Personal Branding is my Worst Nemesis.
Each time I sit down to iron out my logo, color palette, website design and bio I end up at the same existential question: who am I? Through this branding process I have come to the conclusion that I have absolutely no idea. What color represents me? Your guess is as good as mine. Designing brands for friends has always come so naturally, but brand myself? Impossible. Join me in my first medium post as I uncover the root of my struggle and move past it.
Attempt 1
Read excerpts from Alina Wheeler’s book ‘Designing Brand Identity’. This helped me to get into the right headspace, but didn’t really help me with my personal branding (however, great book — 10/10 would recommend).
Attempt 2
Stop thinking so much, revisit sketches, create abstract shapes and design without purpose. This was a good exercise… but did not help me in my pursuit.
Attempt 3
Go back to my beginning. Revisit old identities.
This got me thinking, I’ve had one identity that has always stuck out to me. It was uniquely me, mainly because I quite literally put my face in the logo. Looking at this logo it got me thinking about allowing this look to evolve. Similar to how Starbucks, Coke or McDonalds have evolved their brand identities. It feels natural to use the same ideas and let them grow.
My end result is an abstracted graphic of myself. I dropped my name entirely from my logo and am just using my two tone icon. I realize it’s not as seamless of an evolution as Starbucks. But the idea stems from the same place. I’ve changed from that first logo – I’m more minimal, I don’t wear glasses, I have short hair and bangs and I have found my power color — pink. As I mature into my career and myself I’m starting to realize that so does everything else.
Sometimes I think my best ideas were my first ones. The one’s I created before I knew other designers or was taught any design principles. When I had true creative freedom. It’s ironic because I have more experience and knowledge, yet I yearn for the days when creating something felt like I was the very first one to do it.
