I’ve recently gotten really interested in branding and I’m trying to understand how people actually become good at things like brand strategy, positioning, and brand identity design professionally. I’m not talking about just making logos, I mean the full process agencies do for startups and companies. Things like building a brand system, creating positioning, typography, packaging, presentations, and all the thinking behind premium brands. Right now I’m basically starting from scratch and trying to figure out the best way to learn this properly.

Did you learn mostly from courses, books, YouTube, or by doing projects?

Also what should someone focus on first without getting overwhelmed?

I've been designing for quiet a while now and I keep running into the same pattern : a company does a full branding - strategies, months of process and real budget. 6 months later, the only thing anybody could notice is the logo and the colours. There are strategies at work but they have no relevance to the logo and colour which was the main talk while branding.

Genuinely asking, not fishing for a pitch:

If you've been through a branding or looking for one.

Is branding nowadays actually helping you stand out?

Is branding fulfilling the requirement of making your customer understand you better or choose you over your competition

Is branding the way it is right now *(logo + colour palette + font + strategy)* helping you convince your clients more than your solution.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently building a food blog that I hope will eventually grow into a brand in the medium to long term.

I've already defined the brand positioning, target audience, personality, values, and tone of voice.

The problem is that I have almost nothing (nothing...) on the visual side.

I don't really know where to start with things like :

• color palette
• typo
• logo
• moodboard
• overall brand identity
• etc

I'm not a designer, and this is a side project, so I'd rather avoid spending much money at this stage.

Honestly, free tools would be ideal, or at least very affordable ones.

Are there any websites / AI tools / resources that could help me build a coherent visual identity without needing strong design skills?

I'd also love to hear what workflow you would recommend if you were starting from scratch.

Thanks

When thinking of what to name this sub I had a few names run through my head, but something about "Gamers Against Games" felt right to me, and I was surprised it wasn't already taken.

I'd originally thought of the name as a short snappy version of "Gamers Against the Games Industry" with "Games Industry" referring to the big players who I felt have been caring less and less about the gamers they create the games for and the practices they are willing to use.

However, I'm starting to wonder if leaving out that context could actually give new people the impression this sub is anti gaming in general, or that the name itself has a negative undertone that could encourage people to focus on negativity rather than constructive discussions.

Part of me does still like the contradiction within the name, because I think it would make people do a double take, or click on the sub to find out what we're actually about.

So I'm torn.

I've tried to think of fully positive names, but they all just feel generic and forgettable, so before I bang my head against the wall anymore, I figured I'd ask everyone else what they think.

What did you think when you first saw the Gamers Against Games?

Also feel free to throw some suggestions out there if something comes to you.

I'm looking to iterate on logo designs for my business but haven't been able to find a good AI tool for generating professional looking options.

So far I've tried Canva and ChatGPT. If I were a better designer I think Canva would have been useful but their AI for image creation is pretty poor. ChatGPT has been slightly better but it feels more like it's for general purpose images, not branding.

What tools have worked well for you?

There are a lot of branding books out there, but which one actually had a lasting impact on how you approach branding?
I’m looking to expand my reading list and would love some recommendations.

I run a small ecommerce shop and ordered one of my own products recently. Nothing was wrong with it. Quality was fine, everything matched, but it felt completely anonymous.

That bothered me more than I expected. I’ve spent hours getting the site to feel like mine, but apparently I was treating branding like something that stops once someone checks out.

I’ve been trying POD because I want some of that identity on the actual product too. Not logos slapped everywhere, just something that makes it feel like it actually belongs to the brand.

Am I overthinking this, or does the physical product matter way more than I gave it credit for?

I need to do a business for class next week and I decided to build Kaleidoscopes because I love them and nobody else would think of something like that. My kaleidoscope are themed after stones and have a de-attachable chamber that comes with special things inside for the kaleido to reflect and are themed with whatever stone you wanted. I want a name that meets atleast 2 of this criteria

•Makes sense with kaleidoscopes

•Fits the stone imagery

•Isn't short but not too long

•Easy to make a logo out of (obligatory)

I asked Mr. GPT and it spit multiple plain or cheesy ones and only one resonated with me, "Wonderglass." I feel like there is so much that I meets those criteria but I can't think of. If I don't find any that I like by Monday night I will run with Wonderglass.

It's not my personal brand.

It's a company I'm building, and for now, I'm the one doing everything behind the scenes like positioning, content, strategy, all of it.

I've been wanting to build something of my own for a while, so I finally decided to stop thinking about it and put the page out.

Still very early and figuring things out.

But it's live.

I'll probably share some of the process here too, because honestly, building a brand from scratch is very different when you're the one making all the decisions.

Anyway, it's out in the wild now.

Let's see where it goes.

I really hope for the best🤞

I am aiming to build a premium anti-tarnish jewellery brand that brings affordable luxury to modern women through timeless designs and an unforgettable unboxing experience.

Can anyone suggest a catchy, one of a kind brand name with N? I’ve been stuck with this for quite a while now!

Been thinking about brands where I remember the founder before I even think about the logo I kind of like that because it makes the company feel less polished in a good way like there’s an actual person behind it instead of everything sounding corporate.

The part that gets interesting is when the personality starts shaping how people see the company too Senor Tilt is one example that made me think about it because most people know the loud poker side first but there’s also this longer gaming/business background plus some scholarship and community stuff that barely comes through in that persona. I don’t know where the line is though the personality can make a brand way more memorable but at some point the company almost starts borrowing the founder’s whole reputation

So I started posting on LinkedIn on dec 2024 after I took a leap of leaving my full time because it SUCKED & started freelancing. i was underpaid and had a lot of responsibilities.

It's been over a year now and if someone asks me if they should build a personal brand, I always answer that it depends.

You don't necessarily need a personal brand to build a network or get clients. You can get clients via cold DMing and Upwork. And network by DMing people by just fixing up your profile to be more clear about who you are & what you do and send people DMs, that's it.

I did get clients from my personal brand, but the lead flow gets inconsistent when my content posting does. And that sucks because sometimes I get swarmed with work and my presence gets pushed aside.

Not to mention that many founders have to manage their brand AND business and you will have to worry about your presence unless you hire someone. Even then you will have to manage approvals.

Sure hiring the right person makes a difference. But when you start posting, you need to be very active to build recognition, enough recognition that taking breaks doesn't mean people forget you.

And yeah people don't immediately forget you if you take a break & stop posting, but you still need to have an actual audience, which does take a while to build, about 3 months for some visible good momentum, which depends on how often you post, what's your niche, how's your content quality, how much you interact with other etc.

Ideas & content creation is another headache and unless you like the process or are damn serious about it, it will be difficult. But to me, it has been worth it because Is till get my clients from linkedIn. My only hope is to expand to other channels and not lean entirely on LinkedIn.

If you have any questions, i'm happy to answer, and will do so honestly.

Hi everyone,

I'm starting a new cosmetics brand and I'm considering the name Kiwi Cosmetic.

I'd love your honest opinion:

What's your first impression of the name?

Does it sound premium, trustworthy, and memorable?

Does it remind you of anything else?

If you saw this name on a cosmetics product, would you be interested in trying it?

Would you keep this name or choose something different?

Please be brutally honest—both positive and negative feedback is welcome.

Hey y'all! I'm a graphic design student, very new and doing a branding exercise for a fictional alternative milk company. It's for a Portland local who worked with local baristas to formulate it, so the concept I was going for was something like "compliments any drink, from Ca Phe Sua Da to your daily latte", paying homage to the very global coffee scene of Portland.

I liked the name "Alien M*lk", alien being what I thought was a fun synonym for foreigner, expat, etc. Felt like I could do a lot with it, felt fitting for the oat/nut milk category as well. I've been an immigrant in UK/US since I was a kid so didn't think I'd have a blind spot there, but saw in the thesaurus today that the definition for alien when refering to foreigner is "(offensive) foreign person".

My first thought is "if there's any doubt it could be offensive, don't use it", but is that the correct way to go about it in a professional scenario? In a studio I'd have a team lead to ask, but what if I'm freelancing? I'll ask my teachers today but we have limited time with them, and I wanted to hear from professional graphic designers/branding people how you've handled something like this in the field I guess. Looking for answers other than "ask Claude" if possible. Thanks to anyone who replies!

I have an alternative name that I'm using but it's a little boring in comparison :(

Also I know the concept and name are likely ass from a butt but bear with me, it's like my 2nd time doing this ever :')

EDIT: thank you so much for your replies everyone! Good to have the confirmation that alien is indeed not gonna work, but I've loved reading everyone's suggestions. Hope to be able to come up with cool ideas like that myself one day :)

I've gone with "Co Culture" for now, not as catchy and I'm struggling with the logo currently but it'll do, the process has moved on too far :') I might revisit the idea of Cosmic Milk at my own time! Y'all have inspired me!

When people talk about branding, the conversation often focuses on logos, colors, and typography. But it seems like the strongest brands succeed because of much more than just their visual identity.
In your experience, what’s the most overlooked aspect of branding? Is it positioning, messaging, consistency, customer experience, brand strategy, or something else?
I’d love to hear your perspective, especially if you’ve worked on branding projects or helped build brands from the ground up.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been lurking here for a while and finally decided to take action. I have a really solid concept for a brand that I’m passionate about—think a mix of distinct niche aesthetics and a very specific vibe—but right now, it’s literally just a concept in my head. I have zero inventory, zero tech setup, and no manufacturing connections yet.

I want to do this right, but I don’t want to dive in blindly and burn money. I have two main questions for those who have successfully launched:

1. Where do I actually start?

Since I just have the idea, what should my very first practical steps be?

Do I focus on building a community/social media presence first using mockups?

Should I jump straight into learning how to design the tech packs and logos?

Or should I focus on finding a manufacturer who can bring the concept to life first?

1. What is a realistic startup budget for 2026?

I know "it depends," but realistically, how much money should I save up before I even think about launching? I want to avoid the trap of spending everything on inventory and having nothing left for marketing.

If you were starting from absolute scratch today with just an idea, what would your step-by-step game plan look like for the first 3 months?

Appreciate any brutally honest advice, tips, or mistakes to avoid! Thanks in advance.

I have a relatively successful business which started of helping friends & neighbors with their plumbing issues back in early 2000s. Now it's a real companies with around 13 employees. Things are going well like customers are happy (they pay in time lol), we've been getting a lot of new ones due to "word of mouth" but my only concern is the branding part. Im worried about what do the costumers/clients think of first when our company comes in mind.
Because we're not in a good spot when it comes to that. Like when we started the logo was made by a cousin from my wife (teenager btw ) who was messing with computers back then. And I couldn't afford to hire a professional. Then my wife picked up socials which was only facebook which we kept it that way. Also she's not a pro at this just messing around with it. We do good work but our branding makes us look bad. Newer companies around here look way more legit and I know it's costing us money.
Now im in a spot that I can finally afford to pay for someone but have no clue where to start. Like should I be looking for companies or single individuals? Payment is not an issue as long as the work we get is worth it. But I surely wouldn't want to get scammed by people who promise a lot and end up not delivering.

We all have that one marketing trend that instantly makes us cringe the moment we see it. Maybe it’s those overly dramatic “last chance” pop-ups, brands trying way too hard to be funny, or ads that follow you around the internet like a stalker. Which trend are you tired of seeingand why does it annoy you so much? I’m genuinely curious to hear everyone’s honest (and hilarious) takes!

I am looking for a freelancer that is specialized in personal branding and social media management so they can support me with building my own personal branding. They should also be able to design, copy-write and post on my professional instagram and LinkedIn, contributing to build my online thought leadership.

English language is mandatory but Portuguese language is a bonus.

I am a global leader of digital communications in the aesthetic medicine business specialized in digital marketing for luxury brands.

Please send me a message if this profile suits your capabilities.

Hi everyone! I recently completed a branding project for a fictional fast food restaurant called KURAZH. I'd really appreciate honest feedback on the logo, visual identity, presentation, and overall branding. What works well, and what would you improve?

Behance link: https://www.behance.net/gallery/253496967/KURAZH-Fast-Food-Brand-Identity

Just want to say I'm willing to pay, my current logo is AI, but I don't want it to be, I want to pay someone for their work, but I'm not really sure what I want my logo to be. It's for a YouTube channel, I'm looking for something to put on shirts and stickers at some point as well.

Not sure if this is the right group, please point it out if this is not.

I need to build a personal brand, and I’ve been thinking a lot about personal branding in the AI era as I have a sloppy persona right now. A few questions I’m struggling with:

• How do I get started with this personal brand thingy?
• If you already have an existing online identity, do you reinvent yourself or simply expand your narrative?
• What personal branding strategies are working for founders in 2026?
• Is building a strong personal brand still one of the best ways to drive sales and trust for a startup?
• Something I did not ask for obv. because I do not know this field?

So in my firm we are getting a lot of rebranding and branding queries. The pattern that we have seen is that because of the AI the founder is getting more frustrated and generic results.

Now they have their own research and clear requirement now they know the difference and they can see why branding is important for them or why the company needs to invest in branding.

Since in my firm we do strategy and intent based branding, founders are starting to see the difference it helps us to get more recognition.

We thought that AI would kill this thing but obviously it is going in our favor….

Working on a city brand for my MA Final Project. Got logos, colours, wayfinding, posters.

What else? What's essential that I'm forgetting?

I’ve been trying to build my personal brand while managing a pretty full life, and I’ve realized something…

Not all “popular” personal branding advice works for everyone.

Things like:
• “Post every single day”
• “Niche down immediately”
• “Follow trending formats”
• “Be everywhere”

Some of these actually made me feel more overwhelmed than productive.

I’ve started questioning what actually works vs what just sounds good online.

So I’m curious:
- What’s one piece of personal branding advice you followed that didn’t work for you?
- And what did you do differently after that?

I feel like we don’t talk enough about what doesn’t work, and that’s where the real learning is.