PROSPECT: Hi, I was wondering if you could help me create a simple brand identity for my startup.

ME: Of course, I’d love to help! What made you decide to reach out to me now?

PROSPECT: Well, at first I thought we could hire a designer to create a logo for a few hundred dollars. But then we found some freelancers who could do more brand strategy work and create a better logo for a few thousand dollars.

I began to wonder about other options and found you through the Femtech Focus community. I thought it would be great to work with someone who understands this space and could help me design a brand identity.

The prospect didn’t have the budget for our custom solution. However, I didn’t let that deter me from helping them.

Instead, I proposed to guide them through designing their own brand identity.

This is an ideal solution for early-stage startups without funding or revenue yet. And the best part? It’s something that can be done in 1 day.

If you’re in a similar situation and would like to learn more about how to create your own brand identity, keep reading!

My secrets to create a brand identity for non-designers

If you’re an early-stage startup founder or non-designer, building a brand identity may seem like an intimidating task.

However, with these simple steps, you can create a strong brand identity for your startup without the need for a professional designer.

1. Identify your visual keywords

2. Create your logo with creative fonts

3. Discover your brand colors

4. Find your brand font

STEP 1: Identify your visual keywords

Visual keywords are the foundation of your brand identity. They communicate the essence of your brand to your audience and help you create consistent visuals across all touchpoints.

1. Brainstorm a list of adjectives that describe your brand. You can use the Design Angel’s brand personality cheatsheet to help you get started.

2. Narrow down your list to 5 words that best capture your brand’s personality.

3. From your list of 5, choose 3 words that truly capture your brand’s personality.

4. Translate your brand personality into visual keywords that represent the essence of your brand.

For instance, if your brand personality is “serious,” you may want to use visual keywords like “heavy,” “strong,” or “stable.” These words may not directly represent seriousness, but they convey a sense of solidity and reliability that aligns with the brand’s personality. Take another example, my brand, Design Angel, has a personality that’s “lighthearted,” “helpful,” and “simple.”

To translate this into visual keywords, I would use “fun” to represent lightheartedness, “understated” to convey helpfulness, and “clean” to reflect simplicity.

You now have 3 visual keywords for the next steps.

STEP 2: Create your logo with creative fonts

There are various types of logos, but a logotype or wordmark is an excellent option if you want to create a simple and unique logo that is straightforward and easy to understand. It’s also versatile and cost-effective, saving you time and money.

1. Go to Creative Market, type in “font, {1 visual keyword}” in search bar.‍

Pro tip:‍

Type in your business name to test out the fonts.

2. Collect at least 5 unique fonts that capture your brand’s personality.

3. Choose your winning logotype.

STEP 3: Discover your brand colors

Your brand colors should reflect your brand’s personality and values, and help you create a consistent visual identity across all touchpoints.

Let’s discover the perfect colors for your brand identity in 3 simple steps:

1. Go to Adobe Color, then Explore, then click on Explore, and type in 1 visual keyword in the search bar.

2. Collect at least 5 color schemes that match your brand personality.

3. Select the winning brand colors that align best with your brand identity.

Pro tip:

Download a JPEG so you have a record of the color codes.

STEP 4: Find your brand font

You’re almost there! With your logo and colors in place, the next step is finding a brand font that works across all touchpoints – from print collateral to social media. Google Fonts is a great place to begin, as it offers a wide range of font options that are easy to use and don’t require licensing fees, making it a cost-effective solution for early-stage startups.

1. Go to Google Fonts,  select “Serif” and “Sans Serif” under “Category”.

2. Collect at least 5 fonts that match your logo.

3. Select the winning font.

Pro tip:

The font you choose should be clean and legible, not too fancy or difficult to read. Scroll down the page to see how the font looks in a paragraph.

Great job! You’ve now designed your brand identity. Don’t forget to document everything in one place – create a folder called “Brand Assets” to store your logo font, color scheme (in JPEG), and brand font (from Google Fonts).

That’s all for now! I’m thrilled to have shared my step-by-step guide to help you create a unique brand identity. If you’re an early-stage startup founder or entrepreneur, I hope this article will save you time and money.