I recently spoke to a University of the West Indies (UWI) design class and the topic of personal branding came up in the Q&A. One of the students was working on their personal branding and wanted to know my thoughts on logos for designers. I think a lot of young designers place a lot of emphasis on what their logo looks like but when agencies are looking at portfolios, the most important thing is…the work in the portfolio. A simple sans serif font with the designer’s name may be all that’s needed to effectively communicate to a creative director that you possess good design sensibilities.
Recently, when hiring a junior designer, I spent more time looking at the layout of the candidates’ CVs than on their personal logos. Obviously a well considered and thoughtfully designed personal logo will add value to any portfolio, but you shouldn’t let not-having-a-logo affect your drive to submit your portfolios to agencies or to share your work online.
On the other hand, a bad logo could negatively affect a good portfolio, so if you are including a logo on your portfolio make sure that it is well done and not a case of “the shoemakers children.” Always keep in mind that a brand is much more than a logo, and as a designer what you speak about or work on, can do more for your brand than the most amazing logo. Trini web developer and typographer Agyei Archer has no “logo” on his website, but all of his communications speaks to his “brand.” By spending 2 minutes on his Instagram page, or listening to his TedTalk, or even speaking with him, you get a good idea of what his “brand” is without the need for a logo.
The same can be said for Ayrïd Chandler of Ayrïd by Design. While yes, she does have a very well designed logo, her brand can be found in what she talks about and who she chooses to work with. If you follow Ayrïd on Instragram you will see that she speaks a lot about mental health, women’s rights, and through her “Tip Tuesday” segment on Stories, she also serves as a design educator. All of these things make her attractive to potential clients who may have similar interests, and even potential clients who simply respect what she talks about. This is your brand!
From a personal point of view, my “Nicholas Huggins” logo has evolved over the years to suit my brand and its evolution. The very first iteration of my logo was a silhouette of my head made up of the words “Nicholas Huggins Design,” but I have since dropped the word “design” from my brand as I didn’t think it fully encapsulated what I do. After some brainstorming and brand development, I landed on the word “creative” which is now used in my Instagram handle, with my website having simply my name. This small adjustment gives me the freedom to post all creative projects and not just design work and helps me to better communicate what I do, while keeping my “design” work under the umbrella of my design company, Backyard Design.
Hopefully this was helpful to any design who may be considering a rebrand. Just remember that your brand is much more than a logo, and this should go for your clients as well!
NH