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Is it time to rebrand your business? If you’ve been asking yourself this question, you’re in the right place. Today, we are going to be talking about all things rebranding with Alexia, a brand and website designer for creative women!

She is going to share with us her expertise, along with what are signs that you might need to rebrand your business when it’s the best time to rebrand, as well as when it’s NOT the time to be rebranding. 

Alexia will also share with us what a rebranding process looks like, what your options are and how she, as a brand and web designer, can help you with your rebranding process.

Alexia is the founder and lead designer of Studio Alexia — a one-gal brand and web design studio helping kind-hearted, creative women build homes for their businesses so they can thrive in all of their authenticity. Studio Alexia sweetly combines intention with aesthetics, pouring love and individuality into every brand and website they’ve touched for over two years. If you’re ever looking for Alexia, you can probably find her drooling over designs with an iced latte nearby, curled up and cozy with a good book, or hugging her best friends

Ways to connect with Alexia:

Instagram: @studioalexiaxo

Pinterest: @studioalexia 

Website: studioalexia.com

Questions answered in this interview:

• How did you get into elevating brandsfor business owners? 
• What exactly is rebranding and what are different elements that go into it?
• What are the signs that a business owner should consider a rebrand?
• What are situations where you wouldn’t recommend business owners going down the rabbit hole of a rebrand? 
• What does the rebranding process look like?
• What is your speciality and how do you help business owners with the branding process?
• What are the options of working with you if a business owner needs help with their branding?

How did you get into elevating brands for business owners?

I currently have a degree in English Literature, so for the longest time, I didn’t do any work in graphic design. But in college, I stumbled upon a podcast I liked hosted by someone named Alyssa from ATNN Design. 

She has a course in brand design, so on a whim, I decided to take the course and fell in love with it. A couple of months later, I launched my studio in September of 2021. 

I vibe with the whole process of helping business owners, especially women. And that’s really the heart of what I do — helping women show up more powerfully in their business. My journey into the design industry was definitely unconventional, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

What exactly is rebranding and what are different elements that go into it?

I like to say branding is the face of your business that reflects the heart of your brand. The basics start with your visual elements, like logos, your colors, your fonts, and typography. 

But good branding also involves a level of strategy so your business shows up in an authentic way aligned with your target audience. 

Things like your logo and color palette play the feel and vibe your brand gives off. So yes, there are a lot of visual elements. But rebranding also has to do with things you can’t see like the feel and vibe your brand creates. Even down to your messaging. 

What are the signs that a business owner should consider a rebrand?

There are three signs I’d love to share with you. You should consider rebranding if you…

Notice your business going through an unusually slow season 

That can look different for everybody. It might mean not as many bookings, or maybe a lack of engagement on socials. And of course, everybody goes through these slow seasons. But as a business owner, you know what’s normal for your business and what isn’t. If you’re seeing a slowing down in numbers, it could mean you need to invest in your business in some way. 

Are going through a major shift in your business

On the flip side, rebranding is good for when you’re going through a major shift. Like, for example, if you want to start serving a different niche, change your business name, or offer different services. I would definitely recommend rebranding for all of those scenarios. 

Haven’t invested in branding or web design at the one-year business mark

If you’re one year into business, you’ve gained enough experience and have gotten into a good groove with your work. This is a point where you deserve to start showing up more professionally and reflect your expertise with a professional brand. 

If you’ve gone through anywhere between 6 months to one year and you’re still operating from a DIY logo or something you got on Canva or Etsy, I definitely recommend going the more professional route of hiring a designer. They’ll help you align with your business so it starts to feel more “grown-up” and you can make those bigger moves. 

What are situations where you wouldn’t recommend business owners going down the rabbit hole of a rebrand?

Believe it or not, not everybody needs a rebrand. This might be controversial, but I don’t recommend business owners investing in branding at the very beginning of their business journey. Within the first 6 months, you’re doing so much trial and error, trying to figure out the direction and heart of your business. Your time, money, and energy are better invested in figuring out the workings of your business rather than investing in a professional brand right away. 

Once you reach a certain point where you have a consistent vision and a niche target audience, that’s when it’s definitely time to rebrand and put something more polished out there. 

You also shouldn’t rebrand if you’re getting “bored” with your brand. Sometimes when you think you need a rebrand, it’s possible you just need a focus session with yourself to write out the goals you want to accomplish in the next year, quarter, or even month. The answer might not be a shiny new brand or website. It could be something like getting more clear on your offers or showing up differently on social media. There’s often something more deeply rooted in your business you should focus on first. 

Aside from a focus session,  checking in with your biz besties and saying, “Hey, I have this problem, is there any insight you can give me?” can be a huge help. 

Our communities are so important for insight like this. When we’re having doubts or seasons where we lack clarity, an outside opinion from people you trust can help you gain that clarity and show up more authentically as well. 

What does the rebranding process look like?

As a designer, I always start with intention and strategy. First, you’ll fill out a questionnaire and journal your thoughts like you’re talking to a bestie. Then we’ll hone in on things like your target audience, what they are looking for, and the heart behind your mission. 

Many don’t recognize that these things go into the visuals of your brand, but they do. That’s when we start to find design elements that would resonate with your target audience — some you may not have even realized because you never took the time to sit and think about it. 

From there, I go into color palettes and put them on a Pinterest board. This is always a fun part of the branding process with me because we use a collaborative Pinterest board where we can pin anything that inspires us. Eventually, you’ll start to see a line of consistency for visual elements that stand out. This Pinterest board can include everything from fonts and logos that inspire you, even down to photos and an aesthetic vibe that inspires you as well. 

Because even if you don’t have a branding photoshoot or professional photos done, you’ll want an idea of stock images you can use to make sure your brand is consistent down the line. 

What is your specialty and how do you help business owners with the branding process? 

I handcraft dreamy aligned brands and websites for kindhearted, creative women to show up more authentically in their businesses through aligned brand design. I would definitely say logos are my specialty. Overall, my aesthetic is dreamy, feminine, refined, and always designed with deep intention for the hearts of the businesses I’m serving. It’s really the joy of my life and I love what I do.

Should you hire a designer who has a similar aesthetic to you?

That’s a very personal decision. I’ve had people come to me who love my aesthetic and we just get each other. I’ve also had other clients who just appreciate my eye for design but want something different. 

The designs they want might not be what I would do for my own brand, but as designers, it’s important that we don’t just take into account our own preferences, but what’s right for a certain business and their target audience. So basically, it’s a case by case basis. I love being able to help as many businesses as I can, and try to make sure we’re a right fit first.

But as long as you vibe with your designer overall and trust they can capture your overall vision, you can’t go wrong. 

What are the options of working with you if a business owner needs help with their branding? 

I have two main offerings, with two packages for each, and a third offering that combines them both. 

Brand Design

Branding in a Week

If you’re a go-getter and you’re ready to get your branding done ASAP, I recommend this week-long timeline. It’s fun, and fast-paced, and you walk away with a brand that’s aligned with your business in no time.

Branding in a Month

If you prefer working at a slower pace, or have many elements to your brand you need space and more thought to work through, then this option is best.

Web Design

Custom Web Design

This package makes sure I pour love into every corner of your digital home, especially if your business has a lot of moving parts (different offers, content, audiences) we need to consider.

Website in a Week

This is where I customize a design template for you and again, it’s fast paced and cool to see what we can get done in 5 business days.

Dream Launch

This is something I launched recently, that includes both branding and web design. The goal is to help you launch your whole rebrand and show up your business super aligned in less than a month. I think it’s super magic and I love it so much! 

If you’d like to dive deeper into this interview with Alexia on when it’s time to rebrand, tune in to today’s podcast episode here 🎧. 

Talk soon,

Michaela