You have decided to invest in a new brand, now what?

It is ok to feel lost at first

Not knowing where to begin your brand journey is quite common. Many aspiring small business owners struggle with getting started. It is also the exact reason why you hire an experienced designer to help guide you. I have noticed a pattern over the years. Clients explain they get overwhelmed and panic before they even can begin their branding experience. They give up, focus on something else and rush into making bad choices. These choices can come back and haunt you down the road. I am here to stop that cycle. Let me walk you through what the branding process looks like.

First things first

Find an experienced designer whose works speaks to you. Where? Social media is a great place to start. Ask friends who they might know or do a search on Google. Keep in mind your budget for the brand. Hiring a firm is usually more expensive than a freelance designer. Establish how you will be working together. Is your designer local on can you work together long distance.

Second, don’t contact them until you are ready to move forward with the project.  Instead, make a list of what you think you might need in a brand. You may think I mean things like color palette, typography and style. I don’t, we will get to that in a second though.

What I am looking for here are the things you need for your business to operate. Think branding goods. What will you need to market your business day to day. Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself.

Will you have a website?

Will you have social media accounts? Which ones to start?

Will you have an Etsy store?

Will you need to have post cards designed?

Will you need business cards?

Will you need thank you notes?

Will you be making printed goods such as tags, boxes, flyers, brochures, etc.?

Will you need forms designed such as invoices or work requests?

Will you need package design?

Will you plan on getting promo items printed down the road?

Will you want to offer merchandise you sell?

Will you want have garments with the logo embroidered on them?

Will you want to screen print t-shirts to sell?

Will you need your vehicle wrapped?

Will you be planning events in the future?

There are many more considerations, but this is a good list to get you thinking. Considering these things early on will save you time and money. The designer can make sure your brand package can reflect your needs in your package. Bottom line, if you take the time to think about it first, go into the meeting prepared, you will save money in the long run.

Be open to ideas

Pinterest is one of my favorite friends. There is something about getting on there and pinning until my heart is content. It can also make a person question what they want in a brand when they have too many ideas. Go with your gut. You know what speaks to you, follow that path. Make a board, keep it to show your designer for inspiration.

Don’t do Pinterest, not a problem. Bring in a favorite painting or photograph to explain color palettes. Take a photo of your favorite room in your house or an outfit. Anything that inspires you will help your designer. Think of it as getting your hair done and bringing in a photo of a hairstyle you love!

Trust your designer. You have seen their work and are paying for their valuable, educated input, let them do their job. They can see beyond that Pinterest board. One of our gifts is understanding the importance of style and consistency in a brand. Through questions and images, we will help you determine the style of branding you are in search of.

Hiring a designer.

The creative process is the hardest part of this adventure for clients. Trust me, we understand. We have talked about your business together, got you more excited with ideas. We have given you input, and you know we get you. We even showed you some concepts in the form of a mood board or style board, so you know we are on the same page! You are drying to see what we have come up with, but it is radio silence while we are in creative for a while. It’s like getting dumped before even going on your first date. Do not fret, I promise we still love you, we are working, and we will return!

While a designer is in the creative process a lot is happening. Even if you only hear crickets on your end. We are researching, making sure we aren’t creating anything out there already. Sketching our little hearts out, coming up with too many concepts and then narrow it down to the best choices. We are searching for fonts and trying various set ups with the choices. We are deciding placement of possible graphics and even color palette options too. Designing a brand is not like accounting where the numbers add up only one way and it is right or wrong. There are many choices in this profession, so we need time for our creative brains to well, create. We want the outcomes perfect as you do. Your vision is important, but we also want them to serve your business in the best way they can. Time is one of the most important things you can give a designer so please bear with us!

Files matter, make sure you get what you need

The designer has created your brand, you love it, you approve it, you pay for it. Now, what the heck do I do with it now?

Learning the importance of the types of files is crucial to the success of your brand. Knowing when to use what files can also be tricky. Designers often make Brand Guidelines for this reason. They should also tell you up front what files to expect.

Be sure to have access to more than just a .jpeg on a white background. When I work with a client, they receive all the files below in a toolkit. Many designers do not agree with this method. For me, if I create a brand for you, I want you to have all those tools you need to use the entire brand.

Here is a list of the brand files and the importance of each.

The .eps file

This .eps is your vector file in outlines. This is the file you would use for printing, embroidery, anything where you need to submit the highest resolution file. You will not be able to open this file without a design program so it will appear as an unreadable file otherwise.

The .pdf file

PDF is an abbreviation that stands for Portable Document Format. Most can open these on their computers and have worked with them before. Also, can be sent for printing when your logo is requested for an event, etc.

The .png file

The .png file is a universal file that can be used in both print and digitally. The .png files I create have a transparent background so you can use them in a variety of ways. What does this mean? It means you can use these to float over images like a watermark or a block of color on your website.

The .jpeg file

A familiar file that is often associated with photographs. The usage will be the same here and these images are perfect to use on both the web and social media.

The .svg file

Stands for Scalable Vector Graphics, it is a web-friendly format for storing and displaying 2D graphics. Unlike raster images like JPEGs, which are composed of pixels. SVG files can be scaled up or down without any loss of quality, making them ideal for logos, icons, and illustrations on websites and in other applications. 

The value of a brand

Understanding the value of a good brand from day one is priceless. I know I keep repeating myself, but I promise you it is.

Think of it as if you were planning on taking a camping trip. What if you didn’t prepare. You woke up and threw a few things you had in the back of the car because you didn’t want to spend the money or plan. No tent, you won't need it, the open air is what you seek. The sleeping bag you own is old and has holes in it. There may be an odd smell to it too, but it is for one night, who cares. You didn’t pack much food. You won't need too much, you'll be fine.

Anything can happen on a camping trip. It rains. Critters entered that hole in your sleeping bag last night and now you have woken up drenched from rain with something fuzzy at your feet. You have a flat tire with no spare and be stuck out there longer than planned, but didn’t pack much for breakfast. Dramatic example, but you catch my drift.

Prepare, have an idea of what you need, understand the value of the brand. I promise, you are your best investment!

Written by Tammy Fluech for Hey Neighbor. If you are interested in learning more about Hey Neighbor or would like to be featured, click here to learn more.