How to Name & Brand Your Interior Design Business
So you’ve got the design chops and the business know-how and you’re starting your own design firm. Pop the champagne and let’s celebrate! Well, after we finish up just one last thing: your business name and branding.
We teamed up with the one and only Brea Galper of Style & the Storyteller who brought the ASR brand to life to write this one.
First up, naming
Brea brings up a great point: clear wins over cute. You’ll want it to be simple but meaningful so that it sticks in your prospective clients’ minds while piquing their interest a bit, too.
There are a few naming conventions you can try out that will make this process a bit easier.
Number 1 — use Your name
If you’re the face of your company, and the lead designer, name your business after you! ASR was named using Ariel’s initials.
Number 2 — Hint at your style
Whether you specialize in traditional or coastal design, consider using that in your name to tell people right away if you’re the designer for them.
Number 3 — utilize your specialty
If you specialize in renovations, styling, or designing bathrooms, put that in your name! Again, it helps your ideal audience know right away that you’re there specifically for them.
For a few more tips on naming, visit Brea’s blog post about choosing a name you won’t outgrow.
If you’re still stuck on your name, here are a few formulas you can use. For the sake of the examples, let’s pretend your name is Abby Conrad and your initials are ABC.
ABC Interiors
ABC Design Company
Abby & Co.
Abby Conrad Designs
Conrad Designs
Conrad Design Co.
Don’t be afraid to keep it simple and classic. But whatever you choose, make sure it’s not taken by someone else!
Let’s dive into branding
Brea likes to use Nike as an example of branding. If you saw a grainy black and white photo with a swoosh on it, would you associate it with the Nike brand? Most likely, you would! Branding creates that visual recognition and trust with your audience. Nike has spent decades building a visual trust with their audience, so we understand what that swoosh means even if it’s in a black and white grainy photo.
not everyone needs a custom brand, but everyone does need to choose colors and fonts and stick with them to build that visual trust.
When you select colors, it’s important to think about the emotions you want to foster in your prospective clients. And remember, your brand is about your clients, not you, so keep them in mind throughout the whole process.
For example, here at ASR we want to foster feelings of authentic luxury. Our shades of blues, blacks, and mauves create feelings of serenity, luxury, and contentment.
For another example, think of the Apple Store. It’s clean, silver, white, and bright. You feel like everyone is knowledgeable and there to help you solve your tech troubles. For more advice on picking a color palette, visit Brea’s blog post here.
What about choosing a brand designer?
Once you’ve decided to hire a brand designer — yay! — then you’ll have to choose who you want to work with. (Still undecided if you want to work with a brand designer? Visit this blog post from Brea about when to invest.)
Take a look at the designer’s previous work to get a feel for the quality and style you’re looking for
Make sure the designer’s previous work aligns with the look you’re going for with your brand
Ensure their pricing is in line with your budget
If you’re still new in business and can’t invest in a custom brand, check out Style & the Storyteller’s Canva brand kits that will help you gain credibility and start to build that trust with your audience right away.
If you want to learn more about working with Brea as your designer (which we highly recommend!) visit her over at Style & the Storyteller.
