AUTUMN ON THE BLOG | CELEBRATING THE INTANGIBLE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BRAND DESIGN JOURNEY OR SIMPLY JUST EMBRACING YOUR ROOTS
I was recently settling into some Autumnal weekend plans when, with a hot drink in hand, I decided to open Instagram, something I don’t often do on a Saturday. There to greet me, at the top of my feed, was a mood board which I had created some time ago, for London based Calligrapher and Designer, Henrietta, founder of The Styled Writing Company.
The words which accompanied the post quickly moved me to light tears as I read how Henrietta described, eighteen months on, completely unprompted and in her own words, one of the many things I wish for as an outcome for clients trusting me with their Brand Design journey; the benefits of the intangible takeaways.
With the world seemingly having what seems like yet another wobble, I therefore wanted to take the time to lightly celebrate these and also share how they might help you (whether as part of an official Brand Design journey or not) to navigate these latest times of change.
“I adored working with Katie. After years of yo-yoing about what I wanted my branding to look like, Katie took my hand, soul searched me and my business and brought to life a vision that felt she knew me better than myself. I think this is what a talented brand consultant does; to pull out all the threads that exist deep within, so that the results feel totally natural and right, yet slightly beyond your comfort zone and somewhere you’d never have gone alone. When I feel a bit lost I always refer back to the mood boards she created for me and it refocusses my mind.”
Where essence meets design….
Some recent words of my own over on Instagram, explained that what fascinates me about the Brand Design process is it’s intentionality and ability to curate a combination of colour, font and design which is not only aesthetically pleasing but also has the ability to spark the right emotions; the ability to (often subconsciously) not only communicate with, but resonate and align with those clients and customers we truly seek to work with.
One of the key foundations to this is understanding, with depth and clarity, a brand’s true essence and therefore how a brand really needs to feel. This, combined with some powerful psychology, allows your design concept to play out in a way that is not only beautiful, but is unique only to you whilst also aligning closely with your dream client.
When clarity meets direction….
As we navigate our journey together and having dived deep into your world, slowly but surely, you begin to see things through a different lens; one which gives you focus and direction. Not only this but the journey and the methodology seems to captivate and energise clients as much as it still does me.
It is then these unique intangibles which, without fail and as we draw to a close, become some of the most beneficial takeaways from the process, providing clarity, support and direction for all your ongoing visuals; some ‘science’ to drive the ongoing creativity if you like. As well as a beautiful set of new logos, your entire visual strategy, from website design through to shoot planning and social media, becomes a great deal more clear and a lot less overwhelming. What’s more, you have a unique set of Brand Guidelines to refer back to whenever you feel like you’re losing your way.
Autumn feels….
So, as Autumn draws in, and whilst the world is feeling a little unsettled, I encourage you all, just as is happening in nature, to strip everything back to its roots. Even if you’ve not been part of an official Brand Design journey, perhaps cosy up by the fire one day, hot chocolate in one hand, pen in the other, and simply journal or brain dump all that makes you, you.
Immerse yourself within your brand’s values and inspirations, pull apart what is unique about your offering and really get under the skin of your perfect client. Question why it is that this client not only wants, but needs to work with you and only you.
As I mentioned over on Insta, I don’t claim to have all the answers as we enter yet more times of change but, as someone who is passionate about the power of a strong brand, I would simply say stay true to all of this. Align with it, celebrate and radiate it. Try to strip out some of the current noise and avoid the hustle. Focus in on your clients and what you do best, be gentle with yourself and, of course, find joy in allowing space to nourish your talent and creativity in all the ways you know how.
Sending warm Autumn wishes,
Katie x
See Brand Design for The Styled Writing Company. Image credit: Brand Photography by the very brilliant Meg Lovell.