Using Strategy to Craft a Brand that Feels Like Home

When it comes to building a brand, the visuals are often the first thing people notice. But great design isn’t just about pretty colors or eye-catching fonts—it’s about intention. It’s about creating something that not only looks good but also feels right, speaks to your values, and connects deeply with the people you’re trying to reach.

This is where the concept board comes in.

Concept boards help you stop scrolling through endless stock photos and saving every single font on Creative Market (btw, I love Blanc Salvage and Jen Wagner for stunning fonts and you can use code UNBRIDLED for a discount!). With the usual approach to mood board, the overwhelm starts to creep in, and suddenly, every decision feels… random.

But when you take the time to root your design in strategy—by outlining your brand’s key values, emotional goals, and audience connection points—those decisions get easier. They start to make sense. They start to tell a story.

Why Strategy First, Design Second

Here’s the thing: design without strategy is just decoration.

When I work with clients, we don’t dive straight into colors and fonts. We start by getting clear on three things:

1. Values – What does your brand stand for? What’s at the core of your work?
2. Emotional Goals – How do you want people to feel when they encounter your brand?
3. Connection Points – Who are you speaking to, and what do they need from you?

Once you know these things, the rest begins to fall into place.

Take a recent project I worked on. The client was building a virtual therapy service focused on cultivating a deeper understanding of the human experience. They wanted their brand to feel raw and unfiltered, but also safe and professional. No photos of smiling people, no wellness clichés, and nothing too techy or sterile.

Through the concept board process, we uncovered their underlying theme: balance. Balance between light and dark, calm and edgy, approachable yet elevated. This became the foundation for every design decision—neutral tones, blurry imagery, clean typography, and just the right touch of modern minimalism.

By grounding the visuals in strategy, the final design felt cohesive, intentional, and deeply aligned with their mission.

How to Build Your Own Concept Board

If you’re ready to take your branding to the next level, here are some steps to create a concept board that works:

1. Define Your Values
   Choose three words that represent the heart of your brand. These words will act as a filter for every design choice you make.
2. Set Emotional Goals
   How do you want people to feel when they encounter your brand? Warm and welcomed? Inspired and energized? Use these emotions to guide your color palette and typography choices.
3. Develop Your Visual Theory
   Think about the kind of experience your brand should create. Is it photo-heavy or text-driven? Minimalist or expressive? Start building a strategy that reflects the essence of your brand.
4. Apply It to Every Choice
   From sourcing photos to choosing fonts, let your concept board guide you. It’s not just a mood—it’s your North Star.

Whether you’re refreshing your brand or starting from scratch, this process brings clarity and consistency to your design. When every choice is rooted in strategy, your brand begins to feel not only beautiful but also intentional, aligned, and memorable.

Download Your Free Brand Concept Board Now

Want the exact template I use for all my projects? Get it here and be sure to let me know how it works out for your next project!

For more brand strategy, storytelling, and design resources to grow your business in 2025, click here to visit my Freebies page where you can snag the free storytelling guide for brands. This page is full of free downloads, design recommendations, the best business tools for running your business, as well as curated playlists for brands I’ve built. (Playlists are kind of my thing.)

For more support with the strategy and intention behind your business, visit the Brand Strategy & Design Shop and connect with me on Instagram for all the latest storytelling tips, brand features, and untamed studio behind the scenes.