Figure out who you are
If you don’t know who you are as a designer, how can you build a brand that represents you? Your first port of call should be to figure out who you are, what kind of work you want to do and who your audience is. Are you targeting employers, potential clients, or social media followers? If your main audience is potential employers or clients, it’s a good idea to keep it professional. The kind of projects you want to work on will also feed into your brand. For example, if you’re aiming for editorial work, a more minimal design may help you attract these clients, while bright colours and illustrations could attract animation projects your way.
Treat yourself as a client
Your brand is going to be your audience’s first impression of you, so you need to give it the time it deserves. Treat this project like you would a client project. Block time out of your schedule, develop a creative brief and do some market research to ensure the outcome achieves everything you need it to.
Take a look at studios and freelancers you admire
How do the agencies and designers that you look up to brand themselves? Looking at what they’re doing right (and wrong) can really help inform your own branding project.
Gather your brand assets
At the very minimum, you will need a logo, typography and a colour palette. We would also strongly recommend building a basic portfolio website as a landing destination for anyone looking to find out more about you. Make sure you include strong projects, a brief ‘about me’ section, as well as links to any relevant socials and contact information.
Consistency is key
It seems like a no-brainer, but make sure you are consistent with your brand logo, colours and tone of voice across all executions. This includes your site, business cards, social media channels and your CV.
HAVE FUN
Lastly, enjoy the process! You have complete creative freedom on this one, so get cracking on infusing your personality into your brand and making yourself stand out from the crowd.
