The Website Development Process of a Personal Brand

Some of my passions include graphic design, UI design, web design, and branding - all areas that I got to explore when creating my personal website in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Fall 2022.

Wireframing

I first based my homepage design on a hand-drawn wireframe, a tool where I could outline each element that I wanted on my site and where it should go. This created an overall visual framework that I could follow when designing the website in WordPress.

Sample wireframe sketch. Source: Flux Academy

Next, I transferred it into a low-fidelity wireframe, making sure to include as much detail as possible - buttons, copy, social links, contact forms, etc.

Simple low-fidelity wireframe. Source: LucidChart

Design of Brand Elements

Then, I looked to Canva for further style inspiration. I decided to use Canva for the design of my entire brand, a decision that proved to be essential. I created all my brand elements: my creative brief, resume, logo, brand video, business cards, press release, and most recently - a portfolio - on Canva.

Check out these helpful tools and templates from Canva that make it easy to create a beautiful, cohesive brand.

1. How to build a brand: a comprehensive guide from Canva's design and brand team that shows you how to develop your brand story, voice, identity, logo, typography, color palette, imagery, and guidelines, all catering to your target market.
2. Logo maker: easily create a logo that is recognizable and expresses your brand identity.
3. Color palette generator: upload an image or create a custom palette to find colors that go well with your branding
4. Brand kit: with Canva pro, you can keep all your brand elements in one place to use them across designs.

Although developing a website can be a long and tedious process, it is so rewarding in the end to have an authentic brand that you built. It expresses your creativity, hard work, and dedication to anyone who comes across it - academically or professionally.