How to Create a Brand Vision Board

November 17, 2020

Each year around this time, I like to sit down and reflect how I’m feeling when it comes to the vision I set for myself at the beginning of the year. Am I on track with the impact I wanted to create? Is my vision the same for how I want my life and business to look? And if I did fall off track, what shiny object syndrome made me stray from my brand vision board?

I love to do the same for each one of my branding clients. It’s easy as service-based entrepreneurs to look left and right at what others are doing—the services and offers they sell. It’s easy to look at their big beautiful websites and try to DIY ours to bring the same look and feel. But here’s the thing… her vision is not your vision. 

What works for her, might not work for you.

Before crafting a brand we must get to the vision behind the work that you do. One of my favorite parts of the brand design process is the initial strategy work. Before I bust out my color guides or start playing with font pairings, I work with my client to hone the heart behind their brand so I can design with intention.

With a clear vision of the life you want to create, how your work fits into your life, the types of clients you want to serve, and how you can craft a visual identity that inspires connection—sets you up to impact the world in the ways you dream of serving.

So how do you actually bring this vision into reality?

THE ONE TOOL THAT BRINGS MY BRAND VISION TO REALITY

The one tool that keeps me centered the most to my vision is by creating a brand vision board

You might be wondering: How will a vision board actually help me achieve my dreams? Do I create one for my life and my business? Or wait, back up, what even is a vision board?

I’m glad you asked. 

I firmly believe there is this misconception of how your vision— your unique goal or idea for the future—can actually come to life in your business.

So often, we think creating a vision or using a vision board is something we utilize for gathering inspiration or to decorate our home offices. And although those are wonderful ways to utilize this concept (especially with more and more people working from home these days) I firmly believe we need to take this concept of a “vision board” much deeper. 

What if you seriously explored what it looks like to create a vision (and a vision board) for your brand that goes far beyond what colors you’ll use or typefaces you’ll feature? What if we were able to instead create a clear idea of what you want your brand to stand for? What do we want our life to look like as a business owner? And then from there, choose to bring it to life through a tangible vision board?

I believe that process can be transformative, friend.

TRUE VISION IS BORN FROM WITHIN

And here’s why—over the years I’ve utilized this concept of vision in my business, I’ve learned that creating a true vision is born from within.

You won’t stumble across this type of vision on Pinterest or on your best friend’s Instagram feed. Instead, it will be shaped by your priorities, your values, and your deep hearted dreams for your work and life. 

Let that sink in for a moment.

“Your vision is born from within. Your vision is shaped by your priorities, your values, and your deep hearted dreams for your work and life.”

Understanding your vision for your brand defines your direction, sparks inspiration, and holds you accountable. 

Your vision defines what it is you’re chasing after to begin with.

And when times get hard like 2020 brought to many businesses we need to keep our vision in front of us at all times. Whether that’s on our desk to remind us after a tough week why we do what we do or in the bathroom to inspire us each and every morning.

Your vision will spark inspiration each and every time you look at it and serve as a reminder of what you’re truly chasing after to begin with.

And lastly, having a clear vision for your brand will help hold you accountable to the types of decisions and overall trajectory that will empower you to go where you want to go. 

When you think about what you want your brand to stand for in the long run, and what you want it to look, feel and sound like—you’ll be able to determine what choices may not be the best fit for your business in the end. Helping you stay on track to chasing after the impact you want to make.

Little decisions like what visuals to utilize to represent your brand intentionally or even big decisions like what partnerships to take on will be easier to navigate when you know what your long-term vision is. 

So let’s get started shall we? Let’s craft your long-term vision that will help propel you forward towards the brand and life of your dreams. 

How to Craft Your Brand Vision Board

As we get into the nitty gritty of brand vision board creating, it can be tempting to choose images that are popular on Pinterest or that reflect the latest design trend in the industry.

But I want to help keep you focused on what inspires you from within. So instead of scrolling through Pinterest for inspiration let’s take a look at my sweet friends over at Social Squares

Shay and Team Social Squares have an endless collection of stock photos that are perfect for crafting up your brand vision board. Not only are these images highly detailed, expertly styled imagery to inspire you—but literally thousands of images for virtually any niche that you can use to elevate your brand if you don’t have the time or resources to invest in custom brand photography of your own. 

Related: Why I love Social Squares (and why my clients, do too!)

Now I know, thousands of images feels a bit overwhelming. But Social Squares has organized their online catalogue to be super easy to find exactly the inspiration and images you’re looking for. Through their Custom Curation, you can save hours searching for images by simply setting filters for your brand colors and keywords to enjoy a personalized image gallery showing you the images that fit your brand and vision.

Now, instead of choosing images that are pretty for pretty’s sake, it’s important that we intentionally choose imagery that reinforces and complements your brand’s vision in the first place.

If your long-term vision for your brand is to create a high-end, elevated, warm, feminine, brand that empowers women entrepreneurs to grow their dream business through actionable education, you’ll want to choose images that reinforce that vision.

Overly romantic, soft images from a popular wedding blog may not be the best way to complement the go-getter, boss lady attitude you’re going for.

Here are three ways to choose the right images for your brand vision board.

1) Choose Images Based On Emotion

When you look at an image, how does it make you feel? How will it make your ideal client feel? Consider what type of emotional response that specific image solicits. If it’s a perfect fit with the emotional vibe of your brand, then it may be a great fit for your vision board! If it clashes with how you want your brand to make others feel, then forgo it altogether.

2) Be Specific about the Aesthetic You’re Creating

As you dream big for your brand’s long-term impact, I’d imagine that you have a very specific look and feel in mind. Whatever that desired aesthetic is, only highlight imagery on your vision board that reflects the aesthetic you want to create.

If your dream brand’s aesthetic is elevated and romantic, then highlight images that speak to that level of service. 

Related: Save hours searching for brand images with Social Squares!

3. Create A Common Color Palette

As you move forward and continue to gather visual inspiration from all sorts of sources, be sure to create around a common color palette.

The easiest way to create cohesiveness when pulling content from different places is to ensure that common colors and hues are reflected in each image. When creating your color palette for your brand’s vision board, be sure to explore what types of colors evoke the specific emotional response and perception that you want your brand to evoke.

Color palettes that are popular right now may not convey the experience, aesthetic, or emotion that’s truly representative of your dream brand.

Build your dream brand

As important as it is to create a strategic, intentional vision board for your brand, what you do with that vision board truly matters more.

Use this tool to inspire your brand’s trajectory as you move forward, ever pursuing the kind of business, workflow, and visual identity that meets your goals.

And if you’re ready to create an elevated visual brand that not only empowers you to reach your unique goals and your ideal client, but one that enables you to tell your story well then let’s chat!

I’m currently booking for early 2021 and would love to help you make this coming season your best year yet! Head here to book your complimentary consult call and chat more about working together.

BOOK A FREE BRAND CONSULT CALL!

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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