Editor's note: Our guest blog today is from Laura Helen Winn, interaction designer at Smart Design and creator of Form & Future.
When you hear the word ‘brand’, what comes to mind? Logos? Colors? Name brands like Coca-Cola or Amazon?
“A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or company. It’s not what you say it is. It’s what THEY say it is.” Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap
Everything I know about branding, I learned from Marty Neumeier. Marty’s ideas became popular because brands are the way people perceive you. Luckily, you can be proactive in defining your brand, and communicating your brand visually with your identity.
Defining your brand will help you narrow your focus, and strengthen a connection with your readers. Writing this is similar to writing an elevator pitch. Ask yourself these questions: “Who am I, what do I do, and why does it matter?”
I asked myself the same questions when planning my blog, Form & Future, and came up with this answer:
Form & Future is a journal for new designers and events for new makers. We interview designers and artists about how they got started, what they love about their craft, and their advice for people finding their passions. Form & Future fosters a community of encouragement and knowledge-sharing that gives beginners an opportunity to ask questions, and makers a moment of reflection.
Once you've defined your brand and how you'd like to be perceived, you need to design your blog. Keep in mind that you don't need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to learn enough about design to set your blog apart.
Look at all blogs that you read, and start to assess their visual components. What colors and fonts are being used? Does the blog use illustration or photography in a way that catches your eye? Do you read more blogs with a clean white background, or do you prefer a bit of texture? Once you look critically at your favorite websites, you'll be more comfortable designing your own. When you're starting out, it's totally okay to tweak an existing blog theme with your own flavor.
Ask a designer friend for help with your identity, and keep it light. A simple logo, accent colors, and savvy font selection will go a long way in setting your blog apart from the rest.
If you want to invest a bit of money into your brand, you can seek out professionals and semi-professionals at 99 Designs, where designers submit their take on your creative brief.
Defining your brand and designing your identity will strengthen your blog and help you look professional. If you live in San Francisco, I highly recommend taking Nicole Delger's Brand Basics class at Makeshift Society. In this class, Nicole will take you through the basics of building a brand from the foundational (telling your story) to the exceptional (creating an amazing customer experience). Structured as a “Branding 101, 201, and 301” lesson, you’ll get a broad overview on how each area of your business development informs and guides your marketing message.
If you can't make the class, I highly recommend Marty Neumeier's Innovation Workshop Video. Marty gives you the low-down on brand insights. Throughout the video, you'll complete exercises to help you determine what you're offering the world, and why it matters.
Branding is not a decision you’ll make for the rest of your life. Your brand will evolve alongside your blog and business. Every now and then, take a step back and ask yourself the three magic questions, “Who am I, what do I do, and why does it matter?” Keep answering these questions, and you’ll stay true to your vision.