What you'll have at the end: A brand identity package — brief, logo exploration, type system, color palette, mockups, and a brand guidelines PDF — in about 3 hours.
I'm designing a brand for [PRODUCT / COMPANY]. Target customer: [AVATAR]. Category: [CATEGORY].
Build me a one-page brand brief with:
1. Brand archetype (one of the 12 Jungian — Hero, Sage, Jester, etc.) + justification
2. 3-word brand personality (e.g. "warm, precise, confident")
3. The ONE emotion we want a visitor to feel in 5 seconds
4. 3 brands we admire + what we steal from each (not copy — ONE specific element: typography, voice, product-detail obsession)
5. 2 brands we are explicitly NOT like + why (sharpens us)
6. Our "brand voice" rules: 5 things we say + 5 things we never say
7. Our visual mood in 5 words (e.g. "editorial, warm, confident, generous, high-contrast")
Expected outputA one-page brand brief.
Step 2 · 45 min
Logo Mark Exploration
20-30 logo direction concepts.
Best model: Midjourney v6 or FLUXAlts: Ideogram, Recraft
Copy-paste prompt
Logo mark design, minimal vector logo for [BRAND NAME], a [CATEGORY] product. Style: [VISUAL MOOD FROM BRIEF]. Design approach: [choose ONE: letter-mark / wordmark / abstract symbol / combination mark / emblem]. Flat vector, single color, high legibility at 32×32 pixels and at billboard scale, no gradients, no 3D, no shadows, isolated on white background. Design in the style of [REFERENCE AESTHETIC — not another brand's logo]. --v 6 --style raw
Expected output20-30 directional concepts to narrow down to 3-5.
💡 Reject anything that looks like a shutterstock vector pack. The test: would you be embarrassed if the logo appeared next to Apple's?
Step 3 · 20 min
Typography Pairing
A primary + secondary font that match the brief.
Best model: ChatGPT or ClaudeAlts: Gemini
Copy-paste prompt
Based on this brand brief [PASTE BRIEF], suggest 3 typography systems:
Each system = a Primary (headlines/logo) + Secondary (body) + Monospace (code/data).
For each:
- Specific font names (open-source / Google Fonts preferred, or clearly disclose paid foundries)
- Why this pairing fits the brief (one line each)
- The ONE risk — overused in a competing category? Pricey license? Hard to read at small sizes?
- Example usage: a headline + a sub + a body line + a monospace line, so I can see the pairing in context
Avoid clichés: no Montserrat/Open Sans unless genuinely best. No Comic Sans jokes.
Expected output3 ranked type systems.
Step 4 · 20 min
Color System
A 5-color palette with WCAG-safe pairings.
Best model: ChatGPT or ClaudeAlts: Gemini, Khroma AI
Copy-paste prompt
Based on this brief [PASTE] and the chosen type system, generate 3 color system options.
Each system = Primary, Accent, Dark, Light, Muted. Give me:
- Hex code + name for each
- The WCAG contrast ratio for Primary-on-Light and Primary-on-Dark (must be AA minimum, AAA preferred for body text)
- Which emotion each system evokes (vs the brief's "ONE emotion")
- 2 brand references that use a similar palette (so I know who it reminds me of)
- The ONE combo rule — e.g. "Never put Primary on Accent"
Expected output3 WCAG-safe palette options with references.
Step 5 · 30 min
Brand Mockups
See the brand in context before committing.
Best model: Midjourney v6 or FLUXAlts: Recraft, Freepik AI
Copy-paste prompt
Realistic brand mockup, [BRAND NAME] logo [DESCRIBE CHOSEN DIRECTION] applied to:
Scene 1 — a laptop screen showing the homepage, soft daylight on a wooden desk.
Scene 2 — a business card on a textured concrete surface, dramatic angled lighting.
Scene 3 — a tote bag held by a model in casual outdoor shot.
Scene 4 — a smartphone showing the brand's Instagram feed.
Photorealistic, Depth of field, product-photography aesthetic, --ar 4:5 --v 6 --style raw
Expected output4 contextual mockups for the pitch deck or site.
Step 6 · 35 min
Brand Guidelines PDF
A one-pager everyone can follow.
Best model: ChatGPT or Claude + Canva/Figma
Copy-paste prompt
Create the structure for a 6-page brand guidelines PDF. Here's the content I have: logo [DESCRIBE], typography [LIST FONTS], colors [LIST HEX], voice rules [LIST FROM BRIEF].
Give me the content for each page:
1. Cover — brand name + tagline + one-line positioning
2. Logo — clear-space rules, minimum size, approved variants, misuse examples (3 don'ts)
3. Typography — hierarchy table (H1/H2/H3/body/caption) with font + size + weight + line-height
4. Color — palette with hex + CMYK + accessibility notes
5. Voice & Tone — 5 "we say" / 5 "we don't say" + 2 before/after copy examples
6. In the wild — 2 contextual mockups
Format the content so I can paste it into Canva/Figma without redesigning. No fluff.
Expected outputBrand guidelines content, ready to lay out.
Pro tips
▸The logo matters less than everything around it. Spend time on type + color + voice; the logo exists to be forgotten in a good way.
▸Test the logo at 16px, 32px, and 128px before committing. If the mark becomes illegible at small sizes, it'll die in a favicon slot.
▸Trademark search before you commit — use the free USPTO TESS database or a $50 search service. One hour here saves $5k in rebranding later.