Joel is a brand identity & graphic designer passionate about helping businesses (re)create their brands the right way.
He also helps frustrated creatives become confidently independent freelancers, and he wrote a book about it.
Brand strategy + design for solopreneurs who want to be seen (and hired!) as the experts they are.
The fact is: most online business owners look like they’re all over the place 🤷♂️
Their posts, social media profiles, landing pages, and websites look disconnected, inconsistent, and generic.
You might be the best at what you do, but if you look like a headless running chicken online, it’s going to be impossible to build trust with your audience and get hired 🐓💨
Hi! I’m Joel, the brand strategist and designer for solopreneurs, aka small business owners — after 10 years in the branding business as a small business owner myself, these are the people I know we can help the most.
Because we know what you’re going through.
The challenges, doubts, and fears 😖 we’ve lived them in these past 10 years.
We also know that most of those challenges get *crushed* once you establish a powerful personal brand.
(We lived that too.)
Do you think branding is all about fancy logos and flashy graphics? 🙅♂️ Think again.
Proper branding is how you establish yourself as an industry leader. It’s how you build an online presence, a reputation, that echoes your expertise and authority.
From the inside out, that’s what we’re here for as branding professionals:
1️⃣ To give you a crystal-clear understanding of your own business, brand, and purpose.
2️⃣ So that you step up with newfound confidence and show up as the real you.
3️⃣ And finally look and feel like the industry leader you are (and get hired as such!) because everything is perfectly aligned with you, your business, and your goals 🍾
How do we do it?
The most important aspect in a brand visual identity and design element is that it embodies you:
Your mission, your values, your personality (or unique business character), your brand voice, your brand sentiment, and the value you deliver to your clients. And ultimately – the way you want to be seen by your audience.
We do it in 4 phases and we have a plan.
▸ A collaborative approach and a personal team that works with you – every step of the way.
▸ Top-notch visual assets you’ll love, delivered in faster-than-agency turnarounds.
▸ Customizable solutions and design sets – never more, never less than what you need.
▸ Designers who listen!
▸ An enjoyable experience!
Fill in the fields in the form below and tell us more about your business.
We’ll get back to all messages as quickly as possible, usually in a business day or less.
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When we were happy with our findings, we moved on to the first step of my design process, the brand’s mood board. Both Russell and I brought visual references out of our own research and point of view.
After those discoveries and an in-depth brainstorming session, I presented Russell my solution.
We chose two main colors (the red and orange), two secondary colors (the purple and pastel color), and one accent color for support when needed (soft grey). The palette can be used as is, or in gradients as long, as we keep the color hierarchy to maintain the visual consistency throughout.
Now, we were now ready to re-write and re-design Russell’s most important touchpoint, his LinkedIn profile.
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After those discoveries and an in-depth brainstorming session, I presented Laura my solution.
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After those discoveries and an in-depth brainstorming session, I presented Myrto my solution.
“Working with Joel on my brand, what stood out was my 360° detailed overview on the fintech and banking software business from various roles and different backgrounds.”
– Myrto Zehnder
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Go Boss Yourself
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Justice Is Now!
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Canopie
We also included mama and baby characters with restful expressions to emphasize the mood and human connection.
know more about the app & project at:
canopie.app
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View from 32
Before starting to work on the visual aspects of the brand identity, it is important to have a clear understanding of the brand’s goals and style. A brand identity questionnaire has proved to be a useful tool to gather insights into the brand’s mission, values, target audience, and desired image. So that was our starting point.
GrowingDesign © 2014-2023
Before starting to work on the visual aspects of the brand identity, it is important to have a clear understanding of the brand’s goals and style. A brand identity questionnaire has proved to be a useful tool to gather insights into the brand’s mission, values, target audience, and desired image. So that was our starting point.
The typography selected has details reminiscent of the Celtic style, further emphasising the connection to Irish heritage and reinforcing the brand’s identity.
GrowingDesign © 2014-2023
With the proper framework, we worked on her foundations, explored different ideas, and defined key business concepts every brand should have clarified before they show up in the world.
Cosmic Creative is dedicated to providing psychology-based copywriting services to business owners who are committed to building strong and long-lasting businesses who value integrity, respect and empathy.
Mutual respect for one another and being able to see the world from someone else’s perspective is highly valued by Cosmic Creative.
“He (Joel) helped me hone in on my vision and mission, took an in-depth look at my target audience (e.g. their biggest challenge, desires, and buying decisions), completed a competitive analysis, figured out what makes my brand unique, narrowed down my brand voice and values, and so much more.”
– Rebecca Scott, Cosmic Creative
We’ve redesigned Rebecca’s main brand touchpoint, her LinkedIn profile.
With a new banner image, a unique profile picture and the right messaging throughout, Rebecca is getting new followers consistently.
GrowingDesign © 2022
GrowingDesign © 2022
The project was divided into easy-to-follow phases and the complete process included:
After our engagement, Persona has seen an increase in sales, and brand awareness. An on-brand online store is a crucial brand touchpoint to the success of a product-based business.
How colorful is your sock drawer?
Persona
GrowingDesign © 2022
Dana already had a strong brand presence on Instagram when she came to us looking for a website.
The goal for this new brand touchpoint is to strengthen her overall online presence and brand experience.
The project was divided into easy-to-follow phases and the complete process included:
No need for third-party apps or services, when you have your own website use it to host your unique link in bio for your marketing purposes.
Visit it today and meet
Media with Dee
GrowingDesign © 2022
color palette
I’m a graphic designer focused on helping meaningful & nice-people-managed startups stand out by providing custom and appealing brand visuals.
My journey started with product design, but I soon found out that graphic was the way, when I realized that I had more fun creating the communication assets for my products than designing the products themselves.
Along with 5+ years of freelancing, I had the opportunity to help more than 20 (now a bit happier) business owners from all over the world.
They define the experience as reliable, enjoyable, and smooth.
Keep learning is a must, so, some of my time is invested in it, to make sure I’m always updated and ready to come up with creative solutions for any new challenges.
Let’s meet each other!
Message me about your project or with any questions about my process. If your project seems like a good fit, we can schedule a call to discuss further details.
My journey began in 2014 as a freelance graphic designer, juggling a bit of everything and grabbing every chance that came my way.
It was a grind, but it laid the groundwork for what was to come.
The real game-changer came in 2020 when I focused on building my personal brand.
That’s when the magic happened.
I transformed from the go-to guy for cheap gigs into a sought-after brand strategist and designer, a role that’s not just for anyone.
As a result, people stopped looking at me as a cheap commodity and started queuing at the virtual door of my online business to have me on board.
My clients walk away not only with a full set of visual assets, but with a better understanding of their own brand (and themselves?) and the confidence to market their businesses the right way.
That’s the journey I want to take you on.
Let’s build a brand that not only stands out but also stands for something.
Interested in talking?