Ta da! We did it!
We have a new look at Art Biz Coach, and I’m using today’s post to give you the inside scoop on how all of the pieces came together.
Back in January, I asked if your brand was missing you because I had concluded, with the help of my mastermind buddies, that my personality was a little absent from the Art Biz Coach brand, especially in the visual manifestation of Art Biz Coach.
So I hired Rachel Dunham of Brand Therapy to work some magic on me. We’ve been working on this for more than two months.
The First Steps to a New Brand
I didn’t pay Rachel $75 to come up with a quick logo. I wanted a much deeper process for a more profound transformation.
The first thing Rachel did was ask me to complete a 19-page survey.
The next thing she did was create a private Pinterest board where I could post inspirational photos for the design and photos of me in various outfits. This is when she gave me advice for what to wear in the photo shoot that I had already arranged with the talented Regina-Marie.
Then we scheduled 3 phone conversations – each with a separate purpose:
- The first was focused on me: who I am, my vision, my values, and what makes me unique.
- The second session focused on Art Biz Coach: our core message, ideal clients and their struggles, products, and services.
- The final session focused on my online presence: website functionality and social media presence.
I emphasized the following points in our conversations:
- I want my site to be more visually engaging. I have a visual audience but I offer services, not a visual product.
- I want my message to have more of my personality, which means adding a little edge – not so serious and proper. I’ve been called sassy – mostly by my mom.
- Adding pattern would be a plus because I’m drawn to pattern, especially polka dots. Patterns flow from my pen when I doodle in meetings.
- I really liked my current yellow and warm gray. Those two colors were the ones I used when Stanfield Art Associates began in 2001.
The Logo Is Birthed
As I’ve written before, a brand is much more than a logo, and that logo must evolve from deep values, purpose, and direction. That’s why the inquiry started the process.
After coming across my signature, Rachel decided to incorporate it into the logo.
The logo was the longest, hardest slog of the process, which is why I refer to it as being birthed. We went through so many versions and even tried using the peacock blue that I love so much. But we eventually arrived with this.
Everything else that came afterward would be congruent with this logo.
Studies have shown that women don’t particularly like gray and men are averse to purple. Either I’ve managed to turn off both genders with this logo or, more likely, I trust the keen eye of my visual audience to look at the whole rather than pooh-poohing individual colors.
There is significant meaning to every aspect of this logo. I won’t go into depth, but to me it symbolizes the 4 Cs: connection, community, creativity, and clarity.
Updating YOUR Brand
And now, a little something for you.
If you ever decide to freshen up your professional look, you may struggle, as I did, to come up with a list of all the things that will need updating. What needs new colors, images, and fonts?
This list covers most of what we developed for the new Art Biz Coach brand, though not everything will apply to your situation.
- Website and/or blog (individual pages and posts, sign-up pages, thank you pages)
- Headers for each page
- New photos of yourself that promote your brand (Thanks again, Regina!)
- Select photos of you with others and in your studio and your art in situ
- Buy / Sign Up / Submit buttons
- Sign-up forms
- Product graphics for classes, books, and programs
- Newsletter template
- Business cards
- Brochures
- Hang tags
- Note pads
- Note cards
- CD covers
- Letterhead
- Report templates or class lessons
- Social media graphics: Facebook and Twitter cover images, buttons to connect with you
I sure hope this list comes in handy for you at some point.
Share your experience with updating your professional artist brand in a comment. I’d love for you to add to the list above.
40 thoughts on “Behind the Scenes: Rebranding Art Biz Coach”
LOVE the updated, current new look! Thank you for sharing the process! Libby
I had been admiring your logo in recent emails – didn’t know it was new.
I love how the jewelry in your photo matches your branding colors.
The new look is very fresh, has wonderful fluidity and motion. I think it’s perfect for the business you are in. It’s all very uplifting.
And what artist can’t use a little uplift in her business outlook?
Isn’t that funny, Patricia? I think it’s because I love purple and polka dots.
I LOVE grey!
And the new look is TOTALLY you – love how it all works together, and very much like getting hints of the final rebrand during the Bootcamp class 🙂
I love it! I totally get the “sassy” aspect. I suspected a change was coming when I saw this look on one of your emails.
The blog header is really huge, though, and the site has some window-width issues – it gets chopped off on smaller screens.
Brad: I appreciate your helping me privately with your screen captures. We’re working on it!
Wow! Fabulous look, Alyson! The colors are lively and fresh. Immediately noticed the jewellery tie in with the text also. I so appreciate you sharing the process that was necessary to get to this point in your re-branding. Very helpful… and overwhelming.
Judy: It’s funny … the jewelry came first and is testament to my love of purple and polka dots.
Beautiful! I think it also has a more creative look…much more appealing to artists!
It just makes me happier when I come to your pages.
🙂 Love that!
Wow what a great job! I am trying to rebrand myself and even a new name do to relocation. For sure not going good like yours did.
Melissa: I could never have envisioned what Rachel did here. It makes a huge difference to hire a pro.
Alyson,
Love your new look and the cutiest thing on it is you. It is so nice to look at with those faded edges. May I suggest, on your blog page, move “blog” over to the left two smidges because it comes up on my mac with “blo…” and half of the “G” of blog and every time with the purple, my mind finishes it off with “blood” (Am I watching too much of “Wolf Lodge”?) I would like to see “Blog”. Thanks for sharing this with us. -Sue
I agree on full screen landscape my iPad it only shows “B” for blog…
Thanks, Sue! And to you and Phil, we’re working on the page layout. You never know what’s going to happen after you go live.
FYI, On my laptop, I’m missing part of “Contact”. And I can’t make the window any bigger.
Looks beautiful, Looks like you!
Great design!! Great logo!! I love it all!!
Congratulations on your newly birthed Logo and Brand Identity. And a big Mahalo nui loa for sharing the process with us! What a gift you have given us!
I have always liked your old sites and graphics, but — WOW! — this looks absolutely beautiful!
The site width is a little wide for my laptop, as a couple of others have noted, but everything else is really stunning, including the great, welcoming photo of you!
The graphics on the newest edition of the book look great, too! (I have the first edition.)
With thanks for all you do,
Karen
Thank you, Karen. We can thank Janice McDonald for designing that book cover.
Congratulations on the new look, Alyson. It’s clean and simple. Looks great!
Thanks, Lucy. Funny – someone else told me it was too busy. It’s definitely busier than before and busier than my norm, but I’m embracing it.
Great look Alyson
Something to add to the list- a favicon! I like your new one 🙂
Thanks, Bonnie! We struggled with that. The first one didn’t work so well, so we scrambled to … duh … use the circles in the logo.
As a matter of fact, this is perfect timing. I just finished giving my website a total overhaul last night, but I haven’t launched the new design yet. I’m at a bit of a stand still trying to decide how to make the most of the reveal. Should I build up to it? or just announce after I’ve launched? I’ll be searching your website and book to see what your recommendations are. And also to be sure I’m totally finished with the redesign. Thank you!
And by the way, I think you’re new design is so pretty. It looks like a sophisticated party. 🙂
Congratulations, Rebecca. Everyone announces a new site differently. I have the fortune of being able to use it as an educational opportunity.
What if you made a game of it: “Tell me 5 things that are different on my new site.” (or 10 or whatever) “Winner receives …”
Ha, yes. I was actually thinking of some sort of hunt. Or take a tiny thumbnail of an image and you have to tell me where it is. or a quiz on the about me page. I’ll think it through. And what in the world could the prize be? This is going to keep me up nights till I figure something out. I just didn’t want to waste an opportunity for buzz. Thanks for replying.
o i really like the new look of your blog. the updated picture of you is like you standing at the door saying “Welcome”!(very lovely picture too)
That’s a great new look Alyson.
The vibe I get is straight forward and authoritative but approachable.
Hi Mary,
I’m pleased to see you here. For those of you who don’t know Mary have a look at her website. Like me she’s based in the UK and only lives about 200 metres from me…the internet can also be a small world!
Alan, her husband, is my professional framer.
Great snazzy look! Way to go an congrats, Alyson. (Live those spheres/circles!!)
I love the new colors AND the new look- whimsey, elegance and pizzazz!
Add business savvy to those three and it adds up to you, Alyson. Great job!
Hi Alyson,
Your new-look website was the spur for me to change mine…a new simpler coloured banner…colourful horizontal buttons…all my own efforts, as ever. Please folks have a look and be brave leave me some feedback perhaps?
Alyson! What a joyful site you have! It really has movement & inspiration as well as presenting a professional look with your great smiling photos! It really has a lot more of “you” in it! Congrats on the partnership with Rachel! It really sings as far as I can see! Bravo! …and thanks for using it to teach us!