A new short course from Design Kompany
Skeptical people. Fleeting attention. Trust taking time to build. Today branding is not what it was. It’s a claim you make about who you are and what you believe in, much more than the old visuals and design work that might have been enough in the 2000s. I remember. You’d just write a blog post, someone would resonate, and the next thing you knew they were at our office in Seattle’s Capitol Hill and we were getting along splendidly. Then work began to design their brand identity. I suppose the easy access to face-to-face conversation along with the reality that things were more simple then in terms of having the mental bandwidth to do big work like this made it fun and easy and cool to do so many projects with people, then. All were branding projects.
Most were some part brand messaging. Later, we turned into messaging-only designers, and today, we’ve got some things in our private client portfolio that are much more about ‘design thinking.’ That said, we want to share what we know how to do with those who care about classic branding. What matters, why, and how we get to the heart of a story: these are things we know how to do with our clients. More than 50 SME owners have worked with DK over the years, since we started in 2006 in that office in Capitol Hill, Seattle. We’re ready to work with you if you have some interest in making use of the tools and knowledge behind the scenes, here.
What is this course about?
A ten-week course. Virtual. To do what I said, above.
Sound like a good fit? If yes, Design Kompany is inviting you to join a short eCourse. It’s specifically for entrepreneurs and leaders who truly care about integrity and are actually living in that way not just hyping it up on social media as a way of gaining ‘likes’. (That doesn’t work for us for a high quality fit, as we are in the business of diving deep to get to the center of clear, sophisticated, and modern stories about you and your work and your values and your brand is the summary of those things as you tell them to appeal to a particular clientele.)
For us here at DK, it’s the people who will read all these paragraphs that are here and check links and suss out our credentials and show up to the first conversation for a consultation already knowing what we do and why you’d like to work with us… used to be. When we were offering brand identity design services and there were fewer channels to talk on, that’s what happened. That’s what worked.
Somehow, even with the changes now, I still believe in classic branding principles: know who you are, why you do what you do, what relevance the products and services you have will be to the audience you will be selling them to.
What is your unique value proposition?
No AI can tell you that. They’ll just spit out what’s already been done. But will that work for you, now, where you are, for what you do, specifically?
A human intellect can parse this out with you. Let us work together, to get there.
WHY DESIGN KOMPANY? Knowing one’s purpose with clarity is the center of all our past projects in this kind of sphere, and we’re ready to make it happen again. In virtual conversation space.
ABOUT THIS COURSE. Over 10 weeks, let’s work together to design a meaningful brand identity system. It’ll be grounded in authenticity and positioned for growth because it’ll have been thought through enough to be exactly what aligns. Not just with your vision, but your audiences. Building trust requires this.
Clarify and future-proof your brand. But how? What is the course material?
DK’s eCourse: ‘Branding in 2025’
Week 1: Branding today. Branding is not just about logos or taglines; it’s about how your company is perceived and how it evolves over time. In this module, we’ll delve into the essence of branding and how it reflects the core values of your business.
Understanding this foundational concept is crucial for any leader aiming to align their company’s actions with its brand promise. We’ll do a brand audit of your business. We’ll identify areas where your brand aligns with your company’s values and areas where we find discrepancies.
Week 2: Clarify. A clear brand foundation is essential for consistent messaging and decision-making. This week, we’ll focus on articulating your brand’s purpose, values, and positioning, ensuring they resonate with both your internal team and external audience.
Let’s work out a one-page brand strategy document that includes your brand’s purpose, values, and positioning statement.
Week 3: Know your audience. Understanding your audience’s values and needs is crucial for creating a brand that resonates. This week, we’ll explore methods to identify and understand your target audience, ensuring your brand speaks directly to them. Let’s create detailed customer personas that reflect the values and needs of your target audience.
Week 4: Messaging. The way your brand communicates can significantly impact its perception. This week, we’ll focus on developing a brand voice that aligns with your company’s values and resonates with your audience. We’ll create a 4-page brand messaging guide that includes your brand’s tone of voice, key messages, and communication style.
Week 5: Design that matters. Your brand’s visual identity should reflect its core values and resonate with your audience. This week, we’ll explore how to create a visual identity that communicates your brand’s essence. Let’s make a mood board that captures the visual essence of your brand, including colors, typography, and imagery.
Week 6: Test it out. This week, we’ll experiment in the field with you and see how the newly designed messages will land. Work with us to connect with potential clients and see if the new messaging feels right to you, and how it lands for them
Week 7: Experiences. Every interaction with your brand should reinforce its core values. This week, we’ll explore how to design brand experiences that align with your company’s mission and values. We’ll map out your customer’s journey and see how key touchpoints can deliver delightful experiences.
Week 8: Soul of the brand. Storytelling is a powerful tool for conveying your brand’s values. This week, we’ll focus on crafting narratives that authentically represent your company’s mission and resonate with your audience. Work with us to write 1-2 brand stories that help people understand your company’s values and mission.
Week 9: Trust through transparency. Transparency is key to building trust with your audience. This week, we’ll explore how to communicate your company’s values and actions openly and honestly. We’ll work together to write a transparency statement that outlines your company’s commitment to its values and how it upholds them.
Week 10: Tech. Technology offers new avenues for expressing your brand’s values. This week, we’ll explore how to integrate technology into your branding efforts while staying true to your company’s mission. Choose 1 platform that aligns with your brand’s values and develop a plan for how to make it work well for you.
How to apply
This is a one-to-one course by email so you can choose the option that works for you.
APPLICATION. Request an application at designkompany.com/contact
How much time will it take?
The best value will come from this process if you can allocate 3-4 hours of time per week. It will be for you to give your attention to some focused thinking about your goals, values, and where you want to take your company.
We will work with you to make the best quality design as we can. We’ll talk at the start on a call to get to know your goals and expectations and share about our process at that time, too. The first week will be the time we decide together how much of a commitment you can make. If it’s something we think we can do, we will continue.
How much does it cost?
Sliding scale. This course is pay-as-you-go, at USD TBD/week for up to 10 weeks. If you’ve been in business for 5+ years, I invite you to schedule a call and share what’s been working well, and where you’d like to see some changes. We can talk about it. Or, if you haven’t got 5 years’ experience, let me suggest you try Art & Copy to get your feet wet.