Working on the Brand of You

At a networking event I went to, I was asked 'how do you go about designing a logo or a website for someone? How do you create a brand?

I am repeating my answer here as it gives you a little insight into the process I like to go through when creating a 'brand' or public image for either an individual, business, band or other organisation.

Firstly it's about connecting and getting to know you and your organisation - who you are, what you do, the type of products, services, music you offer etc.This will probably involve meeting you and depending on the type of business, visiting your premises to get a 'feel' for the business environment, viewing and sampling your products. For musicians or other performers - watching and hearing you perform.  It's about 'listening' to what all of this tells me about you and what you are selling or promoting and the image you want to portray. I also ask people what they feel their main selling points are and if they have any particular preferences in terms of colour or other particular likes/ dislikes. Sometimes people find it easier to  tell me what they don't like than what they do.

Equally important is understanding who your target audiences are and what you need them to do as a result of visiting your website or reading a promotional leaflet? How will your branding make them feel? What does it say about you and your products or services? What will they find appealing? What is your USP (unique selling point)? What images and words do you need to 'speak' to them? Will the end result inspire them to take action? After all the publicity is aimed at them not you!

Once I have all of that information, its about trying to match all of that 'feeling' I've developed into a design that reflects it all - essentially its about packaging these feelings with your business objectives so they become a tangible portrayal of what you do that appeals to your audience and prompts them into action. This is true of websites, logos and printed materials.

Whether I'm working with a pub, a band, a charity, a beauty business, a tradesperson or other professional services,  or any other organisation, it's always a very interesting, exciting and creative experience developing the 'brand of you'!