My Branding Process
Leveling Up
I’m always reflecting about something. As of late, I’ve been mulling over my branding services, concerned I wasn’t articulating my process/deliverables effectively. With a year plus some change experience now officially as a freelance brand developer, I also wanted to make sure I was encompassing everything a small business would need. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been drafting and editing true branding packages – and I’m excited to share they’re finally live. There are different options to fit the needs of different business owners – like social media templates for example – and graphic design add-ons.
But before running straight to the deliverables, I wanted to take a minute and break down the branding process. This is a process I’ve been developing and refining for years. It’s something I believe in and something I take very seriously (even though it’s primarily light-hearted and fun!). It’s a process that thrives when participants are open and vulnerable, as each step is collaborative. My ultimate goal is to take your unique passion and visually translate it to those you want to serve.
An Overview of My Process
The Discovery Session
While designing is my favorite, favorite part of the process, the discovery session is a very close second. This is the time where I really get to know you. Not just the “this is my favorite color” and “I like minimalism” design preferences get to know you. During this exploration, brainstorming, collaboration session, we talk about your core values and how you want to make your clients/customers/audience feel. In a nutshell, it’s during this session that I get to see the full story of your business – your passion, your strengths, the way you make others feel, the 5/10/15 year vision, the unique things that make you, well, you.
The Strategy Presentation & Collaboration Process
After the Discovery Session comes the Brand Strategy Presentation. This is a document I put together defining the pillars of your brand and come up with statements for each. I then combine these statements into a big-picture brand statement. This statement can serve directly as your “Mission” or “About” section, or it can be embellished and flourished upon for other collateral/projects. Essentially, it’s a base and resource for branded copy. This strategy presentation also includes a section on internal/external messaging, brand alignment, and brand attributes. I call it a collaborative process because it’s during the presentation that we wordsmith the statements if they aren’t feeling 100% right. As I always tell my clients, “you know your business better than me; let’s tweak this to make it align perfectly.”
The Design Process
At the end of the Strategy Presentation, we briefly talk about design preferences. Now, these preferences are not the automatic choice but rather more information for me as I’m working through my process. I take the themes of the brand strategy and use them to influence the visual identity of your brand. A brand that wants to be empowering for example, should use bold, unapologetic, rich colors. A brand that wants to be seen as luxurious and high end needs a sleek, chic typeface (font). My brand has a focus on creativity, so I expanded my color palette to include more than the typical 5, I thought about my branded photoshoot and the paint-thrown aesthetic intentionally (it also represents my view that it’s okay to get messy, make mistakes, and be human). Based on your preferences and my ideas, I’ll create a moodboard and a brief creative direction presentation to make sure we’re on the same aesthetic wavelength, and you like the direction I’m headed in.
With your approval, I will then begin designing and send over the initial drafts. We’ll work together to refine the brand identity over two iterations of reviews. Once the primary logo, secondary logo, sub mark, and logo mark are finished, we’ll move into the other deliverables in your package (each deliverable also receiving two rounds of reviews).
Deliverable Day
Also known as “Kristmas” Day, this is I think the client’s favorite day – the day you get all your files and documents! These files consist of*:
Brand Discovery Strategy Presentation (PDF)
Creative Direction Presentation (PDF)
Primary Logo (SVG, PDF, PNG, JPEG)
Secondary Logo (SVG, PDF, PNG, JPEG)
Sub mark (SVG, PDF, PNG, JPEG)
Logomark (SVG, PDF, PNG, JPEG)
Brand Pattern Files (SVG, PDF, PNG, JPEG)
Brand Guidelines (PDF)
Includes Color Palette and codes
Typography (font) files, if purchased
*Note that these are the deliverables for the “Getting Started” Branding Package. Social media deliverables, other digital deliverables, and one other print deliverable are a part of the Complete Branding Package.
Meet The Sanctuary: Branding Example
The Sanctuary was a brief project I did a few weeks ago that I thought would serve as the perfect example for all the deliverables in the “getting started” package. The brief called for a brand identity for a home décor company (think of a Lux Ikea) with the tagline “create your sanctuary.” In the carousel below, you’ll see the primary and secondary logos, logomark, sub mark, and brand pattern. It closes with some presentation slide examples, typography (font) pairing, moodboard, and mocks.
Isn’t It Time to Level Up?
I know how tempting it can be to find a cheap designer and spend as little as possible for a logo and call it a day. But when done right, branding is truly an invaluable investment for your business. Your branding is what speaks to your audience before you actually get a word in edgewise. Be honest with yourself, how many times have you purchased a product due to its branding? Branding influences so many aspects of the customer buying journey – don’t throw away your opportunity because you didn’t want to invest in your brand.
Let’s create something you’re excited about!
Check out my branding packages here.
