Cake Layers: Kinda like creating a brand.
As I was writing my branding process out, I realized it’s kind of like making a cake or building a foundation to a house. I like cake better. And I remember my painting teacher getting after me for trying to apply the detail first before establishing out the shapes, the values, and overall layout of my painting. She told me “You’re trying to put the icing on the cake before you’re baking it!” And thus, for a lot of prospective clients I’ve talked to, all they want is a logo without really thinking deeply about the real foundations of their businesses. The foundations being who they’re trying to sell to, what their values are behind why they’re doing all this, and how they’re going to speak to their ideal customers. They want the icing and decorations before the making the cake.
When clients come to me for branding, they typically fall into one of two categories. Some already have their values, messaging, and core elements in place and just need the design to complete their brand. Others have only a logo and a website they quickly put together to get online but now need a cohesive and consistent brand identity.
For those who need to define their brand beyond just visuals, we start with an intensive one-to-two-hour strategy call. This deep dive covers everything from your business’s origins and purpose to your long-term vision—beyond just colors and fonts, which I consider the icing on the cake. From this conversation, I craft a multi-page brand brief outlining your core messaging, values, and positioning, forming the foundation for your visual identity.
The design process takes about one to two weeks, during which I ideate, sketch, and create logo variations, including horizontal, vertical, badge-style, and favicon formats. I refine color palettes and fonts based on your preferences and target audience, ensuring a strategic and polished brand presence. In the end, you receive a comprehensive brand presentation and guideline, giving you and any future designers a clear roadmap to maintain brand consistency.
You'll get all of this in a fraction of the time and cost of a larger agency—without compromising quality. I love serving my clients and I take pride in delivering excellent service, clear communication, and high-quality results that set your brand up for long-term success.