Creating and identifying your own personal branding is essentially looking at what your competencies are and then clearly expressing your skills, personality, and core values in a more “tongue-and-cheek” like Brand Style Guide presentation.
DOWNLOAD Sara Shuman’s Personal Brand Style Guide (PDF)
We can all be a brand and the idea of cultivating a creative visual narrative presentation helps us to stand out and be unique. And in theory, creating this type of document will impact your ability to nail the right jobs, promotions, or enhance the ability to attract the right talent.
I had seen a designer create their own personal brand style guide about a decade ago and thought it was a great cheeky way of presenting their values and sense of humor.
TIPS TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN PERSONAL BRAND GUIDELINE:
1. Identify your uniqueness and strengths (your creative super powers)
2. Create the Table of Contents and identify what the organization of the narrative looks like. My style guide had the following sections: History, Goals, Key Formats, Color Palette, Color Variations, Black and White, Approved Widgets, Clear Space, Incorrect Usage (my fav!), Evolution.
3. Set-up a custom photo-shoot. I had the benefit of a professional photographer in my friend circle who shot the series in a few hours. But really anyone with a good smart phone can capture professional photos that show your personality “as a brand”.
4. Describe yourself. Tell a story about your history of what made the brand (you) who you are today. Show your personality. Are you super organized, great sense of humor, or very communicative with lots of friends?
5. Speak to the Vision and Goals of the brand. What things in your industry are inspirational to you and where would you like to evolve into.
6. Identify your core Values and Priorities in your position. Share what’s important to you and how those values impact your decision-making process. On my brand style guide, Evolution is really important in the digital space and something that is a core value.
In conclusion, I hope you have as much fun as I did creating my own personal brand Style Guide. I heard back from one interviewer that he really liked my “Approved Widgets” section (on page 9) which made me very happy that day.