How to build a personal brand

For designers and creators, building a strong personal brand isn’t just about standing out – it’s a tool to showcase your talent and values in a way that attracts your ideal audience and builds a community of advocates. 

Whether you're just starting or looking to refine your approach, these 20 tips to build a personal brand will guide you through how to strategically develop a memorable identity. We'll separate these tips into three pivotal sections and follow a natural progression of steps, from defining your identity to celebrating your success.

Let’s jump in and learn how to build a personal brand that’ll set you apart, capture a dedicated audience, and grow your image.

Table of contents

• What is a personal brand?
• Steps to build a personal brand
• Section 1: Develop
• Section 2: Design
• Section 3: Networking and growth

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What is a personal brand?

A personal brand is the combination of your skills, values, and personality that shapes how others perceive you. It’s not just your portfolio or resume - it’s an overall image and story you tell through your work, online presence, and interactions. For designers and creators, your personal brand is what sets you apart in the industry, showing potential clients or collaborators who you are and why they should work with you.

Think of it as your reputation - a strong and positive reputation is what encourages you to opt for one design tool brand over another, for example.

Through the personal branding tips we list below, you can leverage your brand image to attract and build your ideal audience.

You can find these tips explained in video format in our free masterclass below. Give it a watch to hear Production Manager and Graphic Designer, Drew, break down each of the points.

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Section 1: Develop

1. Define your brand identity

A strong personal brand begins with defining your identity, which is essentially your brand’s personality. Outline who you are, what you stand for, and how you want others to experience you. 

Let's look at Kittl as an example - Our rebrand strengthens our brand identity as a community-driven, designer-focused platform "for designers, by designers," that values creativity, innovation, and authenticity.

Visit our Instagram

The best way to approach this is by choosing three to five key values or keywords that accurately describe your personality, strengths, and aspirations. The goal here is to be authentic rather than aspirational – pick values you truly embody and will showcase moving forward.

Here are 10 example terms commonly used to describe brand identities that are particularly relevant for designers and creators:

1. Minimalist â€“ clean, simple, and uncluttered.
2. Whimsical â€“ quirky, imaginative, and fanciful.
3. Dynamic â€“ energetic, lively, and constantly evolving.
4. Vintage â€“ nostalgic, timeless, and classic.
5. Organic â€“ natural, earthy, and sustainable.
6. Edgy â€“ unconventional, provocative, and bold.
7. Futuristic â€“ high-tech, visionary, and ahead of its time.
8. Inclusive â€“ diverse, welcoming, and people-focused.
9. Empowering â€“ inspiring, uplifting, and confidence-boosting.
10. Nurturing â€“ supportive, caring, and compassionate.

This first step is often overlooked but crucial for several reasons:

• Brand building: You’ll convey these traits through external elements, such as color, design, logo, language, and consumer-facing interactions (we’ll dive into this more below).
• Guiding compass: These values will act as a guide for everything you do, from how you talk about yourself on social media to the kinds of projects you take on.
• Consistency: By having these words in mind, you’ll naturally convey a consistent message about who you are.

Next steps 

1. Self-reflection: Using the list above as a reference or starting point, make a short list of personality traits and professional strengths. If you’re stuck, think about the compliments you hear most often from clients or colleagues.
2. Narrow it down: Pick three to five traits that feel most true to you and relevant to the image you want to project.
3. Test them out: Try weaving these words into your website copy, social media bios, and email signatures. Play around with different synonyms to vary your message and solidify it. Over time, notice if they still resonate or if you need to tweak them.

Compare the two brand identities below - both are fitness and wellness brands but the visual elements convey completely different personalities: one bold and playful, one calming and delicate.

Use this template

Use this template

2. Specialize and solidify your skills

It may be tempting to state you offer everything as a designer or creator, but there are some key reasons why this route may not be best for you. 

Specializing in a niche can boost your credibility – and help you stand out. So you’ll want to take the time to identify your niche – whether it’s illustration, typography, or UX design – and make it clear that it’s your specialty.

You can further solidify yourself as an expert in this area by hosting design webinars or workshops (check out Teachable, Udemy, and Squarespace). This is also a unique way to promote your brand and highlight your topic authority.

Next steps

1. Identify your niche: Reflect on what you love doing most and where you see the best outcomes for clients.
2. Level up: Take advanced courses or attend specialized workshops in that area. Platforms like Teachable, Udemy, or even a self-hosted course on Squarespace can help you learn as well as teach.
3. Expand your reach: Offer free mini-tutorials or behind-the-scenes looks at your process on social media. This will help expand your reach, solidify your topic authority and build credibility in a similar way to hosting on teaching platforms. You can leverage a following as a testimonial to viewer interest in your work.

You may hesitate to commit to a niche, worrying it will limit you in the future – but it won't. Once you're recognized in that niche, you can still expand or shift focus when the time feels right. It's common for specialists to master one area and later branch out to develop new skills.

You can find hundreds of tutorials, tips, and educational design content on Kittl's YouTube channel. This is an excellent way to grow your design skills for free with knowledge from expert graphic designers, UX designers, POD sellers, marketers, and more.

3. Create a personal brand statement

A personal brand statement, similar to a mission statement, is a concise way of communicating who you are, what you do, and why it matters. It’s essentially a sentence or short paragraph conveying your professional identity and gives potential clients or collaborators a quick snapshot of what sets you apart. 

Think of it as a quick elevator pitch – something you can use on your website, LinkedIn profile, or even networking events. It’s a key way to help you stand out, show off your strengths, and position you as an expert in your field.

In an online world full of noise, a quick summary of your expertise can hook the right audience. So you’ll want to make sure it’s clear and impactful.

Copywriters excel at this. Here’s a collection of some of the best copywriting portfolios to reference â€“ notice how they present themselves through strategic word choices and seamless user experiences. You’ll also see how their personality shines through in their writing.

Next steps

1. Brainstorm: Write down the key elements – your role (designer, illustrator, UX pro), your niche or specialty, and the value you bring (e.g., “helping small businesses shine”).
2. Refine: Aim for one to two sentences max. Keep it direct and personable, reflecting your chosen brand voice.
3. Use it everywhere: Place it at the top of your LinkedIn summary, in your Instagram bio, and your website. Continuity ensures people see it again and again.

For instance, a simple statement could be: “I’m Jane Doe, a UX designer who crafts intuitive digital experiences that keep people at the heart of every solution.”

See the below example of our mission statement here at Kittl: "Kittl makes it simple to create professional designs — just the right tools, no unnecessary extras." We use this statement to communicate who we are, what we do, and who we're here for.

4. Align messaging and voice with your brand values

Your visuals may grab attention, but it's your voice that keeps people engaged – whether it's through Instagram captions, website copy, or emails. Your brand voice should be a natural extension of your personality and reflect your core values. 

This is important because an authentic voice fosters a genuine connection, helping to build trust. Additionally, a distinct and consistent voice makes your brand more memorable, standing out in a sea of generic or overly formal communication.

For support with this step, turn to copywriting website portfolios again and study their tactics. You’ll find they craft strategic copy that showcases their personality, writing style, and even values. 

Next Steps

1. Pick your tone: Are you friendly and conversational, or are you more polished and technical? Choose a tone that fits your values (e.g., “approachable” = warm, slightly casual language).
2. Use real stories: Sharing relevant anecdotes or personal experiences with design projects can help reinforce core values, such as “dedicated,” “experimental,” or “innovative.”
3. Stay consistent: Once you choose a voice, apply it everywhere – bio sections, emails, proposals, blog posts. Clients should feel the same “vibe” no matter where they read your words.

Don’t try to perfect your writing skills here – that’s not the goal. You need to write as yourself in a purposeful way.

5. Develop your brand story

A brand story is the personal narrative behind your work – the why and the how that led you to where you are. Sharing that story humanizes your brand, allowing people to see the real person behind the polished portfolio. 

It also helps create an emotional engagement between you and your audience because stories are more memorable than plain facts or feature lists. 

If you’re able to share vulnerabilities or challenges you've overcome, you can appear more authentic, relatable, and trustworthy as a brand.

Next Steps

1. Identify pivotal moments: What key events shaped your passion for design? Was it a childhood fascination with comic book art, or a career switch from a corporate job?
2. Weave in your values: Connect these moments back to the brand values you defined in the first step. Show how they guide your decisions and approach.
3. Share across channels: You can do this via a blog post, an “About Me” video, or a highlight reel on Instagram. The goal is for people to know your story wherever they discover you. Sharing your story on social media can help build a community around your brand by resonating with and inspiring aspiring designers.

6. Set measurable goals and track your progress

The journey to building a powerful personal brand requires setting measurable goals. By defining clear objectives – such as reaching 1,000 followers or landing five new clients – you’ll create a roadmap for what “success” looks like. 

This approach is crucial because goals provide focus and direction, helping you prioritize tasks that align with your vision. Additionally, tracking progress keeps you motivated, offering a sense of achievement as you move forward.

Did you know that vision boards are proven to be highly effective tools for achieving goals?

In a TD Bank survey of 1,127 individuals and 500 small business owners across the U.S., one in five of the small business owners used vision boards when starting their business. Of those surveyed, 82% who used a vision board from the start found they accomplished over half of their business goals since they began. 

Creating a vision board to help you define your goals will be incredibly helpful here, helping you stay on track. You can start now and make one quickly and easily with our vision board templates. You can also refer to our vision board ideas guide for tips on how to create an effective vision board.

Next steps

1. Define SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Instead of “I want more clients,” aim for “I want three new web design clients in the next two months.”
2. Use analytics: Track metrics like traffic, engagement, and conversion rates on your website and social media accounts. Most website hosts, such as Wix or Squarespace, provide built-in analytics tools to help you monitor performance. Social platforms also offer audience insights, allowing you to see how your content is performing and where adjustments may be needed.
3. Adjust as needed: If you aren’t hitting your targets, tweak your strategy. Maybe your audience is more active on a different social channel. Or maybe your website needs a new layout to encourage visitors to stay longer.

7. Create a unique brand experience

Your brand isn't just about visuals or tone – it's about every interaction someone has with you or your work. This includes everything from packaging (if you sell physical goods) to email sign-offs, invoices, and even the unboxing experience. 

These details matter – they create personalized client touchpoints. They help differentiate you from competitors and create a positive, memorable experience, encouraging users to engage more deeply with your brand and stay loyal.

Plus, thoughtful, unique details create an emotional connection, making clients feel valued and fostering stronger relationships - an essential aspect of Customer Relationship Management.