I hired a Graphic Designer to help with my brand and here’s what happened.
If you’ve ever thought to yourself “why would I pay someone to create a logo for me, when there’s Canva and Fiverr?” then this is for you.
I will preface this post by saying that I am in year 10 of business, I have the cash flow to invest in my brand, and I needed something more than what my previous Canva.com logo was able to do. I needed another human to see me, see what I was trying to create, and capture that in design. If you’re just starting out, if you don’t have cash flow yet, I would absolutely recommend DIY’ing for a bit. But if you’re in business, if you’ve got some legs and some sales under you, and you’re ready to GROW? Hire the pro. Here’s my experience:
Feeling a little antsy, knowing I wanted to up my personal brand game and that I was moving in a new direction coming 2023, I started thinking about a new logo in the Summer of 2022. I knew I wanted to work with Lindsay Taylor, creative director, brand expert, and owner of Taylored Image, because A) I had met her several times and we had great professional chemistry, and B) I had seen enough of her work to know she was damn good at her job. Both of these things are important to me: I want to work with the best, and I want to work with people I like. Simple.
My experience with Lindsay started with a couple of social media messages asking for her rates and her link to book - simple, easy, and straightforward. Again, I love simple. Dreaming about what my personal brand could be required a lot of brain power. I tried to take this seriously, but also, with an eye for fun and possibilities. This was quickly becoming more about what my brand was shifting towards, instead of just ‘I need a logo.’
How much fun is Lindsay?
My Homework:
Our next steps were for me to fill out her brand identity questionnaire. I took my time with this, filled it out, revisited it, tried not to second guess myself and just write honestly and with vulnerability. This was difficult, but her questions helped me gain clarity on who I could best serve, and what work I find to be the most fun and fulfilling.
Then I had to create a Pinterest board: anything that felt or looked like what I might want for my brand. On there are pictures of the ocean, bicycles, women working on laptops, warm brick walls, stacks of books, and more than a few images of beach houses. (Also pinned to my vision board).
Our Kick-Off Call:
After this was done, Lindsay and I had a zoom meeting where we talked about everything! We had such an intimate conversation about where my brand had been in the past, how I’d evolved as a business owner and CEO, and what the vision for the future was. She asked me who I loved to work with, how I wanted my brand to feel, and why my clients choose me over the competition. I’m honestly not even sure that she asked me what I thought she would: what were my favorite colors, and did I have any other logos that I liked?
Strategy:
When I opened the first Brand Strategy email from Lindsay, I got teary. Not a lie. Staring there on the screen, in words she crafted, was a description of MY BUSINESS and my passion and my mark on the world. It was dramatic, in the best way possible. I felt seen. I felt like she could see past my ‘scattered mess’ and really distill out what I do. Even better, she was able to give me the words to tell the world what I do. She used my own words from our conversation to name my brand values, the pain points my customers feel, and the way I can help. They were my thoughts but clearly organized and presented by Lindsay. I needed this. Damn, she’s good, I thought.
Logo Development:
The logos are the fun pieces, the bright shiny pennies of the project, and this was really exciting to work through. She sent over some initial variations, and I asked for tiny changes. She updated it, we revised and refined it. When I asked for minimalist but not black and white, simple but not boring, with beachy elements but not in a tacky way… she took all of that information and delivered what you see today. Fun, bright, and simple. Professional but not stuffy.
Approval and File Release
Lastly, she created not just my logos and submarks, but also patterns, background images, and other graphics that I can use in many different ways. We had a final meeting for her to show me all of the digital files, but also for us to talk about where to use what, what lies on the horizon for the brand and to high-five each other over this great project.
A small sampling of my Pinterest Board created for this work.
To summarize, I thought I was paying for some custom new logos - and I did. However, Lindsay delivered so much more: brand intention, brand personality, brand voice, brand beliefs, brand follower, etc. Having someone concisely package that up for me was worth more than all the Fiverr logos in the world, and has given me clarity for this year that is priceless.
Not all graphic designers are created equal, and working with a true professional who has been in business for decades was the right choice for me at this time. If you’re also looking for this sort of brand awakening, give Lindsay a call. You can also hop on her email list HERE, if you’re just waiting for the right time.
Have you worked with a designer for your brand before? I’d love for you to DM me and let me know how it went - good and bad, we’re all in this together!!
