The story of my website and personal brand
After experimenting with social media platforms, I found their formats a bit limiting. I wanted a space that offered more creative freedom – a place to fully express and unify my diverse roles and interests in science, art and design. This led me to create my own website and build a personal brand that conveys a clear, unified message across digital platforms.
In the process, I began exploring the concept of personal branding through books and articles. One idea stood out: we are not defined by our roles, as these can change, but by our contributions and values. This thought inspired me to reflect on my own values and find the common thread through my various roles and ventures. After a lot of brainstorming, I identified three core values that felt true to me: innovation, leadership and authenticity. These values drive everything I do and I bring them to life through my core strengths: creativity, strategic thinking, analytical decision-making, communication and adaptability.
I identified three core values that felt true to me: innovation, leadership and authenticity
Choosing these values and strengths was an important step, helping me define not just what I do, but how I do it. Each value and strength is a pillar of my brand and I’ll explore how they translate into my work in future posts.
The Decision-Making Process
The journey of building my brand and website involved many decisions, each one shaping the final outcome. Here are some of the key choices I faced:
- Building vs. Collaborating: Should I build the website myself or collaborate with a developer? I opted to work with a developer, as I knew this would help me stay accountable to deadlines and allow for an exchange of ideas with someone experienced in web design.
- Choosing a Domain Name: This was a process of trial and error. I bought and discarded three domain names before settling on one that felt right – short, unique and easy to remember: anampop.com. One important takeaway was to ensure the domain name was distinctive enough to prevent confusion and help visitors easily find my site.
- Creating a Logo and Color Palette: Since this is a personal brand, I initially considered whether a logo and color palette were necessary at all. I ultimately decided they would add clarity and cohesion to my brand, so I chose to design a logo that would reflect my personality and style. I started by sketching the initial concept myself and then collaborated with a graphic designer friend to refine and create the final version digitally.
- Finding the Right Tagline: Crafting a tagline that captured the essence of my brand was initially challenging. My first idea, “Conquering the unknown,” felt powerful but raised concerns about potential colonial undertones. I eventually refined it to “Mastering the unknown,” which better aligned with my values and conveyed expertise without implying dominance.
Personal Branding Insights and Inspiration
Throughout this journey, several resources offered valuable insights. Books like The Brand You 50 by Tom Peters, Fascinate by Sally Hogshead, and Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon broadened my understanding of personal branding. The Graphic Design Playbook by Sophie Cure & Aurelien Farina (which I picked up at Kunstmuseum Stuttgart) was also an inspiration for my logo design. Each of these resources has influenced aspects of my brand and I’ll be sharing more about them in a future post or guide.
Building this brand and website has been a meaningful project for me, and I hope to offer a step-by-step insight into the process in a future post. Stay tuned if you’re interested in exploring personal branding yourself.
Leave a Reply