THE BRAND PROCESS
Great branding doesn't start with a logo. It starts with a good chat and ends with a brand customers want to buy from again & again. Before I pick up a pen, I want to understand what you're building, who you're building it for and what makes your business worth choosing.
My process combines strategy, creative thinking and plenty of collaboration to build a brand that's not just good-looking, but has a clear point of view and something worth saying.
Here's how we get there.
A TRIED & TESTED BRAND-BUILDING PROCESS
STEP 01. Discovery
First we figure why your brand matters to customers.
We start with a proper conversation about your business, your ambitions and where you want to go next.
Once we're working together, we'll dig deeper into your business, your customers, your competitors and the bigger picture around your brand.
We'll get clear on things like:
What do you stand for?
Who are you trying to reach?
Why should they choose you?
What makes you different?
And what do you want your brand to be known for?
This becomes the strategic foundation for everything that follows.
STEP 02. DEFINE
This is where we turn good ideas into a clear brand direction.
Strategy is only useful if you know what to do with it.
We'll turn everything we've uncovered into a clear creative direction for your brand, defining the positioning, personality, messaging and visual territory that will make you stand out to the right people.
This is where we make the important decisions before getting distracted by fonts and colour palettes.
You'll know what your brand stands for, how it should communicate and what we need the identity to achieve.
STEP 03. DESIGN
With the strategy in place, I get to do my favourite bit - make your brand unforgettable.
I'll explore different creative directions and develop the visual identity around the strategic foundations we've agreed.
This includes your logo suite, typography, colour palette, graphic elements, illustration and other visual assets.
You'll see the thinking behind each direction, not just a collection of pretty pictures. We'll choose the strongest route together, then refine it until everything feels distinctly yours.
STEP 04. DEVELOP
This is where we turn your new visual identity into a cohesive brand system.
Once we've settled on the core identity, I'll develop the wider system so you have everything you need to use your brand consistently and confidently.
We'll bring the identity together into your brand guidelines, showing how the different elements work together and giving you a practical reference point for using the brand in the real world.
If you’ve chosen my Shaker Brand Package, this is also where we start thinking beyond the identity itself and how you're going to put the new brand to work.
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The worst thing is getting a folder full of disorganised files that you’re not sure how to use!
Once everything is signed off, I'll package up your finished brand neatly and make sure you know exactly what you've got and how to use it.
You'll receive your final brand assets, guidelines and supporting files, organised for both digital and print use.
More importantly, you'll leave knowing why your brand looks the way it does, who it's for and how to use it confidently.
STEP 05. Activate!
Depending on the package you choose, here’s where it gets really interesting.
My Mover Package gives you the strategic foundations and visual identity you need to move forward with confidence. You'll leave with a brand that's ready to use across your business.
The Shaker Package takes things further. Alongside your strategy and identity, we'll develop a practical plan for putting the brand into action, helping you decide what to prioritise and how to introduce your new brand to the world, along with a tailored six-month marketing plan to help your new brand hit the ground running and hopefully bring ROI within 6 months.
Depending on what your business needs, websites, packaging and other brand applications can then be added to bring everything to life.
READY TO MOVE YOUR BRAND FORWARD?
If you're building an independent product brand and know it's time to take the next step, let's talk.
What other clients have said.
“Once again, David has been incredible to collaborate with and I'm already looking for another excuse to employ his talents.
He redesigned my branding and created assets that absolutely nailed the brief.
They capture the essence of our business and our values and I couldn't have asked for a better process overall.”
“We are honestly obsessed with the branding and I am so excited to relaunch the site with everything.
We really appreciate you and everything you’ve done for us.
I am really happy to have a cohesive brand going forward.”
“My company is young and my "brand" from the outset was a DIY shoestring job. I wanted to create a look that really embodied my work and also figure out what the heck my brand was supposed to communicate. Thankfully I found David, whose rare combination of business acumen and artistic skill put my flurry of vague ideas into his expert brain and produced a huge suite of organized and beautiful brand assets.”