Brand Sentence

It's been about 1 month since I became a full-time freelance designer & let me tell you, I've been learning faster than the lake can bring a storm to shore. Which is to say, terrifyingly fast. I mean, this summer in Michigan, you guys! Crazy fast.

I've practiced design for 7 years now & with every project have discovered the most effective pieces to my process while keeping an open mind to tweaks that will make it better. It's why I'm bringing the Design Diaries series to Brave Girl in hopes sharing my process will start a conversation we can all benefit from. Feel free to share nuggets of your creative process below or email me with any questions. I could talk your ear off about design all day & love hearing new perspectives on age-old ideas.

With brand design, in particular, I've found establishing the designer-to-client relationship at the beginning of the creative journey is crucial to both parties reaching an ultimate state of brand euphoria. I may have just made that term up but it's the feeling you get when you see a space/website/apparel/etc. that feels right & effortless. Of course, the journey is not effortless if you do it right & there are a lot of twists & turns along the way we can't predict but exuding the brand spirit is the end goal of every brand design for my clients.

A meaningful sentence is crafted to refer to throughout the journey because it's inevitable I'll get knee-deep & carried away with the nitty-gritty details of making brand elements. I enjoy having a good milestone like this as a reference during these making moments.

I'm working with a client right now who's bringing his passion for mouthwatering eats, travel experiences, & blues music to the table at his new restaurant. Expressing these interests is key to his brand-in-the-making. Not only is crafting a meaningful message important, so are the vibes the brand gives off. We curated a rdio playlist to listen to for this very reason. It's been on repeat quite a bit lately as we prepare for the big opening.

Rdio is an amazing interface to interact with for anyone who appreciates a wonderful—and free—music experience. Come jam with us! There's just something about this song on a stormy summer day in the studio, I tell ya.

Hope you're making the most of your storms, my friends. xo, Em