10 Ways I Stay True to Your Vision for Your Brand

I’m a big believer that my clients know their brand better than anyone. Which is why I stay true to your vision for your brand throughout our entire relationship together. I look at brand building in a way you won’t see from other studios. Not only is my focus on building you a brand that is consciously crafted, but it’s also on ensuring that the final product reflects your vision.

Here are the 10 ways I prioritize your brand vision when working together. Because at Little Ghost Creative, I believe in putting people first.

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."

— Epictetus

Steps I take to stay true to your vision

Step 1. I Ask questions to Get to The Heart of Your Business

Every brand project at Little Ghost starts with a meet and greet. Think of it as a (virtual) coffee date with a new friend!

During this short meeting, I learn about you, your business and your vision. This initial conversation helps me craft the questions I ask in our next meeting together —  The Discovery Session. My promise to you is that I’ll never ask a “templated” question. I want to really understand you and your brand. The questions I ask are meant to get you thinking deeper about your brand.

Some examples of the (fun) questions I might ask:

• If you were a comic book hero, what would your origin story be?
• If you were describing your business to your grandma (who doesn’t even know who the Kardashians are), what would you tell her?
• What are the 3 core values that guide your business?
• If your business were a person, what 3 words would you use to describe them?
• Why does your target customer choose you over your competitors?
• In the eyes of your target audience, what do you feel sets your business apart from your competition?
• What attributes or emotions do you want your audience to walk away with?
• Are there any brands that you feel are benchmarks?
• What is your opinion of Comic Sans? Just Kidding.

Step 2. I Listen

I can confidently say, I’m a good listener. There’s a few ways I practice active listening in my client meetings to ensure I’m staying true to your brand's vision.

• I record all of my meetings, which then automatically get transcribed. This is a huge time saver for me, but it also allows for us both to stay present. This way we can have an authentic conversation (rather than it feeling like an interview).
  

• I let you do most of the talking. I ask questions to keep the conversation moving forward, but I don’t do a lot of talking. My goal is to remain neutral during these discussions and avoid drawing any conclusions.
  

• I recommend the best course of action based on what you’ve told me. I hear you out and only make recommendations that reflect your vision for your brand.

Step 3. I Research Your Industry, Target Audience and Competition

It might surprise you, but I am never the target audience for my clients. I may buy their product or service one day, but in order to do my job effectively I have to remain unbiased.

This is why the research phase of a brand project is so important and the very first step.

I do a deep dive into your industry, your audience and your competition. I dive so deep that by the end of the project I’m literally an expert in your field…and I pride myself on that!

Once I understand the intricate relationship between you, your audience and your competitors, I can create a timeless, beautiful and functional design solution.

"With Robyn, we were able to work with a designer who we felt was just on the same wavelength as us, while still benefiting from her incredible experience setting up niche brands like ours for success and scale.”

— Rie Tulali, Tea Curious

During a recent rebrand project with Tea Curious, the client told me I MUST be a fellow tea nerd. They said my accuracy of the gaiwan teapot I designed for their logo was “a near perfect rendering.” Spoiler alert — I’m not much of a tea drinker, I just care about the details a lot.

Step 4. I Empathize With You and Your Customer

I believe being able to step into the shoes of your consumer and see the world through their eyes is key to crafting a conscious brand they will fall in love with.

I strive to know why your audience wakes up in the morning, what motivates them and what brands they loyally stand behind. I share this intel with you so you can better empathize with your target customer as well!

Being empathetic with your consumers is a skill that can benefit your brand’s entire ecosystem.

Empathy can support your brand with:

• Your yearly marketing spend, knowing the right places to invest it
• Your social media strategy, creating useful content
• Your advertising strategy, having it land and leave a positive impression
• Your content, making it authentic and relevant
• Your call to actions, having them actually convert customers
• Your photography, shooting imagery that is on brand and styled correctly
• Your customers, helping them find value in every interaction with your business

Step 5. I Translate Your Vision Into Moodboards and Styleframes

Moodboards and styleframes are a quick and flexible tool I use to help us get on the same page right off the bat.

Think of them as visual collages that allow me to visually communicate the direction I’m interpreting you want to take your brand.

They can be really useful in helping me understand the personality of your brand, and to move forward on a direction that feels right.

Plus, showing you a moodboard or styleframe in the beginning stages of a projects means you don’t have to wait weeks before seeing a visual interpretation of your brand. You’ll get to see actual logos concepts, patterns and design elements early on.

I put the power in your hands, making it easy for you to provide feedback that allows me to course correct and deliver a brand concept true to your vision.

Step 6. I Take Your Thoughts into Consideration

Honest and open feedback is the most important aspect to any creative project. It allows me to refine your brand in a meaningful way that will reflect your vision.

Some clients are nervous to provide their feedback. To that I say, don’t be! I can’t create a consciously crafted brand for you if I don’t know what you’re thinking.

I never take feedback personally because I understand your business, vision and goals from all the research I’ve done. I remain objective at all times.

So please, provide your feedback. It will result in your final brand being stronger and more impactful for both you and your customer.

A few things to remember when providing feedback:

• Keep your audience in mind
• Think of design as a collaboration
• Ask lots of questions
• Be honest (but kind)
• Be as specific as you can be
• Explain why

Step 7. I Discuss Every Option and Opportunity With You

Throughout the branding process we’ll sit down together several times to review design options. I schedule multiple touch bases with you as it allows us to discuss the meaning, scalability and impact of each decision made.

I believe that the more you know about the branding process, the more informed decisions you can make.

So as we move through a brand Identity or strategy project together, we’ll discuss everything, including what will work for your business both now and in the future.

My goal is to build you a brand that can scale and grow.

Step 8. We Collaborate Every Step of the Way

Design is a collaboration! And one of the reasons why I love what I do.

When you choose Little Ghost Creative, you aren't just paying for services, you are intimately involved in every step of the creative process.

My promise to you is that your brand will never be a mystery. Not at any point in the branding process. Your final outcome of your brand will have been shaped by you.

So, feel free to update your resume to include “Brand Designer” once your project is done…. just kidding, but you know what I mean.
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Step 9. We Make Decisions Together

If you’ve read this far, you likely already know I’m committed to making decisions as a team. But, it’s important for me to note as collaboration is one of Little Ghost’s core values.

During our work together, I’ll gather and synthesize the information you need to make a strategic decision for your business. I present this info in a way that is easy for you to understand, digest and also see the potential in.

Every time I deliver a presentation, a pitch or a brand identity concept, we will make decisions together. I’ll give you my two cents, but the decision is ultimately yours!

Step 10. I Don’t Bring in my Personal Style

Last but certainly not least, keeping my personal style away from my design decisions is key to ensuring your brand stays true to your vision.

Before I started Little Ghost Creative, I worked as an Art Director at national start-ups, like SkipTheDishes and Neo Financial. During my time here, I was committed to ensuring my solutions fit the brand, industry and what the CEO wanted to see. Rather than my solutions reflecting my taste.  

These experiences are what have set my skill set apart from other designers. Quite honestly, I don’t have a personal style when it comes to brand design (you won’t find trendy graphics here, trust me).

If anything, my personal style is well considered designs that are both timeliness and functional. However if you have a specific style in mind, no worries! Because I don’t keep a full-time staff of designers I’m able to bring on a specialized designer or illustrator that can achieve the aesthetic you’re looking for.

There you have it — the 10 ways I stay true to your brand vision when you choose to work with Little Ghost Creative.

The most impactful brands are the ones that are authentic and true to themselves. At the end of the day, there’s a human behind every great brand who at one point determined the direct and vision of their brand. That human will eventually be you.

And when you work with Little Ghost Creative, you can count on your brand staying true to your vision. That’s my guarantee.
Every groundbreaking idea has to start somewhere, tell me what you’re working on.