Why not knowing exactly what you want your brand to look like before hiring a designer is actually a good thing
LET'S GET REAL ON BRANDING“When it comes to branding, it’s not about what you like – which is why it’s actually better if you come into the process with absolutely no idea about what you want your brand to look like.”
As a designer, I often have clients come to me with a very clear idea of exactly what they want their branding to look like.
While in some ways this can be helpful in getting the process started, having your heart set on a very specific visual outcome can actually make the design process harder – not easier.
Allow me to explain.
Your brand isn’t really about what you like
Before I begin, I want you to know that I don’t want you to feel personally attacked – I say this all with love and good intentions.
When it comes to branding, it’s not about what you like (sorry, no offence, but it’s true*) – and any brand designer worth their chops is going to be upfront with this if they feel like the visual direction you’re seeking isn’t aligned with what is going to attract your dream audience.
When you already have a strong idea of the colours, fonts, style or overall ‘look’ you want, it can be difficult to stay open to directions that might actually be better positioned for your brand.
Because ultimately, your branding isn’t being designed for you. It’s being designed to communicate you to the people you want to attract.
Of course, you should love your brand identity: you’re the one who has to live and breathe it every day. But personal preference is only one piece of a much bigger puzzle.
Before I begin designing, I’m considering your target audience, competitors, industry, positioning, personality and the wider goals of your business. The visual direction should be a result of that strategy – not something you’ve already decided on before we’ve done the groundwork.
*Courtesy of my spirit animal, Mr G - Summer Heights High, 2007.
If you already know the outcome, why hire a designer?
If you’re coming to a designer with a predetermined outcome and simply want someone to execute it, there’s a good chance you’re not getting the full value of investing in professional branding.
I’ve even turned potential clients away for this reason – I could just feel it in my waters that what they wanted their brand to look like didn’t match the strategy behind who they were trying to draw in.
You can bet your bottom dollar I’m not going to take anyone’s money to design something I don’t believe in – because my job isn’t simply to make something pretty, incorporate your favourite colours or recreate an idea you’ve already mapped out.
My job is to develop a cohesive visual identity that represents your business, differentiates it from your competitors and, *most importantly*, resonates with the people you want to reach.
The best thing you can bring is an open mind
Some of my best work happens with clients who come to me saying, “I don’t actually know what I want”.
They know their business, they know their goals, they know the audience they want to attract and how they want people to feel when they interact with their brand – but they’re open to discovering what that might best look like visually.
That gives us room to explore and trust the process.
It means I can take everything I learn through discovery, research and strategy and translate it into a visual direction without trying to squeeze those findings into a predetermined aesthetic.
So if you’re considering investing in professional branding but have no idea what your brand should actually look like, don’t worry. You might just be the perfect client.
Coming in with an open mind, choosing a designer whose work and approach you trust, and letting the process do what it’s designed to do is the BEST way you can be.
Chances are you will end up with a brand identity hotter than you never could have imagined – and one that’s far better for your business because of it.
If you’d like to chat more about working with me on your new brand identity, I’d love to hear from you. You can book in a free consultation with me here.
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