Thinking about branding

As I’m inching closer to completing my coaching website, I’ve been thinking more about branding and how it extends to everything I’m doing. One of the challenging things about branding has been this feeling that I have no idea what I’m doing, but the only thing I know is that I have instincts about what I want. It’s the same as I’m drawing abstract art. Even though I have absolutely no training in the arts, and know almost zero knowledge when it comes to color pairing, I have these inklings around what should be what.

One thing about branding that has been as frustrating as it is freeing, is thinking broadly about how it applies to me in general. I think about my coaching business, my personal website, future business newsletter, future youtube channel, my music newsletter, and any little experiments, how do I nest them in a way that makes the design language consistent?

Here’s what I have so far:

• for me, it’s all about abstract shapes. I want to include a lot of abstract forms to highlight how I care about how unique our ideas and abilities, are and how it’s up to our own to shape them in way that means something— in coaching case, shape our ideas into products that can help us build the life we want
• Abstract shapes also represent a freedom in expressing oneself and thinking outside the box a little
• I want things to be colorful. I have given a lot of thought about color schemes and there was initially an instinct to lean into minimal looks of black and white, but honestly, as much as I hate to admit it, that is not me. I like to use color to express just how I see this world, but also my generalist and multifaceted approach to work, design, and life.
• Boldness. I like my texts and messaging to be bold yet friendly. It should feel approachable like a friendly coach chatting to you and motivating you.

Onwards!