List 3-5 adjectives that describe your brand, and include a few sentences that discuss how these adjectives will set the tone for design and writing in your BSG. Optionally, you can also list some adjectives that your brand is not. (Just a note that you can certainly change your brand adjectives and style as you continue working on the BSG; this is just a non-binding sort of exercise to get you started.)
winter 2023
Chic, Natural, Poised are the three adjectives I chose to describe my brand. I chose these three because I believe they correlate to my own personal style the best. I really enjoy very poised and chic looking outfits and when purchasing items I tend to lean for more of a timeless look rather a trendy one. In terms of Natural, I gravitate most towards earth tones such as sage green and tan. I think that with my brand those will also be the colors I choose because of how seamlessly they fit with my theme.
soft, vivid, nostalgic
I chose soft because I envision my brand to have a color palette with more neutral or pastel colors that convey a sense of warmth, ease, and gentleness. I chose vivid because while I don’t plan on my colors and images being particularly bright or loud, I want them to evoke specific and strong feelings that are memorable. I chose nostalgic but I haven’t totally settled on this one. As of now though, I chose it because I plan on my brand and theme revolving around memories.
My brand is not: loud, minimalistic, edgy, cool, vibrant
whimsical, intentional, and inquisitive
Despite having many goals and aspirations in life, I try not to take everything too seriously. I go towards my interests, and I do my best to excel in whatever I put my mind to. I like to have color (especially pastels) in my life, even though I don’t wear a lot of pastels. I trust that if I make small strides in whatever task I do, I will eventually be where I need to be. I think “whimsical” contrasts well with my other two adjectives because I think a lot of people perceive me as more serious or practical. Although I think that is true, I feel more inherently fun and playful. I think the serious side comes out when I work, but as a person, I don’t think I’m all that serious. In a way, I think my personality contradicts one another.
Also, I can’t do everything at once, so I make sure to be intentional with how I spend my time. Most things I do are intentional. I don’t like playing mind games with people, so I tend to be more forward with what I say or how I feel. I think that’s where people see me as more serious. Lastly, I am a curious person with many questions about things. I also enjoy learning new things, so as a result, I have one too many hobbies to keep track of. I like to mix it up.
Campy, bold, nihilistic/sarcastic
OR
minimalistic, disorderly, irreverent
Although I only have a vague idea for what I’d like my BSG to be, I’ve been toying with two ideas recently. The first one is inspired by a late 90’s early 2000’s web design with a black background and neon text. This is my more ambitious idea as it is based off of something with incredibly poor design and is considered ugly by our standards today, it would really just be to go against the grain a little bit.
My second idea is a more conventional BSG. With this design I would try to make use of empty space as much as I could and would have a much softer color palette with pastels as the primary colors, maybe purple and light brown. I would still try to incorporate some of my personality into the BSG with humor.
My brand (tentatively): dynamic, upbeat, playful, fresh
NOT: no-nonsense, busy, fancy, conservative, or ethereal
I’m not entirely sold on these adjectives, but I’ll roll with them for now! I could see these setting the tone for design in my BSG by influencing what colors and fonts I choose. Because I value things that look clean but still exciting (i.e. fresh), I might make design choices that err more on the side of minimalism, spruced up with colors that are bright and inviting. In line with thinking of my brand as playful, I might opt for a display font that’s unique or unconventional, as opposed to something scripted or traditional. Writing-wise, I think these adjectives will appear in the tone I strike in my written text—energetic, a little silly, and—most importantly—warm.
Energetic, calm, and creative
I feel as though these adjectives work really well in describing who I am and what I enjoy and the stories behind them can be reflected in the colors I choose but also in the overall look of my BSG. For instance, when it comes to something I’m genuinely passionate about, I tend to be more creative in my ideas. Especially in group settings, inputting ideas and building off the ideas of others really energizes me. At the same time, I am collected in my thoughts and calm in how I explicate them.
For as long as I could remember, the color I gravitate most towards is green. More recently, I really like the combination of greens, light pinks, tans, and other neutral tones, which I feel describe “calm.” In addition, when thinking of the term “energetic,” I was reflecting on how much I enjoy drinking matcha in the mornings, which I feel would be the green I would choose as one of my colors. I wanted to offset these neutral tones with a bold one, representative of “creative,” though I am still deciding on what color best represents that for me. I think I will also be able to showcase the correlation of my adjectives to the fonts I choose.
organic, eccentric, & resilient
not: predictable, fancy, & conservative
I choose the word organic because it fits two different sides of me. One of these sides is that I am always my true self which is blunt and honest, yet caring. However, the word organic feels like it captures this side of me. Secondly, naturopathy is a huge part of my life. For as long as I can remember my mom has instilled the use of essential oils, herbs, massaging, and exercise in me. I have a bag of essential oils and other home remedies to treat a daily headache or contact dermatitis. Eccentric highlights the unconventional life/ family dynamic and to others what seems like strange tendencies such as having to change my clothes every time I sit on my bed. Finally, while I was not sure I would describe myself as strong, the common trait people used when I ask them for their input was strong. I changed that to resilient. The hardships in my life, while making me who I am, have taught me how to bounce back and push forward.
brand adjectives: playful, curious, dynamic, authentic, adventurous, fresh
Not: vintage, elegant, dazzling
I chose those words because I like to view the world through a child’s eyes. There has been some rough moments in my life, but I know there isn’t really a single person or incident to blame on. Through everyday’s journaling and reflection, I realized that perception does change a whole world and livens up life! Everything is a new learning experience (even when you fail) and the world is full of possibilities. I hope that my BSG is able to present the current stage of myself: youthful c:
Vivian Hsiao
graceful, elevated, endearing
not: busy, silly, wild
The reason why I am considering these as my brand adjectives is because it is almost like a goal for me. I want to have a brand that is well-respected and well-liked. I want to eventually live a life of esteemed beauty and elegance, but done in the most humble way possible. My brand will be dignified because I am sophisticated, lovable, and intelligent. I not only work hard, but I do it with intention and kindness. So my style guide will reflect this . It may have lighter colors and a more airy vibe as compared to rich, bold colors and harsh lines. I might use statement fonts that have rounder styles. I’m considering a writing style that is very concise but with a heavy emphasis on syntax/word choice.
sassy, chic, sporty
I struggled deciding on these three adjectives because my style can be very different each day. I narrowed it down to sassy, chic, and sporty because these are the three elements I include in my daily style no matter what. I chose the adjective sassy because I often play with small elements (such as jewelry in an outfit) to act as a statement piece. I chose chic because I wanted something to describe my personality in a professional setting including not only style but attitude as well, the word chic offers elegance and sophistication. Finally I chose sporty because I always try to incorporate comfort and functionality into my everyday style. To conclude, my brand is not gothic, eccentric, or disorderly.
mellow, floral, delightful
When I think about my brand, I think about my personality and interests. I tend to be a person who does not enjoy excessively gaudy things, and I am more attracted to styles that are more soft and subtle, and I thought the word “mellow” encapsulates this feeling well. In a sense, I want to gently cultivate my Brand Style Guide without the use of any flashy aspects that can be overwhelming. I also referred to things in which my personality is accurately conveyed, and I thought of my bedroom as it is a space in which I have accumulated many things that I developed interest and appreciation for. When thinking of my bedroom, a non-intentional theme that I found was flowers, which made me think of the adjective “floral”. Many things in my room were also gifted, and I noticed that these things also usually incorporate floral designs, which already gives me an idea of what others associate me to, which is essentially my brand. Finally, I just want my brand to be pleasant and enjoyable in a natural way, so I decided on the word “delightful”. I wanted to find an adjective that expresses both happiness and satisfaction.
My brand is striking, sporty and stylish. I chose these words because they’re anything but subtle. I want my brand to represent my personality and I’ve never been one to blend into a crowd.
Striking–implies a powerful visual impact. Sporty–I think of bright lights, speed and excitement. Stylish incites visuals of unique script, admiration and color coordination. These are all things that I try to incorporate into my daily life. When I get dressed in the morning, I always try to match the colors in my outfits with my sneakers. I watch football and basketball with an unwavering team loyalty. My brand image will be cool without trying too hard, like Steph Curry and the Warriors. I like the way Steph has a cult following but isn’t boastful or cocky, and has an almost careless fluidity in his movements, but dominates in his shooting abilities.
Bold, playful, abstract
Additional words could be fun, stylish, hip, and nautical. My BSG will be bold with bright colors, but I will make it look professional. I do not want it to be soft, delicate, or conservative. I want it to incorporate nautical themes because I love the beach and grew up on it. However, I do not want this to be my whole theme – just a tad. I am not sure if that will make any sense yet. I also want my BSG to be hip and stylish because I love pop culture, fashion, city life and city events, and more. Once again, I will have to figure out how to make this professional and present me in an appealing way. I also think that having abstract pieces of my BSG will satisfy my want for making it hip and stylish, while being less brash. Maybe I can do some layering of images to satisfy the need to be playful. I think that having neon lights or signs would be awesome but I am not sure I will do that. I think a black background with hot pink purples, blues, and greens would be awesome, but I might want to simplify. I am excited to play around with this!
Curious, restless, humorous
Not: dull, stagnant
I’ve always found it difficult to pinpoint myself into a few words, because I feel like my self-perception is always changing depending on the day and my mood. However, I decided to focus on words that I found relatively stable throughout my life. First, I’m naturally curious, which sometimes means I like knowing a little too much for my own good. I love knowledge and learning new things has always been rewarding to me. My curiosity also means that I am really experimental and love trying out different things. Because I’m really curious, I tend to be restless and my mind doesn’t stop running; I’m constantly thinking and wondering about every little thing, exploring different paths. Another adjective I wanted to focus on was my love for humor! I love integrating humor into the things I write, the things I design, and the things I say. While I’m still unsure how I would incorporate that into my BSG, it is something I want to highlight in it. Of course, I’m sure the words I use to describe myself will change soon (maybe even the next hour), but right now, I feel curious, restless, and humorous!
Three words I would use to describe my brand is sleek, purposeful, and charming.
I chose the word ‘sleek’ because I feel that it describes a more minimalistic, but refined style. The designs will be smooth and easy to look at. As for purposeful, I want my brand style guide to really take my passions to a new level. I want my brand to impact others and be recognizable from the get-go. As for charming, I hope to win over the audience not only through its design style, but also through the brand voice and personality.
My brand will not be rebellious, quirky, or boho.
I don’t plan to incorporate any out-of-the-box elements and will not be following a boho style for my brand, as it does not fit its image.
Stylish, witty, and sleek are the adjectives that resonated with me the most. In creating a brand for myself, I want to create something that draws people’s attention. I am very interested in styling fashionable clothes, my room decor, and overall very into the aesthetics of things, so I want to create a brand that represents that part of me that stresses always being presentable. I would like to think that I am a witty person, and I want to create a brand that can display some of my personality while also maintaining a sense of professionalism. My last adjective, sleek, goes hand in hand with my other two adjectives, because I am a very organized and clean person, and I want a brand that exudes that quality, that catches your eye but at the same time is not overwhelming.
Stylish, Sleek, Witty
The adjectives that I’ve chosen resonated with me because I want to create a visual representation of the things that make me me. I am very into being stylish in terms of clothing, my room, and the overall aesthetics of many things I own. I think that creating a stylish brand, it will grab people’s attention and also add a fun element. Sleek goes hand in hand with stylish because I also want to create a brand that is professional but also eye-catching, and very clean. I find myself to be a very clean and organized person, and I want my brand to represent that. I chose witty, because I would like to think I am a witty person, and I want to add little bits of personality into the work I create.
natural/earthy, retro/nostalgic, upbeat/sassy, & chic
These are the first handful of adjectives that I am deciding on for my brand. I chose natural/earthy because I think it encompasses my love for the outdoors. I have always loved a coastal theme, and I also have a tendency to be drawn to things with a western vibe. For instance I have three pairs of cowboy boots and multiple hats. The natural/earthy part of my brand also describes my go-to color palette: neutrals and blues. I chose retro/nostalgic as my next adjective because I enjoy things with a 70s/older flare to them; I really do not like modernized touches. Next, I’m deciding between upbeat and sassy. My personality tends to be exactly that and I want my brand to exude happiness and fun. Lastly I chose chic because overall my sense of style and personality is put-together, tasteful, and timeless.
For my brand, I’m actually thinking of representing my jewelry business, Jupiter Fae Design. This is a self-run little art thing I do that’s mostly commissions for friends and personal projects, so it’s very representative of me. I would use the adjectives eccentric and whimsical, and I would NOT use rigid. This is quite simply because I have a creative flow that changes by day and each piece is very unique, I have a signature style for many of my pieces and work, but it is ever changing as my skill grows. I would use whimsical because of the name “fae,” I like the fairy theme because it is fun and I like to have a somewhat mystical and ethereal vibe to my jewelry. Eccentric represents me, I have always been a little weird, and it’s something I embrace that gives me a lot of creative freedom.
My brand: sleek, clean, bold, sprawling
I know these sound inherently contradictory but bear with me! I’m typically drawn to classic, tried-and-true, statement-piece logos that are clean and sleek. I don’t want to feign a sense of informality by making my logo look homespun and sketchlike. However, with the intention of creating a statement-piece logo, I want my design to be fun, dynamic and bombastic. I don’t think these qualities are mutually exclusive — rather, I think most effective logos maintain both qualities. I don’t really have like… a clear vision for my brand/logo let but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there!