Make your brand a Work of Art
Star Castle Studio provides artful entrepreneurs and makers with tips and custom-created visuals needed to beautifully run a professionally branded business and make an unforgettable impression online.
Art is a very integral part of graphic design.
Or at least, it should be.
What your business offers is unique – your brand visuals should reflect that.
There are way too many cookie cutter logos and brands out there that are generically made and cranked out quickly with no soul. Your art is so important to give a level of truth to your brand that will instantly make people more drawn to what you do. Using your art as a guiding tool to shape and form your business puts a much bigger piece of yourself into your brand. Artists commonly forget that they can use their art to further the business side of life! You can use your fabulous artistic style to transform your brand into an actual piece of art!
Let’s start out with some simple ideas that can help you personalize your business while reflecting what you uniquely bring to the table.
Are you a doodler? Do you draw or play around with hand lettering? Try sketching out your very own logo! Start out by just drawing something up with a pencil and paper. Yes, it may not look the greatest at first, but whatever you dream up will be 100% custom and unique to your business.
Whether you digitize your sketch or hand off these first drafts off to a designer, your initial vision carries so much more impact and intentionally than purchasing something pre-made. Plus, it adds an extra level of personality to your brand and really involves you in its creation.
Sketching first allows you to freely explore the possibilities, without getting boxed into what’s ‘expected’ or common in your industry.
Make your own moodboard!
Moodboards are a big part of the brand design process and are typically the initial step to establishing the look & feel you want your brand visuals to evoke. If you’re creating a moodboard for yourself, simply hunt down visuals that inspire you and feel relevant to the dreamiest vision of your brand. Gather assets without judgement, and then curate what you’ve saved to create a cohesive collage of your intended style.
You’ll probably notice some patterns, colors, etc. that keep popping up – hone in on these and make sure you include them on your moodboard. Print what you come up with and hang it somewhere you’ll see it daily (bonus points for putting it in your office space)!
Your moodboard will act as the main blueprint for all of your brand visuals, and you should reference it often – whenever putting assets out that represent your business.
There’s beauty in the details! Get your hands dirty.
Designing a brand offers the potential to incorporate all sorts of cool artistic elements! You’re not limited to digital vector art… hand lettering, calligraphy, textures, illustrations and more are all great ways to establish truly powerful visuals for your brand!
Consider your own personal quirks. Do you always draw a little heart above your i’s? Top the ‘i’ in your logo with that little personal touch! Curve your ‘a’s a certain way? Choose a font that mimics that quirky curve!
Try to incorporate an aspect of what you do and what makes you different.
Let your brand be your next blank canvas!
While many artists view their work as a totally separate entity from their ‘brand’ – the two should ‘play well together’. Begin with whatever medium you’re comfortable creating with.
If you’re a painter, break out your paintbrushes and a canvas, where you can create new elements and textures without feeling restricted by a fancy design program you’ve never used before. Scan your watercolor textures in and use them as a background texture for your brand, or use some organic paint splatter motifs in your logo!
Specialize in film photography? Add some grain to your logotype as a quiet nod to your vintage aesthetic! The possibilities are endless! Just make sure whatever you add, ties back to your business and what you have to offer – ignoring ‘what’s popular’ or trending will lead to a more memorable brand (that won’t be in urgent need of a redesign next year!)
These small details are key to setting your brand apart and providing a sneak peek into what your business uniquely brings to the table.
Forget the ‘strictly digital’ way of building a brand and use YOUR skills to your advantage to create a unique & memorable brand!
Wrap everything up with a bow – in a style guide!
Once you’ve nailed down a logo you love, it’s time to tie everything together into a cohesive, one-of-a-kind brand. The best way to package thing together is with a style guide. This is what the ‘big brands’ use to help visuals consistently stay on-brand. It’s a crucial piece to showing up professionally online and making an unforgettable impression on your audience.
The moodboard you created previously for your brand is the first piece of your new style guide. Next, you’ll want to add which font(s) you’ll use throughout your materials, exact color swatches so everything stays consistent, the beautiful new logo you made, along with any patterns/textures you want to use. Make sure that every element you add to your style guide matches the look & feel your moodboard portrays. Careful not to get too caught up in the creation process… Resist adding unnecessary attributes that don’t speak directly to your brand & audience!
Down the line, your style guide should become your best friend!
Print it and put it in your workspace so you can reference it whenever you create an asset for your brand. Every graphic, asset, or printed material you share should stick to the visual outline you set in that style guide. It’s the metaphorical ‘bible’ you’ll use to keep everything on-brand! Refer to it whenever you need the exact color blue or to figure out the precise curve to that “J” that you handily designed.
Once you’ve gathered these assets, you’ll be able to focus on what you actually love doing, without worrying about how your brand is looking online. The stress of posting then becomes a simple plug-n-play process, so you have more headspace to devote to your business & your work!
Your brand should be fun, memorable, and unique to you & the way you do business!
If you’re not currently head over heels in LOVE with your visuals, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Incorporate some personal touches, embrace what you bring to the table and celebrate that through your visuals!
struggling to make your brand ‘yours’?
I built my bite-sized branding process just for you!
You deserve a totally custom brand – created just for you & your unique business! Ready to debut your dream with confidence? Choose & book your start date and we’ll get you all set up with a new brand asap!
