront when it comes to crafting a visual identity that is not only beautiful but functional as hell too. Now’s also the time to get pinning! A private Pinterest board will be created for the two of us to add any and all examples of inspiration, joy, reference and points of interest that take our fancy. Get ready to fall down a design rabbit hole! I research your competitors and the general market and look at ways we can present your business uniquely and genuinely and bring all of this information together within your Visual Brand Strategy. Here you’re presented with a refined document incorporating elements like your mission, intention and audience specifics, brand values, proposed palette and the fan-favourite, a custom-curated moodboard as a visual road-map to the overall aesthetic direction I have in mind. I give one clear direction and any necessary tweaks are made at this point to design references or palette hues to ensure we’re on exactly the right path before jumping on into the concept design phase.

Once your strategy is finalised, we’re ready to dive on in to the design phase. Sometimes I have clear ideas, sometimes they come to me as I work through the process - I believe I’m a bit of an intuitive creator and my ‘flow’ can often extend well into the night - but what you’re finally presented with is two polished concept designs, complete with secondary/complimentary branding elements, an explanation of design choices, cues and references to your brand values, along with some high quality mock-up examples of how your shiny new designs might look out in the real world. Any design tweaks or alterations are made from here, then your final files are packaged and ready for release along with any relevant collateral and stationery designs included in your package. Now you’re ready to share your beautiful new visual identity with the world!

This process may seem complicated and somewhat daunting, but as long as you’re clear about your business and where it’s headed, connecting the dots is up to me. And funnily enough, puzzles were always my thing.