My Branding Process From Start To Finish
Today, we're diving deep into my full branding process from start to finish. You may have seen the inspiring end results of branding projects and wondered what it took to get there. Or maybe you've seen me post behind-the-scenes glimpses of working with clients and been intrigued by what all goes into the end result. Today, I'm peeling back the curtain and giving you a step-by-step look at what it's like to work on my signature Brand Identity package with me.
Lets dig in →
Pre-Project
Inquiry and Proposal
The first step in working with me is to submit an inquiry on my website. This is an opportunity for me to get to know your project better and ensure it’s the right fit. Within two to three business days, you'll receive an email from me inviting you to schedule a Discovery Call. I schedule my discovery calls through 'Calendly' so you can easily see my availability. My preference these days is to take all discovery calls on one day of the week to batch them together.
During our Discovery Call, we’ll get to know each other, chat about your business, and I’ll share a bit about me, my studio, and how I think I can best assist you. Once we hop off the call, within two to three business days, I'll send you a custom proposal outlining project goals, the offerings I think will best suit you, including specific deliverables, timeline, revision count, and so forth. I usually like to include a few tiers of offerings, providing you with a range of options based on your needs and investment level.
Once you choose the package that's best for you, a 50% deposit is required to hold your spot. Once you secure your deposit, we're off to the races.
Onboarding
The next part of the process is the formal onboarding for your project. This includes tasks such as signing a contract, aligning on a timeline, and receiving a detailed onboarding email from me with all the necessary information for your project. Items in this email include:
Project Management: You’ll be invited to your project’s Airtable board, my project management platform of choice. I create a detailed timeline and task list, assigning dates and responsibilities between myself and you, the client. This acts as a guide, allowing you to track the project's progress, have a clear picture of what is needed, and a place to provide feedback.
Creative Brief: The creative brief is a comprehensive questionnaire gathering core details and insights into your business, brand, and needs. This serves as the guiding principle for the project.
Shared Google Drive Folder: This folder acts as our collaborative space where you can share ideas, upload existing brand assets, and where I deliver your final files at the project's conclusion.
Schedule Project Kick Off: Lastly, we align on the timeline and schedule specific calls as needed. The most important being the Project Kick Off Call, which hits the green light on our project together.
Phase I: Discovery
Creative Brief
During the discovery phase, the first step is for you to fill out an in-depth creative brief outlining your business, mission, value proposition, competitors, target audience, and more. This is a foundation from which we’ll land on our design direction and decisions.
Research and Discovery
Once I’ve reviewed your Creative Brief, I’ll move into the research and discovery phase. In this process, I’m digging up insights and inspiration, commonalities from competitors in your space, and getting clear on how to ensure your brand direction will not only be an expression of who you are, but help you stand out from others in your space.
Phase II: Design
Creative Direction
On our Kick Off Call, we align on the direction of your project. After the Discovery Phase, I compile design, color palette and typography inspiration to establish an overarching theme or direction for the project. Typically, I provide at least two to three different mood board options and directions for discussion, giving you a variety of choices and using it as a catalyst for discussion to pinpoint the things you like as well as the things you don’t. We narrow down to one direction before beginning the next phase.
Logo Exploration
Your logo is a crucial part of your brand identity — it's the first experience people have with your brand. I like to start with your logo development first, using it as a jumping point for your full visual identity. I develop 2-3 different logo concepts based on the approved creative direction, including a primary logo, secondary logo, and brand mark. This phase is all black and white, allowing you to focus on tangible elements like shapes and type. You choose one direction to move forward with, and provide any initial feedback.
Brand Exploration
Once we've established your creative direction and logo choice, we move into brand exploration. This is where the magic happens, exploring and defining your complete visual identity. This phase is usually the longest and most involved, as we explore typography, color, brand elements, photography, iconography, or patterns—all the elements that bring your brand to life as a whole.
Brand Guide
After completing revisions and finalizing your logo and visual identity, it's time to create a comprehensive brand guide. A brand guide is a comprehensive document that outlines all your design elements, assets, and the rules and guidelines for their use. It serves as a reference point for bringing your brand to life in various contexts as it grows and evolves over time. A brand guide is essential as your team expands; it serves as an onboarding tool for new members, ensuring quality control and adherence to brand standards.
Collateral
With your brand identity established, we move on to developing collateral assets relevant to your business needs. Some examples of collateral may include: social media templates, mailers, business cards, stationery, menu designs, packaging, and more. This part of the project brings the tangible assets we've established together to life through actionable items that set you up for success as you prepare for your launch.
Phase III: Deploy
Offboarding
Offboarding is the final step in getting you and your brand out into the world. My team exports the brand guide and all individual final assets (think: logos, icons, patterns, etc) into our shared Google Drive folder, providing you with everything you need to hit the ground running. Once the assets are exported, I send our final offboarding email, outlining all the final deliverables and project notes.
VIDEO: A Deep Dive Into My Client Offboarding Process →
FAQs
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The offering outlined above, Brand Identity, takes 6-8 weeks on average from start to finish. My abbreviated offering, Brand Base, takes 4 weeks, while my top-tier offering, Brand Strategy + Identity, takes 8-10 weeks.
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I have 3 tiers of Branding to fit a variety of solutions and budgets. You can get the full details of what’s included and the pricing for each in my Pricing and Services Guide.
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You can view recent finalized projects here.
In Summary
Branding is my sweet spot. I’ve loved getting to refine my process, making it the best it can be for passionate entrepreneurs like you, and am so glad to be giving you a little insight into what it looks like from start to finish. I’m continually grateful for the privilege of collaborating with like-minded business owners, bringing their ideas to life, and helping to establish a stand-out visual identity and memorable brand experience for their audience.
If you're ready to give your brand the attention it deserves, I'd love to help you bring your idea to life.
Let’s work together →
TLDR; Getting your business off the ground but not sure where to start? Download my free Brand Checklist to get the run-down on all you need for a stand-out brand.
Hi there, I’m Blake!
Branding expert, graphic designer, and your new (personal) cheerleader. With over a decade of experience building brands, my sweet spot is helping passionate entrepreneurs like you grow their business with confidence and clarity. Let’s work together →