Branding is like sculpting a piece of art – it takes the right tools and a bit of creativity. In my journey to establish the Ospolt brand, I relied on two key tools that transformed my vision into reality. Let’s delve into each tool, why I chose them, and how this journey unfolded.
The Foundation: Investing in Branding
Before diving into the creative process, I recognized that a brand evolves over time. To ensure clarity in my vision, I invested in three crucial elements for my previous venture, Ospeka Straps: a talented brand designer, a captivating online theme, and quality stock. For any e-commerce business aspiring to build a brand, these components are paramount.
Tool 1: Looka.com – Where Ideas Take Shape
My brand creation journey began with Looka.com, an AI-powered graphic design platform. It serves as a launchpad for brand ideation, starting with the logo. The process is straightforward:
- Brand Name: Input your brand name.
- Industry: Select your industry.
- Logo Selection: Explore a variety of AI-generated logos based on your preferences.
- Colour Palette: Choose colours that resonate with your brand.
Understanding the importance of colour in branding, I complemented Looka with Coolors.co. This tool helped me refine my Ospeka Robin Egg Blue colour into a comprehensive palette, setting the foundation for the Ospolt Brands’ colour theme.
Tool 2: Coolors.co – Adding Vibrancy to Colors
Coolors.co played a vital role in refining my colour theme. Starting with the Ospeka base colour, I used the palette visualizer to ensure harmony among the colours. Yellow and Red emerged as my final choices, enhancing the vibrancy of the brand.
Armed with my colour palette, I returned to Looka.com, testing variations in both Red and Yellow. The platform’s flexibility allowed me to experiment until I found the perfect combination.
I select both colours on Looka and save the palette on my computer for future reference. Next, Looka asked me to confirm the company name and slogan (optional).
Next, we need to choose a symbol which is an important step. As I have discussed earlier, this process requires a deeper analysis than what is visible on the surface. I decided to select my own symbols, and Looka allows me to pick up to 5 symbols. So, I experimented with some symbols such as battery, power symbol, and button switch. This exercise helped me to generate new ideas and inspired me. Moreover, Looka generated some great ideas like the ones shown below:
Bringing Ideas to Life with Canva
While Looka.com offered a comprehensive brand kit, I decided to replicate the design in Canva, a powerful design tool I’ve used for nearly a decade. The premium features of Canva enabled me to export images seamlessly and access a plethora of assets.
Concerned about the impact of the chosen red on the website, I created an alternative version in yellow. This dual approach allows me to experiment during the website-building phase. The foundational logo, in black or white, ensures versatility.
Completing the Branding Puzzle
With the design locked in, I created black-and-white versions of the logo in various formats using Canva. This comprehensive approach, including horizontal and vertical variations, ensures adaptability across different platforms.
Documenting this process in a branding folder has proven invaluable. It’s a simple yet effective method that keeps the branding well-defined and easily accessible as I navigate through website development.
Selecting the Perfect Shopify Theme
With branding in place, the next step is choosing the Shopify theme. This decision is critical for providing an optimal online experience and aligning with the brand identity.
In conclusion, crafting a brand involves a blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and the right tools. My journey from Looka.com to Coolors.co and finally to Canva reflects a personalized approach to brand creation. As I embark on building the Ospolt website, the well-defined branding serves as a compass, guiding me to create a seamless brand experience.
Remember, building a brand is a dynamic process – it evolves, just like your business. Embrace the journey, and let your brand tell a story that resonates with your audience.
