Since launching my new website and brand identity, a handful of people have emailed or messaged me to ask me questions about what the branding process was like, so I thought it might be fun to blog about it. If there’s something you wanted to know about the branding process that I didn’t talk about here, I will hopefully be writing more about it soon, but until then feel free to email me! 

At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted SHOWIT or not because it seemed like everyone else had it and I’m not really the biggest fan of doing something, liking something, or getting something because a lot of other people are (exception: Gangnam style). I eventually came around though because ALL of the sites that I loved were Showit sites. I also really liked the idea that even after a designer created my site, I would be free to tweak things if I ever needed to on my own. I rearrange our furniture and decorations all the time, so it’s only natural that I’d want to have the ability to add and change out pictures when I felt like it. Showit is STUPID EASY. Like I could probably set Lucy at my computer and ask her to switch out the pictures from my wedding gallery with all new ones. It’s SO EASY A CAT COULD DO IT*.

(*Not really, cats cannot use computers and/or SHOWIT without human assistance because they do not have thumbs)

I found my designer (Three Fifteen Design) on a recommendation from a photographers’ Facebook group I’m a part of. This was so lucky because I was looking for a designer who I liked as a person (this seems to always be important when hiring a designer or photographer) and someone who had a great sense of style in addition to a solid body of work. Though I loved the sites in her portfolio, I was attracted more so to Ravyn’s personal style and photography work. Does that sound crazy to you? As a business owner who has built my business on my own style and Katie-ness, I wanted to work with someone who would “get” me. A designer that is really into traditional, super classic and fancy things might not have been the right fit. I also really appreciated that Ravyn and her husband are both photographers with their own photography business too, because I think that helped her think like I would think!

The first part of the super official branding process was pinning inspiration to let Ravyn know what I was thinking. No one tells you how hard it’s going to be to have to create a pinterest board to explain yourself and your vision for your brand. If you’re like me, you probably like a million different types and genres of things. I like indie music, orange tabby cats, and sodas that are probably rotting out my teeth. I love mid century modern and Teen Mom. My interests and loves are so random and varied I knew I couldn’t really put together a coherent design without a designer to put it all together and make it not crazy. Somehow Ravyn was able to take my random pins and turn them into this incredible design board that made sense! That, people, is the joy of hiring a professional.

The next step of the process really surprised me. Initially I told Ravyn that I was interested in a very modern and somewhat industrial brand. You can see that reflected in my design board! There are hints of wood and metal and I was SO SURE that’s what I wanted. There were a few rounds of logos including some very geometric and industrial designs, but after thinking about it a lot and consulting other friends and photographers, I chose the very first logo, which was not industrial at all! I wasn’t expecting to love something so different from what I had envisioned for myself. The logo that spoke to me was funky, hand drawn, much  more whimsical, and honestly a little more girly than I think I am (I don’t think I’m a man or anything, I’m just not a girly girl). The logo I chose  fits my personality so much better than an industrial logo would. I’m silly. I’m not serious or industrial at all unless you count that time when I listened to emo punk in high school or how I love foods that were made in factories.

The actual site design came together pretty quickly after the logo was finalized! The most surprising thing about that process was how hard it was to write my “about me” and to put together a few different “facts” about me. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about myself and I really struggled to come up with interesting things to write about myself that other people might be interested in or relate to. My business is very much built on personal relationships though, so it was really important to add these things so that people get a chance to “meet me” through my website. Ravyn did this beautifully! One of my favorite parts of my site is the “easter egg”, which you can get to by clicking the little k element near my logo at the top. It’s a little random and it’s kind of silly, but it’s 100 percent me, and it’s the thing I get most excited about when I think of my site. I WANT to share with potential clients what a cheeseball I am and how much I love my cat!

The most fun part of this entire process was launching this brand and seeing it all come together! Launch day felt like Christmas or my birthday! As all good things do, it took some time to put the site and logo together, but I’d say it was worth it! If you haven’t seen my site already, you can visit it HERE!! Also, like I said, before I’m planning a couple more posts on branding and some of my tips, so look out for those coming your way soon:)