I’m going to say something that might surprise you.
I don’t want you to hire a designer too early.
If you’re in the early stages of starting a business branding journey and you haven’t clarified your positioning yet, you’re not ready for visuals.
The right designer with strategically-backed processes will walk you through this process, aiding you and your brand along the way.
I also have a free email course walking you through this exact process. We spend 3 days establishing your brand’s positioning, visual direction, and physical presence before you ever start designing.
Before you invest in a brand identity designer, ask them these five things:
1. Do you include brand strategy templates in your process?
If there’s no strategy phase, you’re buying decoration.
Strategy is the foundation that your brand stands on. You’ve just built your dream home. Would you rather your foundation be loose soil or concrete?
The same logic should apply to your brand. Don’t leave your work unprotected.
2. What does your brand strategy design process look like?
You should see clarity exercises.
Audience deep dives.
Positioning work.
Not just moodboards.
To take this one step further (I love your initiative!), I created the exact positioning document I run through with every one of my clients. This is such an integral part of my process that I had to share it!
3. What deliverables are included?
A real brand identity design layout includes systems, not just files.
All of my brand identities have these foundational elements:
- Responsive logo suite with at least 3 logos. Primary logo, secondary logo, and icon all have very different uses, but without one, the entire system begins to break.
- A set and balanced colour palette. Get selective here. Too many colours create brand confusion, leaving customers without a solid idea of who you are.
- Font system that speaks for your brand. Minimum 1 font, and a maximum of 3 is my personal sweet spot. When searching for fonts, I recommend finding a font family that includes multiple weights, italics, bolds, etc. This allows a cohesion between individual uses (see image above for reference).
- 20-30 page brand guidelines so there’s no confusion of how, where, and why to use the different elements of your brand. These guidelines are created specifically for consistency, referencing by your team, and to make sure that everyone is on the exact same page.
- Mockups (aka branding in action) to fully visualise your brand in the real world. Not only does this make you excited about your new branding, but it is also really great for beginning marketing before there’s a physical product, shop, or customer base.
This is a basic brand identity package, but without these systems, any further design starts on a weak foundation.
4. How will this translate to product branding or packaging?
This is where mockups come in handy, especially if you’re in hospitality or physical products.
Understanding the possibilities for your brand is important to discuss with your designer, and if you have a specific thing in mind, it can often be custom-designed for the perfect, seamless fit.
They should also walk you through the printing process and what to expect. Some designers even liaise with your printer during the design process to ensure the perfect end product. Get someone who is in your brand’s corner, someone who is rooting for the brand’s/product’s success- not someone who’s instantly unavailable the moment files are sent.
5. How do you ensure the branding grows with my business?
Because this isn’t just about launch day.
A good brand designer isn’t just creative. They’re strategic. They’re collaborative. They guide you.
If you’re at the beginning of your business branding stage, start there.
If you’re ready for strategic, founder-friendly branding support, you can explore how I work on my page.
No pressure, just alignment.
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