The Creation of a Brand

An Inkling is a whisper of an idea. It's that little voice in the back of your mind telling you something big is going to happen, even if you're not sure what's coming your way. In the most literal sense, An Inkling is a drop of ink. For every special occasion or thought of a loved one, paper and ink are there. Wedding invitations are sent. Baby announcements are made. Thoughts of you are mailed. Notes are taken. Thanks are given. I love you is said.

While planning my wedding in 2005, I had a hard time finding good quality, modern and unique invitations. Frustrated, I took on the task of designing my own Wedding Stationery. Since I was trained in graphic design, my skill set transferred well and the invitations were a success. Friends and family loved what I had created and soon were asking for their own special occasion design and then their friends and family were asking for their own designs and so on. With every event I did, my love of this craft grew until I realized this is what I was meant to do and I truly love what I do.

Quite a few referrals later, my designs have been used in many celebrations and special moments. After being told time and again I should go into business, that's exactly what I have done.

I started dreaming of making a brand out of An Inkling back in 2006 when I was working on one of my first referrals. I made a logo that, at the time, suited my needs. I did very few sketches. I wanted it to be clean and modern with geometric lines, so I went with a pre-established font and added a simple "drop" to the dot of the "i."

In 2010, I realized that I had a logo, but not a brand. I refocused and realized I needed a logo that would match what An Inkling Design was all about. While I love working with geometric lines and modern fonts, that's not the message I wanted to convey with my logo. I spent more time sketching and took plenty of time exploring various looks. Finally I landed my current logo.

It's reflective of what I would like my brand to represent. It's unique and an extension of myself because it's my own handwriting. In fact the drops under the "k" were actual drops the pen made while I was sketching. It's also versatile. I can adjust colors depending on the background. It works at large or smaller sizes and is expressive. In short, what I want all my work to be able to do.

In addition to redesigning my logo, I also redesigned my website, my blog and began exploring designs that worked well with the style I want to portray. In that first year of my refocusing my brand, I increased my sales and began to see more clients coming from other sources unrelated to prior clients. In 2011, I filed for and received my business license.

As for the future, I have large dreams and will continue making strides toward them.