#design
#brand
Personal Brand: Part 1
Personal Brand: Part 1
Personal Brand: Part 1
Personal Brand: Part 1
Personal Brand: Part 1
Personal Brand: Part 1
Design and build a digital personal brand that acts as an effective external communication tool for increased leverage.
Design and build a digital personal brand that acts as an effective external communication tool for increased leverage.
Design and build a digital personal brand that acts as an effective external communication tool for increased leverage.
Design and build a digital personal brand that acts as an effective external communication tool for increased leverage.
Design and build a digital personal brand that acts as an effective external communication tool for increased leverage.
Design and build a digital personal brand that acts as an effective external communication tool for increased leverage.
Jan 2024 - Mar 2024
Timeline
Builder
Role
Jan 2024 - Mar 2024
Timeline
Builder
Role
Background
Background
A brand refers to the unique culmination of perception, thoughts, values, reputation, feelings, emotions that an associated entity possesses and conveys. Branding is signalling, communication and storytelling. Personal branding is all this but tied back to a human individual and their story. Everyone has a personal brand, whether we want one or not. Whether it's digital, physical, or social, all people have a personal brand.
The underlying motivation behind this project was to increase the leverage of my actions. By leverage, I mean getting more outputs from my inputs and efforts. An effective platform and personal brand is could act as a lever that can amplify my inputs via more robust communication.
A brand refers to the unique culmination of perception, thoughts, values, reputation, feelings, emotions that an associated entity possesses and conveys. Branding is signalling, communication and storytelling. Personal branding is all this but tied back to a human individual and their story. Everyone has a personal brand, whether we want one or not. Whether it's digital, physical, or social, all people have a personal brand.
The underlying motivation behind this project was to increase the leverage of my actions. By leverage, I mean getting more outputs from my inputs and efforts. An effective platform and personal brand is could act as a lever that can amplify my inputs via more robust communication.
Goals
Goals
1
Communicate Digitally and Effectively
Communicate digitally more broadly (reach) and effectively (depth) to gain more leverage. Tell an authentic narrative that documents what I do and experience, whilst sharing what I've learnt and built.
1
Communicate Digitally and Effectively
Communicate digitally more broadly (reach) and effectively (depth) to gain more leverage. Tell an authentic narrative that documents what I do and experience, whilst sharing what I've learnt and built.
1
Communicate Digitally and Effectively
Communicate digitally more broadly (reach) and effectively (depth) to gain more leverage. Tell an authentic narrative that documents what I do and experience, whilst sharing what I've learnt and built.
2
Gain Useful Skills and Experience
Gaining skills and experience with web development, following an iterative design process, content creation (photography, editing, planning) was my focus. Despite this project being largely personal and non-commercial, practicing desigining, building, testing and managing a project is something I desired.
2
Gain Useful Skills and Experience
Gaining skills and experience with web development, following an iterative design process, content creation (photography, editing, planning) was my focus. Despite this project being largely personal and non-commercial, practicing desigining, building, testing and managing a project is something I desired.
2
Gain Useful Skills and Experience
Gaining skills and experience with web development, following an iterative design process, content creation (photography, editing, planning) was my focus. Despite this project being largely personal and non-commercial, practicing desigining, building, testing and managing a project is something I desired.
3
Build the 'MVP' and launch within a month
I aimed to have a personal website and instagram that served my purpose launched within a month.
3
Build the 'MVP' and launch within a month
I aimed to have a personal website and instagram that served my purpose launched within a month.
3
Build the 'MVP' and launch within a month
I aimed to have a personal website and instagram that served my purpose launched within a month.
Process
Process
1
Design and Planning
My first step involved research on branding, understanding my why, developing clear requirements, and planning the implementation. I began by learning about branding and personal branding in detail. Before creating my own brand I wanted to ensure I understood the basic what, why, and how, of personal branding. This was also where I found examples of brands I liked and their associated instragram profiles and websites. After gaining a rudimentary fluency in personal branding I set out to answer the following questions: • Why curate a personal brand for me? • What is my brand? • How will the brand communicate my why and what? • Where will I deliver the brand and what, why, how for each delivery medium chosen? Once I answered these questions in detail I had clarity of the direction I wanted to take and what my target end result looked like. Finally, I set aside time each week to work on this project and set key deadlines for myself, which I shared with close friends for accountability.
1
Design and Planning
My first step involved research on branding, understanding my why, developing clear requirements, and planning the implementation. I began by learning about branding and personal branding in detail. Before creating my own brand I wanted to ensure I understood the basic what, why, and how, of personal branding. This was also where I found examples of brands I liked and their associated instragram profiles and websites. After gaining a rudimentary fluency in personal branding I set out to answer the following questions: • Why curate a personal brand for me? • What is my brand? • How will the brand communicate my why and what? • Where will I deliver the brand and what, why, how for each delivery medium chosen? Once I answered these questions in detail I had clarity of the direction I wanted to take and what my target end result looked like. Finally, I set aside time each week to work on this project and set key deadlines for myself, which I shared with close friends for accountability.
1
Design and Planning
My first step involved research on branding, understanding my why, developing clear requirements, and planning the implementation. I began by learning about branding and personal branding in detail. Before creating my own brand I wanted to ensure I understood the basic what, why, and how, of personal branding. This was also where I found examples of brands I liked and their associated instragram profiles and websites. After gaining a rudimentary fluency in personal branding I set out to answer the following questions: • Why curate a personal brand for me? • What is my brand? • How will the brand communicate my why and what? • Where will I deliver the brand and what, why, how for each delivery medium chosen? Once I answered these questions in detail I had clarity of the direction I wanted to take and what my target end result looked like. Finally, I set aside time each week to work on this project and set key deadlines for myself, which I shared with close friends for accountability.
2
Build and Feedback Loop
Once I established my vision for the project and planned out (in theory) how it would get done, it was time to actually do it. I selected two initial mediums for my brand. The first was a private instagram, and the second was a public personal website. The instagram was intended to visually communicate my personality, interests, values and showcase experiences 'authentically'. This medium biased towards showcasing lifestyle, experiences, progression, consistency, and telling a visual narrative of my life over time. The website was intended to act as a digital portfolio and central repository of all my digital brand. It will document what I do and share what I learn to help others who are interested in similar things. This medium biased towards more formal, long-form communication. Instagram Process: • Document requirements and specifications for this medium • Source visual content • Plan, organise and configure posts to convey desired narrative • Edit visual content for aesthetics • Present and review to friends/family to get feedback • Repeat until satisfied Website Process: • Document requirements and specifications for this medium • Identify a building tool that can satisfy my requirements • Customise and design web pages ,CMS, and various components to achieve a prototype • Present and review to friends/family to get feedback • Repeat until satisfied
2
Build and Feedback Loop
Once I established my vision for the project and planned out (in theory) how it would get done, it was time to actually do it. I selected two initial mediums for my brand. The first was a private instagram, and the second was a public personal website. The instagram was intended to visually communicate my personality, interests, values and showcase experiences 'authentically'. This medium biased towards showcasing lifestyle, experiences, progression, consistency, and telling a visual narrative of my life over time. The website was intended to act as a digital portfolio and central repository of all my digital brand. It will document what I do and share what I learn to help others who are interested in similar things. This medium biased towards more formal, long-form communication. Instagram Process: • Document requirements and specifications for this medium • Source visual content • Plan, organise and configure posts to convey desired narrative • Edit visual content for aesthetics • Present and review to friends/family to get feedback • Repeat until satisfied Website Process: • Document requirements and specifications for this medium • Identify a building tool that can satisfy my requirements • Customise and design web pages ,CMS, and various components to achieve a prototype • Present and review to friends/family to get feedback • Repeat until satisfied
2
Build and Feedback Loop
Once I established my vision for the project and planned out (in theory) how it would get done, it was time to actually do it. I selected two initial mediums for my brand. The first was a private instagram, and the second was a public personal website. The instagram was intended to visually communicate my personality, interests, values and showcase experiences 'authentically'. This medium biased towards showcasing lifestyle, experiences, progression, consistency, and telling a visual narrative of my life over time. The website was intended to act as a digital portfolio and central repository of all my digital brand. It will document what I do and share what I learn to help others who are interested in similar things. This medium biased towards more formal, long-form communication. Instagram Process: • Document requirements and specifications for this medium • Source visual content • Plan, organise and configure posts to convey desired narrative • Edit visual content for aesthetics • Present and review to friends/family to get feedback • Repeat until satisfied Website Process: • Document requirements and specifications for this medium • Identify a building tool that can satisfy my requirements • Customise and design web pages ,CMS, and various components to achieve a prototype • Present and review to friends/family to get feedback • Repeat until satisfied
3
Final Review and Launch
After getting to a refined prototype for both mediums, I had a final review with friends and family that raised a few confilcting key design/direction decisions I needed to make. I basically sat on them for a week and with time I was confident enough to commit to a certain direction. Following this, I populated both platforms with some initial content before launching online.
3
Final Review and Launch
After getting to a refined prototype for both mediums, I had a final review with friends and family that raised a few confilcting key design/direction decisions I needed to make. I basically sat on them for a week and with time I was confident enough to commit to a certain direction. Following this, I populated both platforms with some initial content before launching online.
3
Final Review and Launch
After getting to a refined prototype for both mediums, I had a final review with friends and family that raised a few confilcting key design/direction decisions I needed to make. I basically sat on them for a week and with time I was confident enough to commit to a certain direction. Following this, I populated both platforms with some initial content before launching online.
Tools
Tools
Adobe Lightroom
Framer
React
Figma
Canva
Conclusion
Starting my first personal brand from the ground-up was an exciting, frustrating, but satisfying endeavour. I see it as a successful project, as I believe I've achieved all the initial goals I had set. However, in reality, there's no such thing as 'finishing' a personal brand, which is why I've titled this project as being part 1 of many more in the future. There's a lot to improve aesthetically, but functionally I'm quite satisfied.
I learnt lots about web development, following a design process, using design tools, and pursuing a creative vision. Mostly, I learnt how bad I am at the actual creative implementation part, and how hard it is to build high quality, custom sites/profiles on the web.
The planning process also taught me lots about myself and human nature. Discovering what I wanted to communicate, and diving deeper into the why behind the communication revealed lots of interesting things about myself and who I am. (good and bad)
I'm excited to see how I deliver my personal brand in the future, and looking forward to building more brands on projects that interest me.
