Signs It’s Time to Elevate Your Brand

Branding

Signs It's Time to Elevate Your Brand

Something’s not working right in your business, and maybe you suspect it’s connected to your branding. Maybe your brand visuals are inconsistent, or maybe they’re totally misaligned with the vision of your business. No matter the reason for that unsettled feeling, having branding that’s out of alignment can really put a damper on your business’s success.

If you feel like your branding is holding you back from your business goals, keep reading for a few signs it’s time to elevate your brand.

You’re products or offers have recently changed.

Whenever there’s a shift in what your business offers, it’s a good time to reassess your brand. This is an opportunity to create a brand that can grow with your business. Your branding should accurately reflect what you want your business to be known for, and it’s important to create a brand that’s adaptable to change.

It’s also important to consider how your new offers will be perceived by your ideal audience. Introducing a new product may open a door to a new customer base that doesn’t resonate with your current branding. When elevating your brand, you’ll want to think about your new audience’s demographics so you can build a brand that speaks to them.

You’re struggling to connect with your people.

Do you feel like you’re not reaching the audience you want to serve? If there’s a disconnect between you and your ideal audience, take a look at your branding. Designing your branding with your audience in mind is essential to effectively connect with them.

This starts with getting clear about who your ideal audience is and knowing what appeals to them so it can be reflected in your visuals. When your audience interacts with your brand, you want them to feel like you get them on a personal level. That way they will start to build trust and identify with your brand.

You’re ready to show up with confidence.

How you feel about your branding has a big impact on the way you show up in your business. If you’re embarrassed about the way your brand looks, it’ll be tough to really feel confident. You could have an amazing product or service, but it’s hard to express that without branding that’s in alignment with the heart of your business.

Building a strategic brand will help you become more confident, because it will be designed from a foundation of your vision and values. This holistic approach ensures your brand is infused with these core elements of your business, which leads to a major boost in confidence.

Final thoughts

When your brand visuals and messages are out of alignment with your business’s offers and goals, it can be hard to genuinely connect with your people. You deserve to feel confident and proud in all aspects of your brand.

If these statements are resonating with you, maybe it’s time to invest in brand design. I would love to connect with you and see how we can start elevating your brand so you feel confident in how you show up for your customers.

Hi I’m Hayley, founder of Hidden Pearl Design. We help creative entrepreneurs gain brand confidence so you can grow with purpose.

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How to Find the Right Designer

Branding

How to Find the Right Brand Designer

Investing in working with a brand designer is a important decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s helpful to consider if their process and offerings are a good fit for you and your project needs. This can save both of you from miscommunications and disagreements that may come up while working together.

There are so many talented designers out there, and that can make it difficult to know who will be the right fit. Here are a few questions to help you find the right brand designer, to make sure they’re aligned with your business’s vision, goals and needs.

What’s their design philosophy?

Every designer approaches their design process a little differently. While the basics may be the same across the board, each designer comes with a unique creative perspective that’s worth getting to know beforehand.

Learning about a designer’s general outlook on design also gives you a feel for how they work, offering you a glimpse into what it would be like to partner together on your project. For example, at Hidden Pearl Design, we believe in creating brands that are as strategic as they are authentic. This means we take our time uncovering what makes your brand special and stand out before beginning to design your brand visuals.

Hearing about their design philosophy can also allow designers to showcase their expertise and passion. A great designer will have a thoughtful approach to design that incorporates more than just aesthetics. When someone’s excited about what they do, it’s a good sign they care about their work and want to serve you the best they can.

Do they listen to me and understand my purpose?

The creative process requires trust and clear communication. Design is all about communicating thoughts and ideas through visuals. You can’t create an effective design without clearly understanding what it is you’re trying to say through it.

As a creative business owner, you have a unique purpose that’s integral to the heart of your brand. You want to share this through your brand designs, and that starts with finding a designer who carefully listens to your story. You need someone who supports your vision and enthusiastically comes alongside you to provide the brand elements you need to get there.

Notice how the designer is listening and responding to your needs and desired outcomes of the project to envision what this working relationship could be like. Do they ask thoughtful questions? Do they repeat what they’ve heard to make sure they got it correct? Make sure you’re both on the same page so collaborating is an enjoyable and productive process.

Can their services support my goals?

Consider if the designer’s services can really help you effectively reach your goals. Custom brand design is a valuable investment, that has immense potential to help grow your business. However, it could be a costly mistake if you don’t choose a designer who can offer the right design solutions you need.

If you want to reach your business goals, it’s not enough to choose a designer who’s work you admire. It’s important to look for a designer that can support your specific goals through designs that produce results. This calls for strategic design that hones in on creating visuals that appeal to your target audience and compels them to take action.

Finding the right designer for your goals can also mean turning to someone who’s niche you fit into. Choosing a designer who specializes in working with your type of business can be very helpful, since they’re familiar with your needs and will inform you of what works.

How involved will I be in the process?

Lastly, learn about how much of your involvement will be required if you work with this designer. Your level of involvement in the project will depend on the designer’s creative process. If you want to learn about the creative process at Hidden Pearl Design, read this post.

Good communication is essential for great design. To create effective designs that truly reflect your brand, a designer has to get to know you and your business. Don’t be surprised if there’s a high level of involvement, especially in the beginning of a project. However, it’s also important that your designer respects your time and responsibilities as a business owner.

Consider the amount of time you’ll need to allot for meetings and feedback, and what’s feasible for you in this season of business. When you and your designer can invest the proper amount of time, the project will run the most smoothly and produce the best possible work.

Final thoughts

Choosing to invest in custom brand design is a exciting but weighty decision that requires thoughtful consideration of your options. The more information you can gather when you meet with a designer, the more likely you’ll be to find the right fit. If you’d like to work together to design your strategic brand, please apply here. I’d love to connect!

Hi I’m Hayley, founder of Hidden Pearl Design. We help creative entrepreneurs gain brand confidence so you can grow with purpose.

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Do’s & Don’ts of Logo Design

Branding

Do's & Don’ts of Logo Design

When it comes to your brand, your logo has an important role: to convey the core values and purpose of your business. It’s like a welcome mat to your brand, inviting customers in and giving them a taste of who you are as a brand. Designing a logo that authentically represents your brand can be challenging, though. It involves plenty of decision-making, which can easily feel overwhelming when certain aspects of your brand are still unclear.

I want offer a few do’s and don’ts of logo design to help you get started on the right foot. Whether you’re working with a designer or DIY-ing it, here are a few pointers to consider:

Do: Ask "Why?"

Strong design starts with knowing your purpose, so you can communicate it visually. It’s important to know your purpose and what motivates you to run your business.

Your brand’s “why” is the north star that you can point to when making logo design choices to make sure the design aligns with the heart of your business. Keeping the “why” at the forefront of your mind while designing your logo ensures you’re incorporating what really matters to your brand into your logo.

If you want to know more about finding your “why”, check out my post to find some thoughtful questions that may be helpful.

Don't: Skip the Strategy

Brand strategy is your map to designing a meaningful logo.

Diving into designing a logo without a strategy is like trying to build IKEA furniture without reading the instructions. Not good. Save the headache and start by getting clear about who you are, what you do, and who you serve.

When you’re confident about your business, you’ll make better, more decisive design choices. You won’t be wondering whether to pick this color or that font because you’ll know what aligns with your brand and what doesn’t.

Do: Consider Your Audience

Knowing who you are and what your brand stands for is only one piece of the puzzle to creating an effective logo.

Your logo is a hinge where your brand and your customers intersect, so it needs to represent both. You need to know your audience and what appeals to them so you can form strong brand connections.

Once you’re sure of who you’re serving, hone in on what resonates with them visually. They want to feel confident that your brand is for them, that you completely get who they are and what they’re looking for. So do some research on your demographic to learn what would pop out at them and make them stop scrolling to check out your brand.

Don’t: Decide Based on Aesthetics Alone

It’s not that aesthetics don’t matter, but that they should be backed by strategy when designing an effective logo.

Designing a logo that looks pretty but doesn’t have meaning behind it won’t be much help for you and your business. You want your logo be attractive, but remember that it’s primary job is to accurately represent the core of your brand.

Instead of only thinking about what looks nice, consider how you can translate the key elements of your brand into visuals. Starting from a foundation of brand clarity guarantees a stronger logo, because it allows you to design something beautiful that’s also packed with intention.

Final thoughts

Strategic design is essential to creating a logo that truly reflects the heart of your business. The more intentional you can be in the design process, the more effective the logo will be.

I hope this post helps you understand what goes into making strategic design choices so you can create a meaningful logo for your brand. If you’d like to work together to design your strategic brand, please apply here. I’d love to connect!

Hi I’m Hayley, founder of Hidden Pearl Design. We help creative entrepreneurs gain brand confidence so you can grow with purpose.

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How to Define the “Why” of Your Creative Business

Branding

How to Define the "Why" of Your Creative Business

Creating a meaningful brand starts with asking intentional questions that uncover what’s at the heart of your business. This is where the essence of your brand is revealed, and from here you can create visuals and messages that express the core values that connect you to your people.

But maybe you’re wondering where to even start when it comes to defining your brand.

There’s so much great information out there about the many valuable aspects of building a brand, but it can be so overwhelming sifting through to find the most important essentials. I want to give you the right jumping off point, so you won’t have to stare at a blank Google doc page any longer.

It all starts with discovering your “why”.

Your “why” is the key to understanding what makes your brand unique. There may be hundreds of other businesses offering similar services and products as yours, but what makes you different is why you do what you do.

Maybe it sounds too existential or intimidating to start with asking “why?”. If that’s you, then I have a few questions to get you started.

What about your business are you most passionate about?

What about your business or industry lights a fire within you whenever you think about it? What makes you smile while you’re working throughout your day?

Look past the day to day challenges of running a business and think back to the moments you’ve felt the most joy when working and serving. Whether big or small, these reasons for excitement and contentment can lead you to your “why”. The more distinct and specific you can get the better, as these are what will distinguish you from your competitors.

Who has been placed on your heart to serve?

Consider the people you feel moved to serve and long to solve problems for. How do you envision improving their lives? What about your business makes you equipped to meet their needs?

People and relationships are at the core of why many of us build our businesses, and often specific groups and individuals tug at our hearts the most. Keeping them at the forefront of your mind while defining your “why” will ensure you’re creating a brand that resonates with their deepest desires and needs.

Why did you start your business?

Go back to where it all began. Think about the initial spark that motivated you to go on the journey of entrepreneurship. What are some of the key moments that led you to creating your business? What compelled you to take action?

Another way to look at this is to think about what angered or upset you about your industry enough to want to make a change. Reflecting on these strong emotional reactions may get you to your “why” quicker than you expected.

Final thoughts

The clearer you can discern your brand’s “why”, the closer you’ll be to the heart of your brand. Incorporating your passion, story, and expertise into your brand is what will make it truly stand out.

Sometimes all it takes are some intentional questions and an honest conversation to unlock the brand insights you need the most. If you’d like help uncovering your “why”, we’re here for you. Fill out our client inquiry form to sign up for a brand strategy workshop. We’d love to chat with you!

Hi I’m Hayley, founder of Hidden Pearl Design. We help creative entrepreneurs gain brand confidence so you can grow with purpose.

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Brand Design Case Study: 1015 Media

Branding

Brand Design Case Study: 1015 Media

Here’s a look at a recent brand design project we completed for Ten-Fifteen Media, a production company with a mission to use storytelling to build strong relationships across industries.

The challenge

When the founders approached Hidden Pearl Design, they wanted help defining their brand and creating a distinct visual identity. The film school graduates work on a variety of projects from commercials to short films and music videos, and they needed a brand that reflects the wide-ranging work of Ten-Fifteen Media.

With the goal of establishing a recognizable brand, we set off to design brand elements that encapsulate the company’s creative versatility and welcoming approach to film production.

Phase 1: Strategy

During the brand strategy session, we discovered many insights about Ten-Fifteen Media that guided us throughout the project. A few of these were:

Bridging narrative and commercial work

The heart of Ten-Fifteen Media is storytelling, and the team strives to weave elements of story into every project. They believe in the power stories have to connect and bond people, and that real stories full of humor and heart have a place equally in commercial and narrative work.

More than just a job

Working with Ten-Fifteen Media is about more than creating high quality content. Fostering an inclusive and enjoyable work environment is an important part of producing something worth being proud of. Film production can be stressful and tense, but Ten-Fifteen Media doesn’t think it has to be that way.

Hard work that’s meaningful

The team at Ten-Fifteen Media is dedicated to helping clients reach their media goals. They come alongside clients, educating them about the best production techniques for their unique needs. Every project is an opportunity to support people and serve them with their creativity and skills.

Phase 2: Design

With the brand strategy in hand, we moved onto the design phase. For the logo, we chose a sans serif font with some character that reflects the combination of dependable service and fresh, innovative energy of Ten-Fifteen Media.

Inspiration for the icon came from the origin of the company’s name, the founders’ old address, which sparked an idea for a vintage-looking address sign. It also subtly alludes to the welcoming personality of the team that seeks to form friendships during every production.

We created a color palette that’s modern and warm, with grounding neutrals and a couple pops of saturated color. One of the highlights was creating a custom pattern made out of the brand icon which was used on the business card. The brand identity was completed by a variety of logo layouts that fit the company’s every branding need.

Phase 3: The Reveal

When the designs were finalized, it was time for Ten-Fifteen Media to reveal its new brand. They debuted the designs on their website, social media accounts and business cards.

The new brand helps Ten-Fifteen Media stand out amongst competitors and confidently present itself to clients. It reflects the brand’s core values and establishes a professional, recognizable visual identity for the business.

Final thoughts

We had a blast working with Ten-Fifteen Media on this project and we wish them the best in their business! Are you ready for new clarity and confidence in your brand? We’d love to connect with you and see how we can best serve you and your business. Apply to work with us here.

Hi I’m Hayley, founder of Hidden Pearl Design. We help creative entrepreneurs gain brand confidence so you can grow with purpose.

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An Inside Look at Our Brand Design Process

branding

An Inside Look at Our Brand Design Process

Every designer approaches their work a little differently. When you’re considering partnering with a designer for your business, it’s so helpful to get a feel of their unique creative process. Here’s an inside look at our brand design process so you can get a clearer picture of what working together could look like.

Strategize and define

After you’ve been on-boarded for your project, we pick a time to have a brand strategy session. This is where we dive deep into the heart of your business to uncover insights that will inform the rest of the design process.

Maybe you just read that and broke out in a cold sweat imagining an interrogation-like scenario, but that couldn’t be farther than the truth. Don’t worry, it’s not a test and there are no wrong answers.

Your brand strategy session is an honest conversation with intentional questions, meant to help you clarify the elements of your brand. We’ll touch on a variety of topics, such as the origins of your business, the way you want people to feel when they interact with your brand, the unique personality and voice of your brand, and more.

The brand strategy session is one of my favorite moments in the design process because it’s so exciting to see the aha moments and revelations that come from it.

Curate and create

Once our brand strategy session is done, I get busy doing research, gathering inspiration, and creating your brand strategy guide.

The guide combines insights from our conversation with my branding expertise and offers a holistic view of your brand’s DNA. It’s our map moving forward into the design phase.

Brand strategy lays a strong foundation for effective design, because it informs the designer about what needs to be visually communicated through the work. In the case of a logo, every design decision, from the font to color choice, contributes to the overall message it’s sharing with viewers.

As I make the guide, I’m also brainstorming ideas for your designs based on the information we’ve gathered about your brand. Then I’ll present your brand strategy guide along with the initial design concepts to paint a full picture of the creative direction.

Align and refine

Now it’s time to hear your thoughts on the designs. Good, constructive feedback is one of the keys to propelling a design forward. I’ll listen carefully to your thoughts and consider what needs to be adjusted to bring the design into alignment with the brand.

We’ll continue through a couple more rounds of revisions, where I’ll share the refined design with you, receive your feedback, and the cycle repeats. The goal is to improve the design and narrow in on smaller adjustments each round.

When we reach the final round of revisions, it’s time to celebrate your new branding. Woo hoo! As we start off-boarding, I’ll prepare the final design files and create a brand style guide for you as a reference for how to use your new brand designs. Now you’re ready to reveal your new brand to the world.

Final thoughts

The creative process at Hidden Pearl Design is thorough, with each intentional step building on the previous to create strategic and effective designs. We want to see your business thrive and design a brand that’ll help you get there. If you’re interested in working with us, apply here.

Hi I’m Hayley, founder of Hidden Pearl Design. We help creative entrepreneurs gain brand confidence so you can grow with purpose.

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