We process images 60,000 times faster than text and 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.
So before someone has even read a word of your copy, they’ve made an intuitive judgement about whether you’re likeable, trustworthy and competent.
You want your visual branding to be:
- Unique, different from your competitors, and unforgettable in your audience’s mind
- Aligned with who you are, so there is congruence between your outward brand “persona” and the actual experience of working with you.
- Intentionally created to tell the right story that will position your brand in the best possible light and appeal to your ideal clients.
Whether you’re just starting to shape your personal brand or you’ve been building your business for a while, it’s never too late to review your visual branding and make sure it’s in alignment with who you are, who your ideal client is and your goals. After all, our businesses (and trends) usually evolve over the years and we need to be sure our visual brands are keeping up.
Creating a Visual Identity That Aligns with Your Essence 💫
Your brand’s visual identity is more than just aesthetics.
If you’re a client in my world, we’re not just building your brand around current trends, we’re creating a visual representation of your heart and soul.
Nothing is random here.
There can definitely be the tendency to think that because everyone is doing X trend, you need to do it too in order to get engagement on Instagram or appeal to your ideal client.
🌟 What most people miss is that by following trends, when the trend reaches peak saturation (which it inevitably will), they will start looking and sounding exactly like everyone else. This defeats the whole purpose because the primary goal of branding is to differentiate us from others in our industry, to stand out and to be memorable in our audience’s minds.
So rather than being trend-led, we need to be heart-led.
We’re using your values, your personality, your vibe, and your purpose as our north star.
When the inspiration comes from within rather than from looking around at external sources, then it’s so much easier to look and sound unique and authentically you.
It will also feel more comfortable and natural for you.
Ever bought an outfit that you thought was a good idea in the shop, only to realise you feel totally uncomfortable wearing it? Not because it’s the wrong size or the fabric is itchy, but just because it doesn’t ‘feel like you.’ Like you’re trying to be someone you’re not and you’re sure everyone around you can sniff it out.
Now that we’ve got that cleared up, let’s explore the 5 essential elements that can help you craft something truly authentic and unforgettable: Your logo, colour palette, typography, graphic elements and photography style.
Element 1: Logo: The Heartbeat of Your Brand
Did you know that our brains can process images in just 13 milliseconds? Yep, it’s that fast!
Your logo is like the head of your brand’s family—it’s like the signature that stamps everything you do.
The word “branding” comes from the old Norse word “brandr” or “to burn”, which, of course, refers to the practice of branding livestock as a method of permanent identification and proof of ownership.
Your logo is kind of like your “brand” burned into your brand and marketing touchpoints.
As much as I feel bad for those poor animals (ow!), it is a helpful reminder that our brands serve to identify who our business is. So if you keep chopping and changing your branding, imagine how confusing that would get for someone!
Your logo and brand identity needs to:
🌟Be unique and distinguishable from others in your industry.
🌟 Embody your brand’s values, personality, and energy.
🌟 Infused with meaning. Every detail—whether it’s a shape, a colour, or a symbol—should tie back to who you are as a brand.
🌟 Appeal to your ideal client’s tastes and personality.
🌟 Come in several format variations such as horizontal, stacked, monogram, and icon so it’s easy to apply to any brand touchpoint.
🌟 Simple enough that it translates well in small sizes.
🌟 Timeless enough that it won’t go out of trend tomorrow.
Your logo can be text only (a “wordmark”), a combination of text and an icon (a “combination mark”, or even just an icon (a “pictorial mark” – like the Apple Logo, but I generally don’t recommend that for small businesses as you’ll want people to learn what your business name is!)
Three of the most important things to consider with your logo are readability, scalability and symbolism.
READABILITY
Don’t try to be so clever or so artistic that people struggle to read your business name.
SCALABILITY
You also need to ensure that if you are doing an icon with thin lines or a lot of detail or a thin, small, or decorative font, that when your logo is used as a small size it is still readable. Logos need to be flexible enough to be used in a variety of sizes, including sometimes very small applications.
Symbolism
Your logo should be symbolic and meaningful, speaking to who you are as a brand. This can be done through a meaningful icon, but also even if you choose to use a text only logo, your font choices can speak to the personality and values of your brand.
Quick tip: Before finalising your logo, ask yourself: Does this feel like the heart of my brand? Can it stand the test of time? Have I tested it to make sure it can easily work in real use?
How much does a logo cost?
A professional logo design will vary in price, depending on whom you choose to hire. Depending on the designer, I estimate between $200-$1000.
- $200 low end
- $500-$1000 – Mid-range
- $1,000 + – High-end
But be careful if you find a designer just offering a logo design.
Most professional designers these days don’t just do logos and instead insist on creating a full brand identity system for clients as they know just how important it is that things work cohesively as a whole.
I would encourage you to get a full visual system, as your logo is just one piece of the visual branding pie!
Can’t I just design a logo on Canva?
Yes, you could DIY your logo on Canva, and if you’re at a stage in your business where you can’t afford to hire a professional, then go for it. When your business is more established, I recommend redesigning it professionally. Canva has a wide range of logo templates and there are also other logo template websites online where you can generate one for free or for a low cost.
BUT one thing to bear in mind is that when using a template anyone can freely use or buy affordably, you run a huge risk of your competitor or some random business having the same logo as you. Because your logo is meant to be the head of your brand family and identify you, this is a huge issue.
One of my current clients had this exact issue of purchasing a template logo many years ago and then finding others were using the exact same icon as them! Here they were, many years in business at this point, and they really liked the icon, but didn’t like that they found another business using it. I would avoid any templates for this reason alone. I feel like it risks the integrity of your whole business because you don’t want to be seen as generic or cheap. I redesigned this client’s logo for them to something they can have complete ownership of.
What logo files do you need?
VECTOR FILE
Vector files are a layered, editable “working” file where you can edit colours, move things around etc. While you may not be able to use the files (file names would be “.eps” or “.ai” and are editable in Adobe Illustrator), they are very important to hold onto.
PNG FILE WITH TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND
Think of this as your day-to-day file as a ‘non-designer’. PNG files support transparent backgrounds, whereas JPEG files cannot. You’ll want a version with a transparent background to give you the flexibility to use it on any background you need. I wouldn’t even bother using a version with a white background.
SVG FILE
I also like to provide my clients with SVG files, because you can add them into Canva and then switch out the colours. So instead of having to hunt around for the right colour version of the logo, you can quickly modify things all in one file. It’s so handy!
👉 Is your logo the be-all-to-end-all? No!
Most newbie entrepreneurs think all they need is a logo. But that’s a rookie mistake!
You could have the most unique, professional, impactful logo in the world but if the rest of your visual elements are very basic looking, it’s not going to send the right message. Everything must be working cohesively and in alignment.
So it’s the whole suite of these 5 elements I’m covering in this article that will impact the memorability of your brand and you need to work on them all.
In other words, you need more than just a logo!
Element 2: Colour Palette: Infusing Your Brand with Emotion
Research shows that up to 85% of consumers believe colour is the biggest motivator when choosing a particular product, while 92% acknowledge visual appearance as the most persuasive marketing factor overall.
What this means is that your colour choices really matter for your brand and business.
Colour is one of the biggest drivers of EMOTION and MEMORABILITY for our audience.
For instance, Tiffany & Co.’s signature robin’s egg blue immediately communicates luxury, elegance, and timelessness. See how just one colour can say so much?
It’s also one of the most fun parts of your visual brand to explore!
Colours are powerful—they evoke emotions, create connections, and even influence purchasing decisions.
The colours you choose should resonate with your brand’s energy and align with the feelings your audience wants to experience when they think of you.
🎯 There is a specific meaning behind every colour of the rainbow backed by something called “Colour psychology.” Not sure what your brand colours are saying about you? Google it and find out by typing in “The meaning of the colour coral” or whatever your brand colours are to get more clarity. You might love a certain colour, but you want to make sure the universal associations with that colour are aligned with the personality, emotions and vibe you were aiming for with your brand as a whole.
How many colours should you have in your brand palette?
While there are no specific hard-and-fast rules, I generally include 5-9 colours in my client’s palettes.
What types of colours you need:
- Your Primary Colours
- Your Accent Colours
- Your Neutral Colours
- Heading Text Colour(s)
- Body Copy Text Colour
- Call To Action Button Colour
Accessibility
Please be very mindful of Colour Accessibility.
✨ That means that your text colour needs to be at an accessible ratio compared to your background so that even people who have a vision impairment can read it ok. Not sure if your text colours are accessible?
Run your text through Adobe Color to find out!
✨Colour + emotion = magic. Think about how you want your audience to feel when they see your brand, and then pick colours that match those feelings.
Element 3: Fonts (AKA typography)
If your brand could talk, what would it sound like? Fun and quirky? Elegant and sophisticated?
Well, believe it or not, your typography—the fonts you use—plays a huge role in creating that voice.
Your choice of fonts will either align with your brand’s personality or send mixed signals to your audience.
✍️ Typography is more than just picking a font that looks cool. It’s about choosing styles that reflect the energy of your brand.
For example, bold sans-serif fonts often communicate strength and modernity, while elegant serif fonts can evoke a sense of tradition and refinement.
Imagine a wedding planner using a playful, hand-drawn font. That would create a sense of whimsy and creativity, setting the tone for what they offer.
But the same font wouldn’t work for a law firm, right? They’d probably want something strong and trustworthy, like a bold serif typeface.
How many font styles do you need?
We usually want to keep to 1-3 fonts. For example:
- 1 x Headline Font Style
- 1 x Subheading Font Style
- 1 x Body Copy Font Style.
Your Subheading and Body Copy font styles could be the same font, just the “Bold” weight for the subheadings and the “Regular” weight for the body copy, or you may end up using different fonts.
Should you buy a font?
You may only be familiar with the default fonts you find in Word or in Canva, but there is a large section of premium/paid fonts as well that you can purchase.
Using default/free fonts, similar to using free stock images, runs the risk of lots of people using them because they are so much more accessible.
So with something as important as your brand, I think investing in quality premium fonts for your heading and subheading fonts is a good idea. It will help make your brand feel more unique. That being said, there are plenty of good free options these days if you’re on a budget.
What font licenses do I need?
If you are purchasing a font, it is important to understand the licensing types
Desktop Fonts
A “desktop font” is the traditional font file you would be familiar with. It’s the one you can install on your computer to use in Word, PowerPoint etc or upload to Canva. This is the font you’ll use for all standard uses like creating documents, slides, print material, PDFs etc. The file type will either say “{font name}.otf” or “{font name}.ttf.”
Web Fonts
Most quality commercial fonts will also come with the option to separately purchase a “Web Font”. This file will be used to upload to your website back-end (usually by a developer) so that the font will display on anyone’s computer (not just those who have the file installed on their own computer).
In the early days of websites, we could only use the system fonts everyone had on the computers (think Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman). Now, any font can be used on a website, which is great!
Font Limitations: Fonts for Emails and Google Docs
Two main areas I’ve come across where we are limited with fonts are email newsletter programs and Google Docs. Unfortunately, you generally can’t install custom fonts into your email newsletter program and have to use the options the program has available to you. The same goes for Google Docs, I’ve had many clients ask me about this, and in looking into it, unfortunately, it’s not possible to install a custom font into Google Docs. In both these scenarios, you can put text inside an image which you upload into your email marketing or Google Doc if needed.
Element 4: Graphic Elements
Graphic elements are details that add depth and creativity to your brand.
These could include:
• icons
• illustrations
• textures
• patterns
I find business owners often won’t know what graphic elements are or will be unsure of what they like when asked!
Many clients love that this brings a unique, personalised element to their brand and also more depth and a creative look. Other clients prefer a more minimal look and keep graphic elements to the minimum in their branding.
I would base what you create/use on the kind of vibe you want to create
- Do you love a simple, minimal and clean aesthetic?; or
- Do you love creative details, movement and more energy on the page?
- Perhaps you’d like a hybrid of the two.
ICONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
Icons can be used to draw the eye to text points, so they support people to take an interest in reading your content and can look interesting too. They can also be used as decorative details.
Usually, icons are simpler and can be used in smaller sizes, while Illustrations are usually more detailed and might need to be used in larger sizes. Rather than just going with generic icons you find on Canva or other free sites, I custom design my clients’ graphics so they are totally unique to them.
TEXTURES
Textures are a nice way of bringing some depth, flow and movement to your brand. They are used as background elements. These are usually created as an image file in JPEG or PNG format.
✨ It is important to ensure you have adequate contrast between text and background texture if you are using these, as the readability of text is key.
Many modern brands today prefer more of a flat look. It depends on what kind of look you’re going for. Textures are in no way a necessary part of a visual brand – only if they align with what you’re trying to convey.
PATTERNS
A pattern is like a repeating icon/graphic that can be used as a full background, or maybe a side border. This can be a lot of fun and great if you have a brand with merch, tissue paper or anywhere you want to be playful.
How to source graphic elements for your brand:
- Hire a designer to custom-illustrate some for you!
- Jump onto Creativemarket.com and find some there!
- Are you an artist? Pull them out of your own artwork!
Element 5: Photography
Your brand’s photography will usually be consistent with the:
- Your own custom photoshoots
- Stock images
While there is a time and a place for stock images for some businesses, I encourage my clients not to be too reliant on them and am a HUGE advocate for doing your own custom photoshoot of you/your team/what you do.
Quality photos of you that convey your energy and personality are 100% a must-have in a personal brand. It’s the quickest way to start building emotional connections and get strangers to trust you!
If you’re anything like the clients I work with, it’s probably leaving you feeling both nervous and excited
This is probably the most emotionally challenging part of the whole rebranding process because it tends to bring up a lot of fear of being seen. I get it! I’ve been there too.
But I wholeheartedly believe that it’s not about being a perfect model. It’s about showing your potential clients that you’re a real, nice, friendly, approachable person they would enjoy working with. So when you frame it that way, it doesn’t have to be so scary!
Locations:
My clients often do one or more of the following:
- Hire beautiful homes to do the shoot in so things look more aesthetic
- Use their own home
- Shoot outdoors (think beach, park, forest, lake or a more urban setting i.e. colourful walls around town)
- Cafes
Types of shots to get
What you’ll want to do is showcase how you work and represent your different offerings. So the types of shots you’ll need will depend on your business. These are some common ones my clients do:
- Laptop shots
- Couch shots
- Holding coffee cup shots
- Journaling shots
- Meditating shots
- Hand-on-Heart Shots
- Mock Client Shots
- Group Shots (i.e. bring in a group of friends or real clients to represent you facilitating a group/retreat).
- Using certain spiritual tools (i.e. drum, sage, pendulum, oracle cards)
- Making art shots (for artists)
- Bed Shots (journaling in bed, drinking a cup of tea in bed)
- Prop shots (Inspirational cards, flowers, crystals, stack of books, lighting candle, flat lay scene, journals, coffee cups)
- Fun shots (dancing, jumping, throwing confetti, throwing flowers).
Stock Images
Think: If you were to use stock images for social media, blog posts etc, what kind of imagery would you be looking for? I.e. outdoors – beach, greenery, flowers, birds, trees, mountains. Businessy – flat lay desks, women at computers, people at work, hands writing etc. Soulful – i.e. moons and stars, crystals, hands, candles/lights.
Do you want people? What kind of people should be represented?
✨ It’s worth noting that it can be more challenging to find free stock images of women in mid-life and beyond (things definitely skew younger, unfortunately!).
I’ve also found if you’re looking at parenting-related stock photos, it tends to skew towards babies and toddlers and if you’re looking for tweens and teens it can be harder to source. There is definitely a pull towards more racial and size diversity in stock photos these days, however, it’s still a bit harder to find.
SO – if you want to represent a more diverse group of people, consider bringing along some friends or hiring models and doing your own custom shoot, if it’s within the budget!
The other thing I want you to think about is whether the photos you’re selecting as part of your brand’s library fit the same aesthetic/lighting/look.
Do you know how different photographers have different styles? Some are earthy, some are moody, some are bright and crisp etc.
You don’t want to mix styles if possible, so your brand’s stock photos look consistent. So if your brand tends towards lighter imagery, avoid lots of black and dark tones in your photos.
Consistency: The Secret Sauce of Memorable Branding 💫
Here’s the deal—consistency is where the magic happens.
You can have the most beautiful logo, a stunning colour palette, and killer typography, but if you’re not consistent in how you apply these elements, your brand identity falls flat.
Consistency builds trust, recognition, and, most importantly, loyalty.
Imagine Coca-Cola suddenly switching to a blue can instead of its iconic red. Confusing, right?
That’s why it’s so important that your logo, colours, fonts, and imagery are aligned across every touchpoint—your website, your packaging, your social media, and even your emails.
When your audience sees your brand, they should feel like they already know you. That’s how you build a connection that sticks.
As a creative and soulful woman, I’ve noticed the tendency to get bored easily or be yearning to switch things up on the regular. It’s okay to evolve your brand, but remember that not everyone sees your brand as much as you do, so even if you feel like you’re being repetitive, your audience won’t be thinking that.
Also, remember that repetition is a good thing in branding because it improves brand recognition. So don’t just switch things up for the sake of it. Pay attention to your reasoning if you need a rebrand.
💫 Once you establish your brand’s logo, colours, fonts, graphic style and photography style, try to be strict about sticking with it unless you have good reason to evolve it. If you do evolve it, you’ll then need to make sure every touchpoint of your brand is updated with the new font or the new colours etc to ensure consistency.
Quick tip: Create brand guidelines (even if it’s just a simple document) to ensure everyone who works on your brand—from designers to social media managers—knows how to keep your visual identity consistent.
If you’re ready to elevate your brand and create visuals that truly resonate, check out How to Create Polished Designs Which Position You as an Expert. This guide is packed with insights to help you create a brand that feels both authentic and professional.
Your visual identity should not only align with your soul but also reflect the level of expertise you bring to the table.
Wrapping It Up: Craft a Visual Identity That Feels True to You 💫
Building a visual identity isn’t just about making things look nice—it’s about weaving your brand’s heart, soul, and values into everything people see. From your logo to your colours, fonts, and images, each piece should come together in a way that feels like you and connects with your audience on a deeper level.
At the end of the day, your brand is more than just a business. It’s a reflection of your vision, your purpose, and the energy you want to share with the world. When you create a visual identity that truly aligns with that, you don’t just capture attention—you create something magnetic that people feel drawn to. ✨
Ready to create a visual identity that aligns with your heart and soul?
As your dedicated visual brand designer, I’m here to help you bring your brand’s magic to life! Let’s collaborate to craft something that reflects your unique energy and vision. ✨
