Re: Personal Branding

I have yet to brand myself as a designer, but it's getting to be that time considering I'm taking portfolio and seminar next semester. I've mentioned designer David Airey before, but he has an excellent blog about freelancing and design. As soon as I read Jim's post, I thought of Airey's article, Framing Your Design Brand. Airey breaks down the process into 10 steps: David Airey is a great designer to follow. Here are a few more of his blog posts on the topic:

1. Mission

   What are you doing right now, today? What happens because you exist?
2. Vision

   What are or will be the results and effects of what you do in the future?
3. Core values

   What are the attitudes and beliefs that shape your business culture?
4. Unique selling point

   What’s your edge, the thing that makes you stand out?
5. Emotional selling point

   What’s the intangible or aspiration that you sell? Think feelings not facts. Connection, freedom, ego, belonging.…
6. Brand essence

   The core of what you do, the image it portrays and the signals it sends.
7. Tagline

   One line that communicates everything.
8. Identity

   How the consumer perceives your brand.
9. Name

   The verbal hook on which all of the above hangs and is communicated, the icing on your cake. Comes in all the way down here at number nine!
10. Logo
    
Last but not least the visual hook that represents your brand, the cherry on the top.