Over my past 9+ years as a brand designers and strategist, I’ve worked with countless creatives to create visual identities that reflect their experience, their brand, and their current season of business, building longevity directly into the core of their brands. At the start of our work together, almost all of these incredible entrepreneurs shared with me that, in one way or another, they’d outgrown their current brand and its assets.

You see, friend, that’s a far more common issue than you might think. As creatives, we’re constantly growing our skills, refining our ideal clients, and challenging ourselves to evolve with intention; therefore, it’s natural that the brand you developed in Year 1 may not represent where you are anymore in Year 5.

This is precisely why it’s so important to focus on longevity when building your brand and its assets. Brands with a long-term focus will transcend fads and outlive the ultra-trendy designs. Curious how you can experience the benefits of this kind of brand for years to come? Keep on reading for all the details, friend! 

BUILDING LONGEVITY WITHIN YOUR BRAND

As a brand designer and strategist, it’s my goal to create visual identities for my clients that are strategically built to endure. As you grow, as your business pivots, and as you continue to chase after your dreams, you should have a visual identity that gives you the space to explore those new reaches. Walking through an expensive rebrand every year or so gets old fast (plus, your bank account won’t appreciate it!). Therefore, it’s both profitable and strategic to brand yourself with longevity in mind. Not quite sure what that looks like? Let me share a few of my go-to strategies I utilize within every client project!

Examine Your Goals

Before you can start dreaming up color palettes or determining the perfect font pairings, it’s crucial to understand your brand’s goals. Where do you see your brand heading one year from now? What about five years down the road? As you set goals for your brand, keep the Why behind your work at the heart of your decision-making, so you can explore a trajectory that truly aligns with your brand’s core. Before we can create a visual brand that’s enduring, we must first understand where that brand will go in the long run.

Questions to consider as you set brand goals:

• Where do you see your brand heading 1, 3, 5, and 10 years from now?
• At the end of your work, what do you want your brand to have stood for?
• Why do you want your brand to have that specific legacy?

Know Your Ideal Client

If you’re wanting to create a visual brand that will withstand the test of time, it’s important to design with your ideal client in mind. In order to build visuals that inspire true connection with the kinds of clients you long to work with, you must keep that exact client in the forefront of your mind as you create your brand.

You see, friend, your brand isn’t only about YOUR tastes, preferences, and ideas. It’s also—much more importantly—about your ideal client, and how your work fits into their life.

Questions to consider as you study your ideal client:

• Who is your ideal client?
• What pain points are they currently wrestling with?
• How can your brand either help alleviate that pain point, or add value to their life?
• What does your brand need to do in order to inspire their trust?

Design Independent from Industry Fads

You’ve just brought an intimate knowledge of your ideal client and your brand’s goals to the table. Next, it’s time to start pulling in colors, fonts, and visual elements! Yes, friend—this is the fun part 😉

But before you hop on Pinterest and explore the latest branding inspiration, remember that we’re aiming to create something timeless and enduring. In order to create a visual brand that won’t look dated 5 years from now, I’d encourage you to put on your blinders when it comes to things like social media. Instead, do your design work free from industry fads. Ultimately, trends will come and go, but a visual brand that’s built to endure will outlive whatever’s currently popular on Pinterest.

What does that look like in action?

• Make visual choices that edify the overall look, feel, and emotion you want your brand to inspire.
• Choose visual elements that speak to your ideal client and capture their interest.
• Partner with experienced designers and strategists who will help you hone the best visual choices to bring your brand to life thoughtfully.

READY TO CREATE LONGEVITY WITHIN YOUR VISUAL BRAND, SWEET FRIEND?

As your business continues to grow, your brand should serve as a heartfelt reflection of the experience you have to offer your ideal clients. If you’re ready to implement a visual identity that’s designed to endure, I’d love to chat with you about taking your brand to heartfelt new heights! I’m currently accepting custom, 1:1 branding clients, and it would be an absolute joy to work together. Get in touch to schedule your complimentary consultation today!

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION!