from surface to substance
shift 1: invite 'em in
Design without feeling is just empty space. Every design decision should be an invitation for your potential customer. It really does need to be a step closer to trust, to belief, to belonging. A logo, a color, a single word can carry more weight than an entire campaign if it’s rooted in honesty and backed with emotion. When you choose with intention and heart, people feel it. I promise.
shift 2: align story, visuals, and experience
Your story, your visuals, and your customer’s experience should move in unison. If one is out of tune, the whole song feels a bit... off. Ever watch a movie where the audio was juuuuust a millisecond behind the video? Alignment is what turns a nice looking brand into something digestible, feel-good, and unforgettable. Because every encounter feels like a continuation of the last.
root it in the real world
shift 3: hero the product in the real world
Show your product where it belongs. Photograph it or mock it up. Whether it's a shampoo bottle in a wet hand in a sun soaked shower, or a hibiscus seltzer can with flowers and sunsets in the backdrop, make it realistic. Give it some setting, and definitely spend more than the few minutes I did creating the images above. It also helps a lot if your customer can envision themselves interacting with your product. Context transforms curiosity into ownership. It’s not just about seeing your product, it’s about seeing themselves with it.
shift 4. say it simply
If a twelve-year-old cannot explain what you do after hearing it once, you are saying too much. Cut until it is clear.
the power of color
shift 5: choose colors like you mean it
Color speaks before words do. Choose it with intention so it carries the truth of your brand and can't be mistaken for anyone else. The right palette makes you recognizable from across the room and unforgettable long after they've left. Color is also psychology. It shapes emotion before a word is read or a product is touched. Blues and greens can create calm and trust. Reds and oranges can spark energy and appetite. Earth tones can feel grounding and honest. Beyond psychology, the palette needs to work in the real world. It should photograph beautifully, feel balanced in print and digital, and have enough contrast to hold attention in a crowded environment. Great color is both a feeling and a function.
shift 6: build a system that can breathe
A brand system is like the roots of a tree. New branches can grow in any direction, each with its own leaves and fruit, but the roots hold them steady and feed them from the same source. Without that shared foundation, the new growth feels separate, fragile, and disconnected.
embrace being human
shift 7: lead with emotion
People say yes because they feel something first. They stay when you keep showing up for them. It begins with the promise of your design and the empathy in your words, and it grows as you deliver again and again. Loyalty built this way becomes part of the relationship, not just part of the sale. Make them feel part of your family.
shift 8: design for every shelf
Designing for the shelf is like walking into a party where you don’t know anyone. Some people blend into the background, others catch your eye the second you walk in. It might be the way they’re dressed, the confidence in how they stand, or the energy they give off. Your product needs that same presence, whether it’s on a store shelf or your product grid online.
tend to your garden
shift 9: keep your house in order
Keeping a brand consistent is like tending a garden. If you let weeds grow between the plants, they compete for space and distract from what you want people to notice. Every typeface, every image, every word is part of the same landscape. Care for it, and it thrives. Neglect it, and the wild (and pests) takes over.
shift 10: invest in the lens
Strong photo and video are proof of life. One thoughtful shoot can shift how people see you and fuel months of storytelling. It is how you show the world that you are alive, relevant, and worth paying attention to.
If these shifts lit something up for you... spend a little time wandering on my site. See how they’ve come to life in the case studies — each one a brand with its own voice, its own presence, its own story to tell.
Step into the shop if you want to see where my art lives outside of branding. Or drift through the blog for more thoughts on growing a brand that people will love.
And if you’re ready to move, let’s talk. We’ll sit down for a Brand Impact Session and look at where you are, where you want to go, and the moves that will get you there. You bring the vision. I’ll bring everything I’ve got.
