Branding, Logo, & Identity Design
It takes more than a trendy colour scheme and pretty typography to be successful in business. (If only it were that easy!)
You need to know what stories you’re telling, who you’re telling them to (and I don’t mean some made up “ideal client avatar” but real people), and how they want to hear them. You need to find the sweet spot where what you want to sell and what your people need to buy overlap. And you need to do all of this FIRST, before design begins.
Identity design is hugely important. It can make a small company seem bigger or a startup look well-established. It undoubtedly establishes a feeling of professionalism and helps outside stakeholders take your business seriously. But in order to create a system that looks and feels just like you, we first have to properly define who you are.
When you work with me, we’ll build your brand foundations. You’ll walk away with tactical items like logos or business cards, but more importantly, with a solid understanding of your position in the market and a plan for building a platform for growth.
Your brand is everything. Let’s do this right.
How it works
Discovery + Research
Research is the most important part of the process. A smooth project requires you and I to know where we’re going. This phase includes:
- Pre-project homework to record initial goals, vision, and values
- Pre-project review of existing brand
- Kickoff call to discuss your ideas and dig deeper
- Competitor research and audience interviews to help determine positioning
- Collaborative design research using Pinterest to uncover potential directions and create an inspiration board
- Written summary of all findings that serves as the brand roadmap for the work to come
Initial Design Concepts
Design is more than just aesthetically pleasing; it’s a powerful communication tool. I’ll create 2-4 initial concepts based on the brand roadmap and rooted in our strategy. Logos will be presented “in place” so you can see what the designs could look like in the real world.
Revise + Refine
From the initial concepts, you’ll choose your favourite direction for refinement. We’ll discuss your feedback and how it relates to the brand roadmap and brainstorm how we can make it stronger. I’ll follow up in writing so we can ensure we’re on the same page.
Launch
With the project complete, I’ll deliver final files as well as a detailed usage guide so you never have to wonder what to use where. The guide will contain all the rules for keeping your identity strong and consistent and is a great tool to share with subcontractors or in-house staff.
This is OUTSTANDING! I can’t believe how well you translated our ideas into key messages and an action plan for moving forward. I love all of the ideas and can’t wait to go through this in more detail.
It is so nice to have this structure that helps to support our thoughts and how we can best take steps towards our goals (otherwise we get lost with so many great ideas and plans and not a clear strategy!).
THANK YOU!! I’m so glad we are working with you 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the process take?
Depending on what we need to create, timelines vary between 3-6 weeks. Final timelines are determined after initial discovery is complete.
I really just need a logo. Can I skip the strategy part?
I require a strategy component in all my logo projects so that I’m not wasting your money. A logo built in isolation, without considering wants and needs of your audience, or connected to your overarching brand goals and values, will inevitably need to be redesigned. I don’t want this for your business. Not only is it expensive, it’s time-consuming to go through this project multiple times. It also gets progressively more costly for a business to rebrand as the business gets further along. Save yourself the headache and do it right the first time.
I need a website too. Do you do that?
Absolutely! You can check out the details here, or you can book a discovery call to discuss your project and get a custom quote.
I need some other design work. Can you still help?
Some projects require additional items. We can discuss adding on any of these on our call. Some samples of what we might do together are:
- Brochures, flyers, postcards, thank you cards
- Presentations
- Large format work (billboard/wall mural)
- Merchandise
Do you take rush jobs?
Sometimes! There will be an additional fee but occasionally I have room in my schedule for these sorts of projects. We can discuss on a call.
I'm really busy. How much of my time are you going to need?
I get it. Part of the reason you’re hiring a professional is so that this work is off your plate. However, I will require your time up front, to be sure we’re moving in the right direction. Experience has shown that when a client tries to shortcut this part of the project, the entire work actually takes longer as it is more difficult to hit the right mark without your participation. As the project moves along, I will require less of your time, but I’ll still need you to provide timely feedback and ensure that what I’m making fits into your vision.
I have been waiting for YEARS to do this work with you and it was just an incredible experience. Your guidance helped me incorporate my values into the brand promise for my customers. An example just this week was I want customers to feel ease in gift-giving so, while we wait for the online store to be ready, I am happily committed to hand-delivering my local orders. I feel grounded in all my decisions because of this work. Thank you, Linsey!
Ready To Get Started
Click the GET STARTED button to be taken to my project inquiry form. Fill out the form and tell me a bit about your project to get the ball rolling.
I’ll send you a link to schedule a brief, free 30 minute call with me. Let’s make sure we’re each other’s perfect people.
Once we’ve spoken about your unique needs, I’ll put together a proposal and send it over for your review.
Once the proposal is accepted, I’ll send over an invoice for the deposit to hold your space in my project schedule. We’ll also officially schedule your start date.
Before we begin, I’ll set up a private workspace where we can share files, ideas, and discussions. I’ll also send over a welcome guide that will walk you through all the most important information you’ll need to know while working with me.
Unmask Your New Brand
Book your free discovery call and let’s chat.