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Redesigning Your Brand Identity with Joan Ravasy

2020-05-13

Are you a designer struggling to figure out your brand identity? Joan Ravasy was in the same position—and decided to make a bold move and completely redesign her brand. Darla and Natalie played a hand in helping her transition her business into something bold that reflects who she is. Listen to this episode of the Wingnut Social podcast to learn some tips to help you nail down your brand identity. Joan Ravasy is a luxury interior designer performing interior miracles for clients in New Jersey, New York City, and Florida areas. She loves a v...

Joan Ravasy is a luxury interior designer performing interior miracles for clients in New Jersey, New York City, and Florida areas. She loves a vintage aesthetic and her goal is to help people transform their houses into homes that are classic and transcend time. She is on the board of directors for the New York chapter of ASID, sits on the Design council of LG’s Signature Kitchen Suite, and is an active member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social

[4:02] Joan Ravasy’s background in the design industry
[7:21] Trying to find your brand identity
[10:32]What terrified Joan the most
[12:09] Women are afraid to “play big” with branding
[13:43] How Joan’s brand has evolved since rebranding
[17:19] Characteristics of Joan’s brand that changed
[19:13] WHY did Joan rebrand a successful business?
[20:36] How to assess rebranding your business right now
[24:20] What up Wingnut round!
[29:52] Blooper Reel!

Connect with Joan Ravasy

Joan’s website
Connect on LinkedIn
Joan’s Pinterest Page
Follow Joan on Instagram
Joan Ravasy Design on Facebook

Resources & People Mentioned

Book: Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl
National Kitchen + Bath Association

Defining your brand identity

Joan was impacted both personally and professionally when a big life change disrupted her world. She decided it was time to take a serious deep-dive into her brand and make some drastic changes—which meant completely rebranding. It wasn’t about money, but about increasing exposure and recognition for her body of work.

Are you struggling to nail down your unique brand? Joan recommends that designers have a close friend or family member observe them and describe who you are and what your brand is to them. You can also ask someone less familiar with your brand to share their opinion. Getting an outside perspective can help you really hone in on what you want your brand identity to be.

Joan wanted to take her brand—including her website—and make it more modern. It was high time she became up to date on the latest technology trends—including social media. It was a learning curve, but she knew it was worth the work. She recommends defining your brand logo and tagline, the colors you’ll use for your website, and even how you create your graphics and work to keep them consistent across platforms.

Don’t be afraid to be larger than life

Joan shared that she was like most people in that she strove to be modest when asked: “What do you do?” But she realized that it’s okay to share your accomplishments—it’s part of your brand and who you are. When Darla and Natalie first met Joan, they were awestruck by her sense of style—bold, vintage, and larger than life. Natalie flat out told her that SHE was the brand. Nothing about her appearance says she plays small and her brand needed to reflect that.

Women are often afraid to “play big” with branding, but it often limits their potential. Women are trained to sit there and look pretty and be people-pleasers. Joan is brave, admittedly an “all-or-nothing” type of person. She stated, “I want to do it big and I want to do it well” and was ready for her personal branding to reflect that. Joan admits the process has been a learning curve for her, but well worth the effort. She had to learn to let go and share who she is and what she does with the world.

So how should designers who are considering rebranding navigate the journey right now? What direction is the design industry moving in? Listen to the whole episode as the ladies discuss finding your brand identity in a changing world.

Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social