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nina: [00:00:00] at the end of the day, when you're producing a brand, anything that you share with your customers or your audience or your base that final product or that tangible piece that you leave them with is really an artifact of you.

Jasmine: Welcome to Make Good Fashion, the podcast that's all about starting, launching, and growing impactful fashion brands. I'm your host, Jasmine Rennie.

 

Jasmine: Real quick, before we start today's episode today, we're going to be diving into branding. And I know after listening to today's episode, you are going to be so inspired to create a strong brand identity. for your business. And that's why I created a brand style guide template. Now this template is a great starting point to get all of your branding ideas on digital paper. Now you can get this template by going to makegoodfashion. com style guide or checking the show notes for the link. This resource is completely free and again it's a great starting point so you can implement the things that we talk about on today's episode.

[00:01:00] Hey friends! So I'm super excited about this episode because I get to interview one of my dearest friends, Nina Cristobal. Nina and I met while we worked in the fashion industry together. And we actually met in the club in Vegas during one of the trade shows, and then later on we started working together at Open Showroom. Nina has worked for fashion brands like Stamped and Mother Denim before she took the leap and switched careers into graphic design. She now owns a studio called Nina Cee Studios where she helps brands craft their unique identities.

Today we're gonna be talking about one of my favorite topics, which is brand identity and how to create a personality for your brand so that you will stand out and be set apart . So get your notepads out and take some good notes as we dive into the wonderful world of brand identity.

Hey Nina, thanks so much for joining me on the podcast today Welcome.

nina: Thank [00:02:00] you. Jasmine. It is good to see you and Connect again.

Jasmine: Know so it's funny cuz We've worked together in the fashion industry for many, many years and prior to starting your graphic design studio and your career in graphic design, you were working in fashion and in like the logistics and like technical side of fashion.

So why don't you tell us a little bit about Like your background and how you got to this point of just being a creative. Yeah,

nina: for sure. Yeah. So I think when we met, it was probably a little bit after I'd finished school. I studied. In college, I studied economics and global studies, thinking I would get into some sort of business or be an international business woman and whatever that meant at that age.

I found myself interning at a [00:03:00] couple of footwear brands. One of which was in the showroom that you were at which you joined a little bit later really wanted to dive in and get to know a little bit more about what runs the fashion business that. And then that internship turned into a job.

So right after graduation, I sort of fell into working for some footwear brands. Met Jasmine on the trade show route. Woohoo! Yep, yep. Had some adventures there and really loved being in the creative space but was always so afraid of really diving in and exploring that creative side. So I kind of did everything else except for tap anything creatively.

Yeah. Was kind of like a, what do you call it? Like a stockroom goblin. Oh my gosh. Packing orders and fulfilling. Giant shipments and kind of making sure that all of our sales were getting executed and shipped on time, coordinated with different. Factories and I really enjoyed the I think the international kind of [00:04:00] aspect of it was really interested in how people communicate and was fascinated by the challenge of communicating with people across different languages.

And I think that really is what set me on the path of wanting to develop design thinking was figuring out a way to connect with people that didn't necessarily have to be the same language. So I think actually when we were working together. In the same showroom and doing sales, I was starting to dabble in a little bit more of like figuring out how to customize sales sales assets for different companies and, or different clients to see if I could reach them that way.

Then, you know, mid twenties happens and you start to really think about your life choices in your career and wanted to explore something a little bit out of fashion and tried the food industry for a little bit and wanted to dive a little bit more into the operation side. And then from there, I kind of realized I missed the creative side.

So at that point I had taken, I thought it was a good [00:05:00] point to really take a break and hit the reset button. So I took a little bit of a hiatus. Started taking some classes in Adobe and fell really in love with Illustrator and the idea of telling stories that reflected brands in a way that felt authentic to them.

So from there, I just really thought, Hey, maybe I'll freelance for a little bit and You know, I picked up some of the freelance while I was taking the classes. And right after I'd gotten a job with a marketing agency and so that really got me to getting into a groove of exploring brand identity and doing a lot of graphics and expose me into more of that web side.

And I think now I still do a little bit more of that graphic design. I take a couple of projects on the side, but I'm also back into the e commerce space. So it's funny that I kind of came full circle into that commerce space, but now digitally and the worlds are kind of colliding and yeah, kind of looking at more of that.

I still have this true love of [00:06:00] branding and brand identity. And that's kind of been my anchor for whatever things I've been exploring. The design world love

Jasmine: it. You are literally just good at everything. So your journey does not surprise me at all, because you can do it all and you do it all. Well, like this girl kills it at logistics kills it at like, it's interesting, because I feel like one common theme is like, you are good at nonverbal communication.

And so whether that be like written or creative cause we know like when we're talking about branding and stuff like that, it, it's a language, right? It's communicating a feeling and a story and all of that. So yeah, you do it

nina: well. Oh, thanks. Yeah, it's totally, it's kind of a funny thing. It's, I think branding is a little bit intuitive and it's, I think it's driven by curiosity.

Really leading into the parts where There's a lot not being said and [00:07:00] kind of paying attention to these small hints that maybe might go left unseen. And I think one thing I've been finding is that the thing that's kind of been the recurring theme is just connecting the dots. So really coming at something and Entertaining the idea that two things that might seem like they're not related might be connected has been such a fun journey to explore.

Whether it's through branding or through web design or anything.

Jasmine: Yeah, I love that. So the space that I work in, I work with purpose driven brands, have my own purpose driven brand. And I think that with mission based purpose driven brands, like branding, brand identity is so important. Storytelling is so important, because they are tied to such a bigger, a bigger mission, a bigger story.

And I think it's important that when you have a purpose driven brand, to communicate You know what you're doing really well to evoke emotion in the [00:08:00] customers and your community To draw them in as a part of that story and so yeah, tell me your thoughts on that on brand identity when it comes to purpose driven brands Yeah,

nina: I think it is Everything really what, at the end of the day, when you're producing a brand, anything that you share with your customers or your audience or your base that final product or that tangible piece that you leave them with is really an artifact of you.

So everything that's leading up to that point, that's, that's maybe the 1 percent off of everything else and all of the rest is there. They're really investing. Their time in you and your story and your values. And I think it is, it's really helpful to do a little bit of soul searching before you start on the branding process.

It's everything. I think every time I've done a branding project, it's always started with a discovery. And it ends up being like a little, almost like a little therapy session. Because it's always [00:09:00] digging deeper and really getting to what your values are and what what you find is unique.

Really thinking about what are the things you naturally gravitate towards. So those are all kind of hints into what makes your brand unique and the things that you can lean into. And yeah, I, I think really knowing or having some sort of an idea of who you are is that's kind of the what do you call it?

I guess it's the anchor of your brand.

Jasmine: Yeah, absolutely. I will say from personal experience, I think that because for my brand , I think that there is such a strong story tied with my personal story in the brand that I think it has set the brand apart so much because when you think about it, like, let's be honest, it's, Fashion brands, a lot of us are doing the same thing, whether it be intentionally or not.

Like, elastic waistband skirt is not that groundbreaking, right? But a ton of us do it. You know, a [00:10:00] t shirt, there's a ton of t shirt brands out there, but why? Will consumers buy from one brand over the other and I really think that it has to do with brand story and a strong identity and a strong purpose and so Yeah, that's why I feel like communicating that and you know written visually all of them, right because I can tell you my story, but I can also tell you my story without words through My branding through the imagery and the type of imagery we choose to show, the type of colors we we use and the emotions that the colors evoke, because, you know, there's a psychology of color and all of that.

And so, yeah, I think that it totally sets people apart and totally, you know, would cause someone to choose one brand over the other. Yeah, I think

nina: it's the way that it's not necessarily having the same. Tools that everybody has, but it's more like, [00:11:00] how are you using the tools that you have? If you have the white t shirt and everyone else has a white t shirt, then how is that person wearing that shirt?

What are they, when are they wearing that shirt? Are you conveying that through your photography? What is the white, who is making the shirt? Kind of things like that. I'm like looking at my white shirt as I'm talking about this. I guess that's why I'm using this example. But yeah, I mean, I think at the end of the day, it's, it's really, how are you making it yours?

And. What does that mean to you? And how do you convey it in a way that shows that you're proud of what you're making and that pride in what you're making and the joy that you give to people is contagious. I think people can see that and will want to. experience that themselves

Jasmine: too. Yeah, totally. So, okay, if I'm a new brand, I'm just starting out, or I've already started, but I haven't really considered branding.

Like, what would be the first step? How do I even start to create a brand story? How do I even start to create an identity, a [00:12:00] personality for my brand? Like, what, what does that look like?

nina: Yeah, a loaded question. But I think it's, there's a few questions. I think one is, what are you, What are you carrying or what are the things that you're selling or offering?

Another thing is thinking, all right, so why am I making this? And what was, what is my story for why I decided to go on this path? Kind of taking notes or talking to a lot of people about that. And then just listening to yourself. So it's really this big soul searching. Sort of step where you kind of are paying attention to what you're writing and even I think it helps also talking to people of how they see.

You and what they see in yourself can help if you're feeling very overwhelmed by that question. And it's also kind of a nice ego boost. Yeah, tell

Jasmine: me all the things you love about me. Yes. Oh. How can I incorporate that in my brand?

nina: I mean, that's a real question. I will [00:13:00] talk for hours about you Jasmine.

Jasmine: No, no, no. Help the people out.

nina: No, but I think, I think it is really important to, to really Talk to people that you trust and kind of talk with yourself and really think about what it is that you're offering and why you're doing it. And then, I think when you have that kind of idea, think about, okay, who are the people that I'm, I'm offering this to?

And think about what their lives are like. So that sort of, I think a lot of people talk, call it like persona work, or you, you think about what their lives are like and where they're at. Which may be an unpopular opinion, but I also think sometimes that gets. There's a lot of emphasis on that and not as much on the first step.

So I really encourage looking at these two steps and going back and forth between these two steps of thinking about that person and thinking about where you're coming from and figuring out how to bridge the gap of authenticity and how you connect with that group. So I think focusing on the connection is really important.

Jasmine: [00:14:00] Yeah, so are you saying that we should identify our target market before we dive into brand identity? That's a great

nina: question. I think having an idea of it is important because I think having the idea of the target market will also see where your space, where your product is going to be going or where you envision that product going, because then you can think about some of the and work backwards from there.

So if it's like an on for example, if you're planning to be in a lot of physical stores, you'll wanna make sure, and you're thinking about signage or kind of tags, you'll wanna make sure that your brand, you know, it stands out in a certain way that is merchandise well or strategically with those spaces or things like that.

And that's one aspect of the aesthetic part of it, but I also think that. The, the voice and the messaging that you talked about with more of the nonverbal and having that genuine connection is another piece of it. So I think it is important to look at [00:15:00] the target market part, get market, and then also kind of go back and forth and make sure that, you know, checking in with yourself to make sure that that.

Level of connection and authenticity feels right for you and what you're comfortable and confident in doing.

Jasmine: Yeah I think yeah because I feel like if you can identify who that person is you can understand how to communicate with them right or even if it's like what stores you want to be in or that kind of thing because I feel like You know, not to make this about me again, but when I started my brand, I had a very clear idea of like, what stores or brands I wanted to sit next to, right?

Or like, yeah, these brands that I really love that I'm like, I feel like we would have the same customer and like going from there to crafting this identity of this woman. And thinking about the stores that it would be in. And I think because of that intentionality, I started to get approached by the stores that were carrying these brands because, yeah, you know, it spoke to that same [00:16:00] customer.

So yeah, I think you're right about, you know, just going back and forth, acknowledging who this person is, and, you know, also crafting this story.

nina: Yeah, I think that that makes a lot of sense, because it's, it really does make a difference. And I think it's, it comes down to how, You can come across as yourself and that's what sets you apart from other brands.

And the other things that come with it, like the typography and the color schemes and all of that, I think, and when, you know, the kind of person or your, you have a general idea of the person that you're targeting, targeting towards that kind of falls into place. So yeah, I think those key steps in the beginning are.

They're, they can, they're kind of like your thesis to your brand. Mm hmm. Going back academically.

Jasmine: I know. Uh, Trauma. Okay. Sorry. Can't help it. Okay, so what's next? After we have kind of like done some soul searching, created our story, what would we kind of dive into next?

nina: Yeah. I [00:17:00] think thinking through at that point you may or may not have a brand name.

Then brand naming is a whole other sort of realm that is. It's not my forte, but I think that I have been in conversations with this where that can be another full kind of conversation of repeating steps one and two, but when you have a brand name really taking that time now to think, okay, next steps.

I know I want to be in this store or, you know, I want to be in these stores. These are the people that I'm connecting with and these, this is what I want to give to them. I'm thinking through, all right, what, where are they living or like what, what is their lifestyle like? What are the things that I like?

So again, kind of like looking at these two areas of what you like versus what they like and seeing, thinking about it as if you're having a conversation with this target market. And I think exploring how you can communicate with them through colors, or if you were going on a shopping trip with them, say what you would talk to them about and kind of have those [00:18:00] exchanges of like, I like this or like that kind of thing.

Jasmine: Yeah, cool. Okay, so if I am creating a brand identity. Thing. Is it like a PDF book? Whatever. Style guide. Yeah, if I'm putting together a style guide first of all, for people who don't know what that looks like, What exactly is that?

nina: Yes, great question. And these are kind of more like the, I love these kinds of things.

Yeah, so style guide, a brand style guide is kind of your, for lack of a better word, it's a manual, but it's also kind of, it's a guideline for how you want your brand to come across. And it can include things like, most of the times it'll include your logo, it'll include a color palette typography styles, Some of them can include mood boards with images and some others can also include, it can be as detailed as including the type of messaging how you can, how you're coming across on social media [00:19:00] things like that.

So at the very basic level, it typically will include your logos your typography, color palette, and a few images and usage or applications of what you should and shouldn't do with your brand identity.

Jasmine: Yeah, and so if a brand is looking to get one of these, is this something that they should do themselves, or they can do themselves, or would you see a graphic designer for this?

Like, what would that look like, the steps to getting that? Yeah, I think that

nina: it is helpful to have a graphic designer to help guide you in this, to kind of synthesize your ideas and bounce ideas off of them and but I do think that it is helpful even on the simplest level to start. Do people still use Pinterest?

Am I old?

Jasmine: No, I think Pinterest is still okay. I definitely still use it. I stopped pinning wedding pins, but I'm like still using it creatively. Yeah, so

nina: having I'm like, I said Pinterest, but now I'm overthinking it. But yeah, having some sort of a mood board I think is [00:20:00] very helpful where you can keep a running, or even like saved images on social media where you can kind of save things that you're naturally gravitating towards.

I think once you start saving a lot of those images and things that you Are really attracted to, even if it doesn't make sense right away. If you look at it from an eagle eye perspective and start to see things all gathered in one, you can start to see patterns and what are your preferences. So I know one of the things that gets, that can really stump a lot of people or feel very intimidated by when they're starting to create their brand identity is asking what you like.

Cause I don't know. I think if people ask me what I like and didn't know. Or with no kind of preface, I'd be like, I don't know, what do you mean, like, like with food or drinks or colors? Yeah. But anyway, I think having that sort of mood board of things that you can look at really can get, give you an idea of what kind of photos you like, or what people are doing in those pictures, or what kind of colors.

[00:21:00] And what

Jasmine: is the purpose of

nina: the mood board? Yeah, the purpose of the mood board is to really kind of tap into, and this is going to sound a little cheesy or a little. Loosey goosey, but I think it is tapping into this subconscious repository of preferences that you have. I think that For the brand,

Jasmine: right?

Yes. Yeah. Yes. For the

nina: brand, thinking about it in a way where you're, you're not thinking too hard about getting to the destination, but really leaving space to allow inspiration to come in. So inspiration is really the biggest I think that's the, the objective of this kind of practice.

Jasmine: Yeah, okay, so you said mood board, we're choosing colors, typography, all of that is inside of a style guide that we would create.

And this would be used for what, like, what would we use or apply these things to? Again, In the space of fashion because every business should have a style guide, but like how [00:22:00] fashion designers use it, they think sometimes it can be confusing. And it's like, okay, I chose these colors. I chose this type.

I chose all of this. Do I apply it to the clothes? Like, do all of my clothes have to be pink and green? Because I chose pink and green for my brand colors. They're like, is it packaging? Like, what does that look like? Yeah, I think

nina: one thing that is important to know is that you do. You have control over your style guide.

I mean, there's, there's one side where the style guide is supposed to anchor what some of the basics are, but the way that you use your style guide, it can be done in different ways. So if you want to keep it very bare bones and basic, you can keep it to a few colors and typography and say that these are the anchors and you can kind of go crazy with any kind of secondary colors.

And I think, but anyway, the purpose of the style guide is to keep things very, just keep you. Cohesive with your brand. You can take a look at it. I think a lot of that is very helpful for [00:23:00] figuring out. Your photography style. It doesn't necessarily have to be a one to one of, okay, this is exactly how my clothes will look like.

But, you know, maybe, maybe you saved a photo of someone sitting at a cafe and you liked how relaxed that felt or the way it made you feel. So capturing the sort of tone of your brand is what that could be helpful for, for looking at your mood board. And sometimes your style guide could be really helpful and, you know, translating that into some of your printed text or your website design or You're tagging anything

Jasmine: like that.

Yeah, I want to go back to what you said about keeping everything cohesive. Oh my goodness I get so stressed when I Like just see inconsistency in brands, right? It's kind of like us as people Yeah. I mean, when there's inconsistencies, like you can't really identify who this person is if someone is just being all over the place, right?

It's like, who are you? And I think it's the same thing for brands, right? Because we look at a brand and [00:24:00] you want, especially for your brand, if you're creating a brand, you want to be able to. See something that the brand has produced, whether it be content or marketing materials or whatever, and be able to tell right away, like, that's that brand, right?

So, when we think about, like, Target, you know, we think about this red, this bold red and this, this bullseye symbol and you know, immediately when you see anything from Target, it's branded in that color and it's consistency. Target's not doing like red and then doing purple content and then doing, you know, all this random thing.

You know, and they do have their private labels and brands within the Target brand, but I mean Target, the retailer as a whole. So I feel like, yeah, consistency and cohesiveness. I feel like not only does it give you like just a distinct brand, but I think it gives you credibility too. I think that, you know, when whoever in the industry, whether it be the press, customers, anyone, when they see this, that you have this [00:25:00] consistency and you have a strong brand identity, it gives you more credibility and they take you more seriously as opposed to just having things all over the place.

So I think especially for like, I think about you know, there's some of us who are all over the place, right? Like, we just love it all. We love this, that, that, that. And unfortunately, it doesn't all make sense together, right? So yeah, if you're creating a brand, you can't just like pull this and I want to do this.

Like I want to do a techie vibe and I want to do like sporty vibe or you know what I mean? And then mix it all together. And you can create something and create a distinct brand identity. But you can't be flip flopping, right? And like, choosing all this stuff. Yeah. Cause you can see there are

nina: brands that have like.

That do a lot of different things, and there are very few that I think can achieve that well, but I think having that anchor, you need at least, like, some sort of an anchor to know that these are all [00:26:00] connected, and having that anchor, going back to what you were saying before, I think it also, it conveys, not even just credibility, I mean, it conveys credibility, but it also conveys confidence, and, you know, you're kind of reaffirming, like, this is who you are, and, yeah, I'm welcoming this, I'm going to be in this port, this space, and I'm gonna, I'm Enter this space now too, but having that sort of anchor of a brand shows that you can handle it and you can, that you're, you belong in these spaces and, you know, you're trying it out.

So, yeah, I think going back to that, that anchor of having that cohesive brand and even if it's just a couple of things, like you're saying, like the target red, if you have that thing that keeps you who you are, that's the thing that. Reminds you of what you're doing, then I think you're, you're golden.

Jasmine: Yeah, totes. Okay, so color, typography, sorry, logo. What am I missing? Mood mood board. Mood board, yeah. [00:27:00] Okay, and then talk about brand voice. So, I think that's important too, because this is more written and, but it ties in too, right? The way you're communicating with customers. on social media, the way your language is in print.

I think one brand that like kills it at this is Reformation. I don't know if you've ever seen. Oh my gosh,

nina: their email campaigns.

Jasmine: Their branding is golden. Their brand voice is golden. They're very good at being very witty and very funny and cheeky. And you see it through. Like their social media, their marketing, their email campaigns, it all ties in their copy, the things that they write even on their website.

It's consistent. Yeah. And we know who this is. Right? So yeah, what are your thoughts on brand voice? Yeah, I think brand voice

nina: is something that is. It can be tricky to nail especially if a brand is so personal to you and you find yourself as a person changing and the way that you talk. [00:28:00] Yeah. But I think having those examples are helpful.

For me, I think brand voice is something that is a little more like you could stay cohesive with it, but it feels a little bit more dynamic. So having some sort of examples is helpful in that brand guide that you have. But I also think that there's a, a sense of welcoming a little bit of that space to, to iterate on it and explore to, to kind of.

I don't know how helpful that is, but I think that that is one area that is that, like, if you have a few examples, it's helpful, but it kind of starts to it is something that can, that is more dynamic and may evolve or shape or become more clear, the more you do it.

Jasmine: Yeah, no, totally. So I use a style guide, right?

I have a brand identity guide that I've been using since I started the business and has all the colors and all those things in it, reference it quite frequently. But yeah, there have been some things that we've [00:29:00] kind of like, not deviated from, but like, just, we don't have to be so in a box with, right?

Yeah. I think it's been so helpful because it's like, If we hire new people, if new people come on, they can go to the, this style guide and see like, okay, this is how we do things, especially for people who are creating content or, you know, if we're getting packaging done, like, this is who our girl is, this is the colors that we like, this is whatever this is the brand voice, but it's like, okay, the brand, like our brand voice guide has little like little examples of like, This would be an appropriate message or you words we would use like, we are like a very thoughtful woman's apparel line, so we're not gonna say words like dope or like You know, yeah things like that, but it's like okay, but you

nina: know so many words out there though So

Jasmine: there is so it's okay.

You don't say like hey friend. I'm so grateful for you. Like that's okay

nina: but like The ways that we put sentences [00:30:00] together, there's like countless. So that's where it gets a little harder because you can put words that you will and will not say, but it's supposed to be more of just like a basic guideline.

Like it's, that's the kind of path. And you kind of have to trust that the person who's writing is going to catch the drift and try things out and, you know, take a step back and read it and feel like, would my person, would this resonate with my, the people that I'm speaking to and really just take a look at that.

Cause there's no like. clear cut formula, I think, to write. And you also don't want to sound repetitive too,

Jasmine: where you're gonna get a ban from Instagram because they're gonna be like, is this a butt? Oh, that's, that's,

nina: that's another thing too, where, ah, social media is just changing so much where the rules are changing so much for language that, I don't know.

It's, it's kind of a touch and go game.

Jasmine: Yeah. Okay, so for the person that's listening to this podcast right now, and they are in the beginning stages of their [00:31:00] brand, once they get off this podcast, and they're feeling inspired to create their brand identity, what should be the first step that they take right after?

listening to this? Like, what, do they go on Pinterest right away? Should they start creating mood boards? Like, do they start looking through their crayon box and picking out colors they like? Like, what does that look like?

nina: Yeah, well, first I would think, okay, if I'm inspired to make the brand, go through kind of those first couple steps.

Think one, okay, who am I? Like, what are my values? Really try to synthesize into, to who you are and what your brand is for just a couple of sentences. It doesn't have to be super hashed out, but a few key pieces that are resonating with you. Two, then kind of think about your market and give some thought to who you're really offering it to and then kind of think about how that, that would shake out and who get an idea of that sort of strategy of what you're going to do with your brand.

And then three, I would go into the mood board, start saving some images, the fun [00:32:00] stuff, and this can happen ongoingly. You don't have to set a certain time for it. Things, you know, take a walk outside, see what. See what people are doing, go to bookstores, go to record shops, go to coffee shops or anything and see what is, what you're being, what we're gravitating towards, take pictures really let your mind wander and then go from there.

Take a look at what you've got. And then revisit kind of some of the first questions in the first and second step of thinking about, okay, who am I? What is my brand? Who are the people I'm wanting to serve with this brand? And then kind of come up with this idea of what, what it is you want to offer.

And then from there I would recommend reaching out to some graphic designers who kind of are resonating with you and yeah, I would always recommend a graphic designer to help guide you through synthesizing your brand and putting together a system for you or helping you collaborate with you and putting a system that will work for [00:33:00] you

Jasmine: long term.

Yeah, I want to touch on something you've just said. So you said to... Get with a graphic designer that resonates with you And I think that's important because graphic designers are all different. They have different styles and Like what would be the best way to like discover? Besides first of all you guys Nina has a studio So we're gonna give you her information if you want to work with her because she's incredible I've worked with her before she has created a lot of my content and And if you go to my site and you see for my brand, GraceMade, if you see the bio, she is behind that and I always get so many compliments about how beautifully it's written.

So, thank you. Anyways, how would someone go about finding a graphic designer? And when that resonates with them. Yeah, I think

nina: it's, it's gonna sound kind of simple, but going through Instagram [00:34:00] and looking at graphic designers and just, there are so many talented artists going through Dribbble is really is really helpful.

What's Dribbble? Dribbble with, is it three B's or four B's? With the pink basketball

Jasmine: logo. Is that a website? It is jibble. com. What is it

nina: exactly? It's a portfolio. It's kind of like Adobe's Behance. Okay. And kind of get a vibe for people. Some of them have designers for hire there. Also taking a look at I think asking friends, friends in the creative industries or if any brands you like who you kind of work with.

But for me, I'm always looking on social media and kind of dribble at seeing who's Who's out there and really getting inspired that way.

Jasmine: Yeah, and if you don't have a budget for a graphic designer,

 I see that like, sites like Canva and stuff have like little templates and stuff that you can use. It's very basic, but it's like, it's a start. And if you like, don't have the finances right now, because you're when you're starting a business, your money goes all [00:35:00] over the place, right?

So would that be a good resource? I am

nina: all about Canva, actually, I think that, yeah, I think it's it's helpful because at the end of the day, the brand isn't just colors and typography. It's it's how you're applying it. So if you find something that resonates with you on Canva, I think, go for it, use it and really make sure that you're coming through going back to your brand values and what you've kind of done in that kind of self discovery to really guide your decisions on it.

And, you know, whip something up. And if it sits with you well, then use it and kind of iterate on that. Yeah.

Jasmine: Yeah, and also, can't people just always rebrand later on, like when you do have the budget to and then work with a graphic designer? Yeah,

nina: I think what a lot of people don't realize is that branding is, design is iterative, so you can, it's a living and breathing thing, so the more you find out about how people are responding to your design as well.

It can [00:36:00] shape how you can refine it a little bit more. So you can totally rebrand later. You can find out if you have a starting point, just have a starting point with Canva or anything like that, just to to get a baseline and see how people are responding to it.

Jasmine: Yeah, I love that. Oh my gosh, thank you so much, Nina, for all of this like juicy information.

I love branding so much and storytelling so much. And so it's always so fun to talk about these creative things. Yeah,

nina: thank you so much for having me for the time. I love it too. I think it's such a it's such a cool process. And it's Yeah, it's cool.

Jasmine: We love it. Okay. So if someone is looking for a graphic designer and they want to work with you, where can they find you?

nina: Yeah. So I have an Instagram. It's N I N A. Oh, yeah. N I N A. Girl, did you forget how to spell your name? I did. It's called Nina C Studio, but it's spelled N I N A C E E and then the [00:37:00] word studio. And yeah, I'm on Instagram. I have my website there. And please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always happy to kind of be a sounding board and chat and, you know, help you get your inspiration started or your inspiration journey started.

Love that stuff.

Jasmine: Yay. Amazing. I'm going to contact you right after this. For my rebrand.

nina: Send you all my, my ideas and

Jasmine: all that stuff. Yes. All right, Nina. Thank you so much. We'll see you next time. See ya. ​