Balancing Aesthetics with Strategy
Designing a brand for yourself is no small feat. You need to walk a fine line between what you personally like and what truly serves your business. For me, it was about creating something that reflected my personal style, while staying true to the strategy and messaging I had already set for Asteria Creative.
Starting with the Basics
When I design a logo — whether for myself or a client — I always begin with a sketchbook. My first step is usually a quick word association exercise: writing down as many descriptive words as I can in a short amount of time. I picked up this method in college, and it’s been invaluable for clearing my head before I start drawing. From there, I sketch a wide range of icon ideas in different formats and styles. None of these need to be perfect; the goal is simply to get the ideas out of my head and onto paper. This stage is about exploration, not polish. For Asteria, I found myself sketching stars in countless variations — a direct connection to the phrase “all the stars aligned,” which sits at the heart of my brand.
From Sketches to Structure
After sketching, I move into vectorization and start experimenting with variations. My artboards get messy at this point — and that’s exactly how it should be. If the artboards aren’t overflowing with options, it usually means I’m holding back. This is where the brand really begins to take shape.
The Hardest Part: Choosing Objectively
As the process unfolded, I found myself drawn to a specific logo. It looked cool and appealed to me personally — but it didn’t feel like Asteria. And that’s one of the biggest challenges when designing for yourself: resisting the temptation to pick what you like instead of what’s strategically aligned. In the end, I pushed aside the “cool” option and chose the mark you see today — one that reflects the essence of Asteria Creative.
Why Professional Help Matters
This process is exactly why hiring a professional can make all the difference. A brand designer takes your ideas and translates them into a strategically grounded identity that feels right, not just looks right. If you’ve been trying to create your own logo and keep hitting walls, you’re not alone. Let me help bring your vision into alignment — so your brand feels as intentional as the business behind it.
