Blog

How to Budget for a Brand Project When You’ve Never Hired a Designer

Brand identity for a small business typically costs $5,000–$30,000 in 2026. Here is what each piece actually costs, where to spend first if the budget is tight, and the two mistakes to avoid.

How to Write a Creative Brief That Saves Everyone Time

A creative brief is a business document, not a design document. Here are the six things it needs, what to leave out, and why you are the only person qualified to write it.

Your Homepage Has Five Seconds: What It Needs to Do in Them

Most visitors who leave a small-business homepage do so in the first ten to twenty seconds. Here are the four things above the fold that earn you the rest of the page.

Three Typography Mistakes That Make Your Brand Look Cheap

Most typography problems in small-business branding are three specific, common mistakes. Here is what they are, why they happen, and how to fix each one in an afternoon.

Rebrand vs. Refresh: Which Does Your Business Actually Need?

Most businesses that think they need a rebrand actually need a refresh, and a few that think they need a refresh really need a rebrand. Here is how to tell which one you are.

How to Vet a WordPress Developer Before You Sign a Contract

Five questions that filter the right WordPress developer from the wrong one, the red flags worth taking seriously, and the things you absolutely have to put in writing.

Adobe building against a bright blue sky.

What Makes a Santa Fe Brand Look Like Santa Fe (Without the Cliches)

Turquoise, sunsets, and kokopelli are not Santa Fe — they are the souvenir version. Here is what actually makes a brand read as deeply local instead of decorated.

What a Brand Style Guide Should Actually Contain (and What’s Filler)

Most brand style guides are too long to be useful. Here are the five sections that earn their keep, the four that are usually filler, and a one-page version you can build today.

Why Your Logo Should Be the Last Thing You Design

Designing a logo before you've written a brand strategy is how small businesses end up paying for two rebrands. Here's the order that saves you the second lap.

Beyond his skill as a designer and web developer, Patrick is an absolute pleasure to work with. His personable and energetic nature is something I've rarely seen in working with a designer, and he is enthusiastic to convey not only good design, but the philosophy behind it.