As a solopreneur, building your brand can be one of the most exciting yet challenging aspects of your business journey. And with today’s many tools like Canva or Squarespace, it’s tempting to take the DIY route by whipping up a logo and launch a website using one of the many templates available.
While these tools are incredibly useful (especially when you don’t have the budget or the resources to hire a brand designer), relying exclusively on them can lead to common brand design mistakes that won’t do your business justice in the long run.
Because brand design is not only about the aesthetics, it’s about building a consistent story that is unique to your project, and making sure all visuals align to that story. I’m not here to criticise or critique your efforts because I know how overwhelming it can be to manage everything on your own as a self-employed business owner.
That is why in this article you’ll find some practical tips to help you avoid the most common design mistakes I have noticed with DIY brands. Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been running your business for a while, I hope these tips will help you polish your brand with minimal effort.
Let’s go!
COMMON BRAND DESIGN MISTAKE 1
Having a literal logo
Problem: Having a literal logo (e.g., using a camera for a photography business or a lotus flower for a yoga studio) won’t make your business stand out. It will be perceived as generic and lacking uniqueness.
Solution: Aim for a logo that captures the essence of your business in a more symbolic way. Remember, your logo is just one element of your brand identity, which also includes your color palette, fonts, graphic system, photography style, tone of voice, etc. Focus on what makes your business unique and showcase that through various aspects of your brand identity. This approach creates a more memorable and authentic brand experience that will resonate deeply with your audience.
Bonus Tip: Create an icon version of your logo for touch points that are too small for your main logo, such as your social media profile page.
COMMON BRAND DESIGN MISTAKE 2
Choosing colour & fonts according to own preferences
Problem: It’s pretty common for creatives to have a favorite colour and strong instincts for typography. However, choosing them based on personal preference can be a disservice to your brand’s communication. Why? Because colours and fonts evoke emotions and convey messages, making them crucial elements in your brand toolkit: choose them wisely!
Solution: Select fonts and colours based on your brand personality and the impact they will naturally have on your audience. A balanced colour palette should include at least one light colour, one dark colour and two accent colours to make your brand look dynamic and interesting to look at. For fonts, keep it simple with one or two choices (for example one for titles and one for texts!)
Bonus Tip: Consider readability, contrast and versatility to ensure your brand communicates the right message. Read this blog article for further tips about fonts and colours.
COMMON BRAND DESIGN MISTAKE 3
Being afraid of using
negative space
See case study for Roosmarijn Vos' website refresh here
Problem: Many business owners fear negative space (the empty space between and around text or images) and feel the need to fill every area with content or graphics. This results in a cluttered and overly complex website that is hard to navigate and understand. This issue is also common on Instagram, especially with Stories that use many different fonts, GIFs, and hand-drawn elements.
Did you know that the average time users spend on a website is less than 2 minutes? This means you need to make it easy for visitors to find the information they’re looking for. The same is true on social media, where people tend to swipe quickly!
Solution: Embrace negative space around your text. Simplicity is key here. This simple yet powerful tip will help create hierarchy and balance, highlight important elements of your message, and overall improve readability. Sometimes, it’s better to focus on the content itself rather than the aesthetics (especially on social media where content is quickly skipped) and guide the viewer’s attention to what truly matters: your message.
Bonus Tip: Instead of adding unnecessary design elements, try playing around with font hierarchy to create a sense of balance, increase readability, and focus attention.
COMMON BRAND DESIGN MISTAKE 4
Making inconsistent design choices
Problem: If you use different fonts, colour and graphic system each time you create a new piece of marketing content (website page, social media post, workshop promo, etc), it will confuse your audience. Not only does that make you loose a lot of time, your brand might end up looking cluttered, messy and inconsistent and your message will get lost. It will also take a toll on your professionalism and the reliability of your brand.
Solution: Determine what your brand identity is and stick to it. Your toolkit can be as simple as a logo, one font and one main colour. But make sure it’s always consistent, applying the same guideline across all platforms. It will build your brand recognition and make you look more trustworthy to your audience.
Bonus Tip: Use a brand board to visualise your brand toolkit. You can use my free template and download a complete guide here
COMMON BRAND DESIGN MISTAKE 5
Missing a clear brand story
Problem: What is your brand story, personality, tone of voice, target audience, vision, and goals? I know these terms can be daunting and you may prefer to focus on providing great service to your client, but asking yourself these questions is crucial for defining what makes your business unique. Ignoring these aspects can make potential customers disconnect from you as they may not relate to your brand on a personal and emotional level.
Solution: Develop a deep understanding of your target audience and tailor your message (and visuals) to resonate with them. Reflecting on your brand story will also boost your confidence and motivation, allowing you to navigate your entrepreneurial journey in a more purposeful way!
Bonus Tip: Ask for help. Writing your brand story is often the most challenging aspect of being your own boss, especially for service providers where the lines between personal identity and business can blur.
The good news is that helping solopreneurs with their brand story is my specialty. So if you’re struggling with it, book a free call with me to see how I can help alleviate this part of your business!
Whenever you are ready, here are some other ways I can help you:
Free website review, for those of you who just need to talk things through. A free call to go through your website and give you feedback on your current brand identity and a list of easy tips to improve your overall look and feel in just a few clicks!
Branding consultancy, for those of you who like to do things on their own but need an design expert's guidance and support. An in-depth 90min call to discuss your brand strategy followed by a personalised game plan with clear action steps for you to work on your website.
Branding packages, for those of you who are ready to invest in your (re)branding. Let's talk about it! Book a (no obligation) discovery call. We'll take time to discuss where you are at in your entrepreneurial journey and I'll make up a personalised package that matches your needs.
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