Most brand designers I know – myself included – found their way in through a mix of curiosity, self-teaching, and a lot of figuring it out as they went. But just because the path isn't linear doesn't mean it needs to be chaotic. If you're trying to break in, here's what I'd tell you to focus on first.

Brand design is not logo design

This is the distinction that matters most. A logo is one element of a brand identity. Brand design encompasses strategy, visual identity systems, typography, colour, tone of voice, and how all of those things come together to create a cohesive experience across every touchpoint.

If you want to do this properly, you need to think in systems, not individual assets. Everything you create should connect to something bigger. That shift in thinking is what makes the work strategic instead of decorative – and it's what clients are actually paying for.

Strategy first, software second

Most aspiring designers rush to learn the tools. Figma tutorials, Illustrator shortcuts, mockup templates. And yes, you need to know your software. But the thing that will actually set you apart – the thing that turns a pretty identity into an effective one – is understanding brand strategy.

Learn how to position a brand. Learn how to define an audience in a way that goes beyond demographics. Learn what makes a brand genuinely distinct in a crowded market rather than just different-looking. When you understand strategy, every visual choice you make carries weight. You're not picking a typeface because it's trending on Fonts In Use – you're picking it because it says something specific about who the brand is.

Study brands, not just portfolios

Don't just scroll Behance. Study actual brands in the real world. Look at how Aesop creates consistency across every single touchpoint – packaging, retail, digital, even the hand wash in the store bathroom. Look at how Jacquemus uses visual storytelling to build desire before a product even drops. Look at hospitality brands, food brands, architecture studios, independent publishers. The best brand designers pull references from everywhere.

Make the work, even if nobody hired you

You don't need clients to start building a portfolio. Take a real brand and redesign it with a proper strategic rationale. Create a fictional one from scratch – complete with positioning, audience definition, and a full visual identity system. The work is real even if the brief wasn't.

What matters is whether the portfolio shows thinking, not just output. Explain why you made the decisions you made. Walk someone through the reasoning. That's the difference between a strong portfolio and a folder of pretty graphics.

Get someone in your corner

The fastest way to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be is learning from someone who's already done the thing you're trying to do. I know this from experience – building a design career without guidance is possible, but it's slow, and the mistakes you make alone tend to cost more than the ones you'd make with someone watching.

I offer 1-to-1 mentorship for exactly this reason. Not a course with pre-recorded modules and no feedback loop, but actual, direct mentorship – looking at your work, your process, your positioning as a designer, and giving you a clear direction forward. If that's something you've been looking for, it exists.

Start now. Refine later.

You won't have it all figured out before you begin. Nobody does. The designers who build real careers are the ones who start making work, learn from it, and get better – not the ones who wait until they feel ready. Readiness is built in motion, not in theory.