Systems of branding: the convergence of intuitive design & structure.
Hi there. I see you.
So you’re an intuitive small business owner or sole trader. You value the freedom that comes with running your own show, setting your own hours & boundaries. Your business works for your life, not the other way around. You are striving for your days to be in flow & you yearn to simply follow the energy. You show up on social media when it feels right for you, not when an algorithm tells you to.
The thought of being boxed in to some sort of “brand structure” makes you feel limited & icky & overly controlled.
BUT…
When you feel like creating something visual for your business like a flyer or social media post or a simple website, there are TOO MANY options. You’re frequently paralysed by indecision, and when you do create something it takes HOURS or feels HARD. If you do get it finished, you look at your Instagram grid & see a bunch of disconnected images & colours & clashing fonts all mish-mashed together. Engagement is low, leaving you feeling disheartened & demoralised & drained.
Even though you know having a structure would ultimately make things easier for you, you resist. HARD.
There is a balance between chaos & order that is negotiated in most people lives on a daily basis…
The chaos of having children underfoot during every daily task vs the order of wanting a peaceful, clean & quiet house.
The chaos of your unfiled paperwork vs the administrative order demanded at tax time.
The chaos of opening Canva & scrolling endlessly through templates unable to make a decision vs the order of having it all decided, designed & created for you.
**ahaaaa**
One thing that most of my clients find to be an unexpected bonus of the brand design process is the incredible feeling of freedom & calm that comes with the realisation that they don’t need to make so many micro decisions each day. Not sure what font to use? Which colour? Which carousel template? What type of graphics or photos? Doesn’t matter! Don’t stress! Your brand is set. The designer’s job is to make those decisions ONCE so you NEVER have to make them again. And better yet, those decisions are made by a professional who has years of training & experience, has strategised your brand identity & knows you as a business person.
I’ve been a designer for 18 years now. So to me, it’s no surprise when a client says something like…
“My marketing is so much easier now that I have brand guidelines to follow.”
“That stock image collection you made for me has saved me hours of scrolling.”
“I actually enjoy using Canva now that I don’t have to agonise over all those little details.”
“For the first time actually enjoy creating social media content, I used to hate it!”
“You’ve given me back hours of my week that were wasted which I should have been spending with paying clients!”
As a business owner, having a design system to follow will free you up to invest more energy into your clients, your services, your products, running your business & making it BETTER, easier, more fun & more profitable.
…written from a quiet table in my local Vietnamese hangout after 2 glasses of rose.
