On personal branding
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about personal branding. I’ve just redesigned this blog and I’m in the process of designing my portfolio site. I decided there needs to be some form of consistency between the two as they are essentially both me.
So how do you go about branding yourself as a person? I started to look at the things about myself that might seem insignificant to most but are parts of my personality and branding. I looked at the clothes I like to wear, how I style my hair, the music I listen to, things that I find visually attractive etc.
My clothes
I’m in no way a fashion expert. I wear what I wear because it works for me. There have been times when my style has been trendy but I would say that it mostly isn’t.
I like to wear faded blue jeans, not too light but also not to dark either. I wear them fairly lose but I wouldn’t say baggy. I like my converse trainers to look worn. I also like my t shirts to look and feel vintage. I’d much rather wear a faded t shirt than a boldly coloured one.
I wear plain coloured hoodies and cheque shirts if the weathers colder. My coat is a parka, again not for style but for warmth. My hair is generally messy looking, not by choice, it just sits that way no matter what I do. Overall I’d say I have a clean but slightly worn style about myself. So that is something I could apply to my personal branding.
Music
I am very passionate about music. I have been playing guitar and writing songs since the age of 14. In that time I have learned a lot about music and discovered many great bands.
I tend to listen to early 90′s indie rock such as Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh etc. through to some obscure music like Uma and Chris Hickey. I do listen to new music but not because it’s new. I like things to be innovative, so I really like the Knife and Arcade Fire also.
In general I would say I have a love for music with integrity and purity. Yet again something to think about when it comes to personal branding.
Visual design
When I think about design that appeals to me, whether it be websites, magazine layouts, billboard ads or even packaging design, I always seem to be attracted to type heavy design. Particularly that of a classic, vintage style.
For example the current versions of Elliot Jay Stocks’, Simon Collison’s and John Oxton’s websites are all very appealing to me. They’re different from the shiny, corporate sites that are all over the web. Of course this isn’t the right aesthetic for every website but it certainly is my favourite when done right.
Conclusion
So after looking at all this things and considering them I can see some consistency. I like things that I can be sure are genuine, trustworthy and above all vintage. I don’t like things too messy and grungy but to have enough of a texture to them to make them interesting. Shiny new things don’t have a story to tell.