Story Before Style: My Approach to Story-Led Brand Identity Design

There’s a sentence I hear often in the design world: “Let’s add more personality”.

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And I’ve never fully resonated with it.

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Because I don’t believe personality is something you add to a brand. I believe it’s already there.

Most of the time, it’s simply hidden under layers of inspiration boards, trends, references, and the quiet pressure of what a business is supposed to look like. When we scroll through beautifully curated feeds, it’s easy to start designing from the outside in. We see what works visually and try to adapt ourselves to it.

But a brand identity built that way can feel polished and yet still feel distant/unpersonal.

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My approach to brand identity design is rooted in something deeper: story before style.

When I begin a branding project, I don’t open my design software first. I open a conversation. I ask questions that aren’t really about design at all.

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If your brand was a place, what would it feel like to step inside?

What part of your story matters most?

What do you want people to remember after interacting with your work?

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These questions aren’t there to be poetic. They’re there to shift the focus inward.

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Before choosing a typeface, I want to understand your rhythm. Before defining a colour palette, I want to sense your tone. Is your presence quiet and steady? Expressive and warm? Structured and intentional? There’s always something consistent underneath, even if you haven’t fully articulated it yet.

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This is where brand strategy quietly takes shape.

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My role isn’t to invent something impressive. It’s to notice patterns. To listen carefully. To gently point out what already feels true and build from there.

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Once that foundation is clear, the visual direction becomes coherent. Typography aligns naturally. Colours feel intentional. The overall brand identity feels less like a trend and more like an extension of you.

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Story-led branding isn’t about dramatic narratives or elaborate concepts. It’s about designing from meaning instead of style. It’s about creating a meaningful brand identity that feels grounded, aligned, and built to last.

This approach isn’t dramatic, but it is intentional. It sometimes takes a little more time at the beginning. There are moments of uncertainty, small shifts in direction, quiet refinements. But what emerges feels cohesive.

And cohesion matters.

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Because trends change. Aesthetic preferences evolve. Platforms shift. But when a brand is rooted in story rather than surface, it adapts without losing itself.

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For me, intentional branding starts with understanding who you are and what you stand for, not just how you want to look.

You can see this approach reflected in a recent story-led brand identity project I designed for Nérea.

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If your brand was a place, it wouldn’t just look beautiful. It would feel like somewhere you belong.

And that’s always where I choose to begin.

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