No. 06 Beauty + Branding

It seems like ‘defining your brand’ is taking over everything. If you’re a business owner, chances are you either love or hate this topic. Pinning down your brand + defining those nebulous elements that make it feel alive can feel daunting. A brand encompasses visuals, language, tone, style, message + strategy… That’s a lot to uncover. So how do you start to get a grasp of these elements? Let’s start with just the visual elements + see what happens. 

But start simple. 
Like, way simple. 

Here’s an exercise I like recommending to people + it’s one of those good, coffee-journaling ones. Write a short list of 3-5 things you find yourself consistently drawn to. These items could be physical items, memories, positive emotions, really anything you find yourself enjoying. When you have that list, try to see if there is a theme or anchor tying these things together. For example, do most things from the 70s just really make you smile? Do you tend to love organic shapes + textures? Pay attention to that. The more you practice noticing when you find something beautiful, you’ll begin to see the threads of your brand in foundational form. 

Beauty is one of the most crucial + ignored experiences in life. I say ignored because it seems to be one of the first items placed on the chopping block in the name of practicality + frugality. When you’re trying to identify what makes up the DNA of your brand, beauty deserves a healthy bit of the spotlight. If you do this exercise + practice noticing what you find beautiful, you will begin to find language to describe your brand.