It's not about the logo. It's about direction.
- mariana679
- May 29
- 3 min read
Brand design for small businesses who wants to build with clarity, not rush to look ready.
Almost every small business that comes to me starts the same way:
“I just need a logo.”
And I understand. The logo is what appears. It’s what appears on the business card, on the storefront, on social media. It seems simple, quick, and straightforward. But it’s not.
Having worked in design for 20 years — and with small businesses ever since — I’ve learned that this request hides a series of gaps that need to be filled before the pencil touches the paper (or the cursor opens Illustrator).
The truth is that behind a good logo, there’s a well-thought-out brand. And behind a well-thought-out brand, there’s a clear business.
The rush (and cost) of not thinking
Entrepreneurs of smaller businesses often don’t have a background in marketing or time to delve into this universe. They want to sell, get the brand online, launch it right away.
That’s when the rush comes in.
But brand design is not just about aesthetics. It is a positioning tool. And positioning requires questions that take time — and courage to be answered:
– Who are you?
— What do you do differently?
— Who do you exist for?
— Where do you want to be in five, ten years?
Answering this changes everything. Including the logo.
When the client “doesn’t understand”
It has happened many times: I explain the process, show the reason for the dive, the strategy, the layered construction… and the client interprets it as a “tied sale”.
“But I just want the logo.”
And many times, by their decision, that is what we do. But what happens months later?
The brand doesn’t hold up. It changes its name. It changes its look. It goes into an identity crisis. Because what was missing was not design — it was direction.
Our process: designing with a solid foundation
At Briquet.co, we have developed a process that adapts strategic thinking to the reality of small businesses. We call it Deep — Create — Design — Flow.
Deep: diving into the business, the market, and the values.
Create: building the positioning, the promise, the verbal language, and the tone of voice.
Design: visual identity based on what has been discovered.
Flow: practical application, consistency across channels.
It is an accessible, direct branding that respects what really matters: the essence of the brand.
Visual is the body. Verbal is the mind. Brand is the organism.
An identity only works when the visual and verbal are aligned. Colors and shapes that say the same thing as the texts, titles, and slogans. When this union happens, the brand gains coherence — and begins to create a real bond with the public.
It is like the human body: when the head and body do not communicate, the movement stops.
Small brands can also grow with a solid foundation.
Big brands invest heavily in branding, but that doesn't mean that small brands can't build something consistent.
Glossier, Veja, Chilli Beans, Granado. They all started small — and grew with a brand, with a positioning, with a design that came from within, not just from outside.
What differentiates a brand in a hurry from one with intention?
The one in a hurry wants to “solve.” The one with intention wants to build.
The first may even be able to achieve a beautiful logo. But the second achieves something greater: a brand with voice, form, soul, and presence.
If you have a small business, here's some honest advice:
Don't start with the logo. Start by understanding who you are. The right design will come from that. And when that happens, the public feels it. And responds.
If you want help taking that first step, call me.
It's with focus, listening, and process that brands with soul grow
