Instead of using stock assets, Tommy Smith invested time in creating his own icon set. He now uses it across all his projects, giving his work a unique, consistent identity that is distinctly his. This high-leverage project serves as a key differentiator and personal branding tool.
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A well-developed brand with distinct colors, fonts, mascots, or taglines gives marketers tangible assets to build creative campaigns around. This makes marketing smoother and more effective, avoiding the difficulty of promoting a generic or "plain" company identity.
Instead of being limited by off-the-shelf software, designers can dramatically accelerate their process by building bespoke tools. MDS used the AI tool V0 to create a custom bitmap icon builder, enabling rapid prototyping of a unique interactive element.
To avoid generic AI-generated illustrations, commission an artist for a single concept piece. Then, feed that unique artwork into an AI model like ChatGPT as a style reference. This combines human creativity with AI's iteration speed, producing a mascot that is both distinct and scalable into infinite variations.
Once you've identified the core components of an image, structure them into a repeatable formula. This template allows anyone on your team, even non-designers, to generate consistent, on-brand assets by simply filling in the blanks, effectively turning prompting into a scalable system.
For a solo founder moving fast, a comprehensive Figma UI kit is often a waste of time. Instead, use Figma at two extremes: for very rough structural exploration (even wireframing with screenshots) and for creating specific graphic assets (gradients, icons). Build the details directly in code.
In a crowded digital space, products and marketing with a unique, even polarizing, visual style are more likely to capture attention and be memorable than those following standard design trends. Daring to be different visually can be a powerful competitive advantage.
Designing a personal portfolio is uniquely challenging because, unlike client work with defined brands, it forces a deep self-reflection on your professional identity. This internal struggle to define "who you are" is often harder than the design work itself.
Instead of iterating on prompts for single assets, focus on building reusable systems. This approach ensures brand consistency, saves time, and empowers non-designers to create on-brand assets efficiently by turning complex workflows into simple interfaces.
Don't just rely on your personal communication skills. Solidify your intellectual property by developing well-designed, visual frameworks that map out your process. This transforms your knowledge into a tangible asset, signaling deep expertise and creating scalable value for prospects.
Avoid clich茅s like a fountain pen for a copywriting service. Instead, choose a distinctive asset (mascot, sound) that has no inherent meaning in your category. This prevents confusion with competitors and makes your brand easier to recall, like Gong's bulldog mascot for sales intelligence.
