Your Brand Design Isn’t About What You “Like”

Basing your brand design choices on your favorite color from childhood or how you decorate your house is kinda like a restaurant only serving dishes its waiters like or dislike.

“Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am! I can’t serve you the salmon because I don’t eat fish.”

And yet, this is what you do when your brand designer presents something to you and you judge it based on:

  • “Would I wear this color?”
  • “Does it match my home decor?”
  • “Do I like it?”

Tough love time. Good brand design isn’t about WHAT YOU LIKE. It’s not about a color you associate with your 2nd grade backpack or the wall tapestry in your living room.

Good brand design is about creating an emotional experience for your audience that mirrors how you want them to feel when they work with you. And, most of the time, that has nothing to do with what’s in your closet or hanging on your wall.

Confused about how to separate your personal preferences from what works best for your brand? Watch the full episode of #AwkwardMarketing for two easy ways to prepare to work with a designer to get the brand you NEED, not the brand you “like.”

Rachael Kay Albers

Rachael Kay Albers is a creative director, business comedian, and brand strategist gone wild. She writes and performs about branding, pop culture, tech, and identity. When she’s not muckraking about marketing, Rachael runs RKA ink, a reinvention studio and branding agency for businesses that burn the rulebook. She's also on Instagram a lot.