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Esley Studio

WELCOME TO THE BLOG

FEATURED POST

Design Lingo:

Brand Strategy

What is brand strategy? (… And why exactly does *this* resident designer think it’s so immensely valuable?)

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LATEST POSTS

Design Lingo: Brand Strategy

Design Lingo: Brand Strategy

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Should you go pro, tame a template or dash into DIY for your eBook design?

Should you go pro, tame a template or dash into DIY for your eBook design?

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DIY and pre-made logo buyers: Do you have the right logo design file types for your biz?

DIY and pre-made logo buyers: Do you have the right logo design file types for your biz?

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Three signs it’s time to consider a rebrand

Three signs it’s time to consider a rebrand

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The Designer Matchmaker

The Designer Matchmaker

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Why I rebranded my business

Why I rebranded my business

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Can’t afford a graphic designer? You need this article.

Can’t afford a graphic designer? You need this article.

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Your Businesses’ Secret Guide to Standing Out

Your Businesses’ Secret Guide to Standing Out

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Cringe-worthy branding mistakes you don’t wanna make

Cringe-worthy branding mistakes you don’t wanna make

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Esley Studio stories

Behind-the-scenes branding adventures

Yaaay – my boss (aka me 😉) finally approved m Yaaay – my boss (aka me 😉) finally approved my holiday leave! I’ll officially be taking a break from 17th December 2021 until 16th January 2022.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Before my break, my goal is to hit inbox zero (gulp – send help, chocolate and your best inbox management tips!), review my year, and set goals for 2022. The last part I’m SUPER excited about. Spoiler: My goals involve you!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ How about you? Will you be taking a break over the holidays? And what’s left for you to wrap up this year?
Did you know that ‘designing’ is NOT the most Did you know that ‘designing’ is NOT the most important part of the design process?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You’d think it would be given that’s what you’ve hired a graphic designer to do, right?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The truth is the DESIGN BRIEF is the most important part!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The design brief (aka branding brief or questionnaire) holds all the power in dictating how successful (or dare I say, not so successful 😬) the project is. And it all depends on how well you understand your business and answer the questions.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So to help you prepare for the briefing stage the next time you’re working with a designer, I’ve provided an outline of the categories you can expect to be answering questions about. Of course every designer’s design brief and the questions they ask are going to vary slightly, but you can be sure they’ll cover very similar categories.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In my design brief you can expect me to ask about:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ → You and your favourite things just for fun!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ → Your business – overview, products/services, goals, why you started, what you want to be known for, any difficulties you’re experiencing in business.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ → Your target audience – gender, age, location, income, interests, their needs and problems and how you solve them, why they choose you over your competitors⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ → Your competitors – who they are, what they do well (or not so well)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ → Your ideal visuals – colour, icon, typography preferences, brands you love and why (I ask this question purely to get an idea on your preferences, however I will always make aesthetic decisions based on the brand strategy).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Have any of these categories got you thinking “Ahhhh Brianna I haven’t figured that bit out yet!”? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Never fear! Grab my Brand Substance Guide to help you figure it out. It comes FREE as part of my Brand Class (which is also FREE, yay!). Join the class via the link in my profile.
Admittedly the easing of restrictions and opening Admittedly the easing of restrictions and opening of my state border has had me feeling both beyond excited and a teeny bit overwhelmed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I have been absolutely loving spending time with friends and family again in larger social settings (which by the way involves flexing my Superwoman and Hulk moves A LOT at the constant request of my 3 year old nephew – scroll across for a candid look, and laugh, at me in Superwoman action at his birthday party on the weekend 😂🦸🏻‍♀️) and getting out and about to do activities. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But at the same time it’s been a teeny bit overwhelming emerging to constant requests to attend so many social outings between now and Christmas in everyone’s attempt to make up for lost time. Socialising is tiring! Yet this is what ‘normal’ life was like. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Have you found this is true for you too since restrictions eased?
I’ll let you in on a secret …. When you show u I’ll let you in on a secret …. When you show up as a client to the creative process with time, energy and commitment, magic happens! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Working with a graphic designer isn’t a quick set and forget deal. It’s a collaborative process that requires your input at different stages throughout the project. And when you show up with time, energy, commitment (and a big sprinkle of eagerness and excitement thrown in too), your designer’s level of energy and excitement is guaranteed to grow, and that’s when the real magic happens! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So exactly what level of time, energy and commitment do you need when working with a graphic designer? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here’s what you’ll need to commit your time and energy to: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🌟 Returning any forms and deposit by the required date. 🌟 Completing the design brief. You’ll need to allow yourself plenty of time to complete this with consideration and return it by the required date. 🌟 Communicating and responding to emails in a timely manner so your project stays on schedule, and keeping your designer in the loop should any issues arise your end. 🌟 Reviewing design proofs and providing thoughtful and constructive feedback. 🌟 Preparing content such as your copy and photos. This may mean booking other professionals for copywriting and photography and liaising with all creative professionals to ensure everyone can provide what they need to when they need to. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What do you struggle with the most when working with a creative professional? Time? Energy? Commitment?
Brand marks …. What are they? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Brand marks …. What are they? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Brand marks are one piece of the brand identity puzzle and one of my favourite elements to design. And they’re not limited to just one design! Sometimes I like to create a suite of brand marks when suitable. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But why do you need them? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Well they can be used to identify your brand when one of your main logos may not necessarily work (eg: when you need a more simplified design, or a different shape), isn’t necessary (eg: internal or onboarding documents) or when you want to change things up! Plus they’re a great way to add versatility to your brand or communicate other messages such as your tagline, motto or established date. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Swipe to see the suite of brand marks I created for @simplygoldcoast ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Do you have brand mark(s) as part of your brand identity puzzle?
Wondering whether you should invest in a brand ide Wondering whether you should invest in a brand identity or just a logo design? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But wait .. what’s a brand identity? Let me first quickly bring you up to speed …. A brand identity is like a puzzle. It’s the visual elements such as logos, brand marks, colour palette, patterns, typography, icons, and images. And when used together they create a brand identity. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A logo on the other hand is just one piece of the brand identity puzzle. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So then, what are the benefits of having a brand identity vs just a logo design? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A brand identity will help with: ▻ Brand recognition ▻ Standing out from your competitors ▻ Attracting your dream audience ▻ Brand consistency and trust ▻ Giving you the elements to create visual content ▻ Positioning you as an expert ▻ Brand confidence ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A logo will help with: ▻ Brand recognition ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So if you’re struggling to stand out, attract your dream audience, be consistent, create visual content, and feel confident, you might be missing a few pieces of the brand identity puzzle. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #esleystudio #brandidentitydesign #brandingforwomen #creativepreneur #brandingtips

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