Notes from the studio.
Short, honest takes on branding, logos, websites and working with a designer. Written by me, not a content team.
I need a designer. Where do I find one?
Finding a designer is easy. Finding the right one isn’t. Where I’d look (Reddit first, honestly) and how to tell who’s actually good.
So you made your logo in ChatGPT. Congrats, now what?
It looks great as a PNG. Then the printer asks for a vector. Here’s what’s going on, and how to turn it into a real logo file.
Generic and AI slop logos to avoid
A logo can be clean, modern and professional, and still be completely forgettable. The patterns I see most, and how to get out of them.
Designer vs digital artist: what’s the difference?
They both make visuals and often use the same apps. They’re still two different jobs. How to tell which one you need.
What should a brand identity package include?
Logo files, colors, fonts and guidelines. What you should get at the end of a branding project, and what each file is for.
What website and app design files should you get?
Pretty mockups aren’t enough. What a finished design needs so a developer can actually build it, from the Figma file to the assets.
Merch design: embroidery, printing and the files you need
Your logo looks great on screen. Stitched onto a cap, it’s a different story. File formats and design rules for merch that works.
Print design basics: bleed, CMYK and brand collateral
What a print ready file needs, why your colors shift on paper, and which printed pieces are actually worth making.
Design trends for 2027
What’s actually changing in branding next year, and how to use it without chasing it. Still polishing this one.