A logo no longer lives in one neat little box at the top of a business card. It has to work across websites, apps, social avatars, motion graphics, product interfaces, packaging, campaigns, communities, and full identity systems. In many cases, the logo is no longer just a mark. It is the starting point for a much larger brand behavior.

That is what makes the 2026 LogoLounge Logo Trend Report so useful.

Created by Bill Gardner, this year’s report is based on the review of more than 30,000 logos and identity systems from around the world. It reveals a clear shift toward logos that feel more fluid, dimensional, reactive, and system driven.

We are seeing marks that bend, pulse, rotate, fade, roll, distort, connect, and behave as part of a living identity system. Some trends lean into motion. Some lean into modularity. Some feel shaped by AI, app icons, and digital product design. Others pull from older visual languages and give them a sharper, more current edit.

This year’s report also arrives alongside the release of Bill Gardner’s new book, The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding (more on that at the bottom of this article). While the annual trend report shows what is emerging now, the book goes further, helping designers understand how to read visual signals, connect patterns, and think more strategically about what makes a brand identity last.That distinction matters.

Logo trends are not instructions. They are signals.

The goal is not to copy what is popular, slap a gradient on it, and call it strategy. The goal is to understand why certain forms are showing up, what they say about culture and technology, and how those ideas can be used, evolved, or avoided with intention.

Below are the 15 standout logo design trends shaping 2026.

2026’s Standout Logo Trends

Here’s your quick breakdown of the logo design trends shaping brand identity in 2026.

1. V Balls

Circular marks built from raised-arm “V” shapes are showing up everywhere, suggesting unity, celebration, people, motion, and shared energy. Spin them around a center point and they become instant symbols of community in motion.

2. Slip Knots

Wordmarks are letting one letter, usually the first, break loose with a looping tail or knot like flourish. The trick is keeping the expressive letter tied to the same DNA as the rest of the type, so it feels clever, not bolted on.

3. Slant Break

A single italic or slanted letter inside an otherwise upright wordmark can create just enough disruption to make the logo memorable. It adds motion, emphasis, and a subtle point of distinction without needing a full typographic circus.

4. Piano

Stepped parallel lines are back, but they’re less about 1980s speed and more about rhythm, reveal, and segmentation. This retro language has returned with a calmer edit, giving static forms a sense of movement and structure.

5. Crack

Exaggerated ink traps, inflated notches, and overdone type details are pushing letterforms into strange, provocative territory. It can create instant memorability, but also risks becoming the only thing people see.

6. Faders

These marks feel like a peek inside a digital brain, with glowing pathways, soft gradients, and controlled fades suggesting intelligence, complexity, and invisible systems at work. Very app friendly. Very “trust us, the algorithm is doing something clever.”

7. Breezy

Logos are being warped, pinched, smeared, and pushed as if hit by an unseen gust of force. The result feels unstable but memorable, giving familiar forms a sense of tension, motion, and disruption.

8. Roll Over

Ribbon like forms are rolling instead of folding, creating marks that feel dimensional, flexible, and caught mid movement. Some use gradients and highlights, while others rely on simple lines to suggest tension and flow.

9. Slash Bar

Angled bar forms are cutting through logos with confidence, creating direction, pace, and forward momentum. These simple tilted shapes are being stacked, overlapped, and repeated to build marks that feel active and structured.

10. Echo Arcs

Curved line systems are radiating, intersecting, and expanding like signals or sound waves. These marks use rhythm and repetition to suggest connection, lift, structure, and movement without needing literal motion.

11. Colorforms

Simple geometric pieces, circles, wedges, rectangles, and blocks, are being assembled into playful but highly controlled marks. The look feels modular, optimistic, and honest, with color doing a lot of the personality work.

12. Quad Quivers

Four directional arrow like elements are being packed into square compositions, suggesting alignment, tension, movement, or competing forces. They’re compact, clear, and loaded with organizational metaphor.

13. Open Axis

Asterisk inspired marks are evolving into near connection symbols, where forms almost meet but stop just short. That small gap becomes the tension, suggesting unity, individuality, and energy held in balance.

14. Phasers

Rotational marks are showing their movement frame by frame rather than blending it into a smooth loop. They feel like process, transformation, and capability made visible, with each phase frozen mid performance.

15. Tri-Link

Triangles are being rebuilt from three separate linked parts, making them feel less like warning signs and more like systems of interdependence. They suggest balance, connection, and strength through three working pieces.

The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding: Trendcasting for Logos that Last Book Review

I’ve been collecting LogoLounge books for years, so I don’t say this lightly: Bill Gardner’s new book, The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding, may be my favourite one yet.

The annual LogoLounge trend reports are brilliant for understanding what is happening in logo design right now. But this book goes a step further. It looks at how logos evolve, how visual ideas gain traction, and how certain brand identities manage to earn lasting recognition while others fade into the background.

That idea of “evolution” is what really stood out to me because great logo design is not just about creating a clever mark or making something look polished. It is about learning to read and create visual language, understand cultural shifts, spot patterns across categories, and make smarter decisions.

I’ve been lucky enough to have my work featured in LogoLounge for 13 consecutive years, and as you can see from my collection above, I’ve followed the series closely for a long time. So when I say this one feels special, it comes from a place of genuine appreciation, not just a polite book plug. The production quality is world-class — just look at that hologram on the cover!

For designers and brand builders, Iconic Branding is the kind of book that will sharpen your eye and your judgment. It helps you look at logos not as isolated graphics, but as living signals of where branding has been, where it is now, and where it may be going next.

Don’t hesitate, this is logo design book is one for your shelf.

Plus, tune into our popular podcast episode with Bill Gardner on Logos vs Brands.

Below you can see my unboxing video of the new book and what’s inside!

Explore the top 2026 logo design trends from LogoLounge and see how identity design is shifting toward more fluid, dimensional, and system driven brand marks.

This year’s trends reveal how logos are becoming more expressive, adaptive, and built for motion, shaped by AI influenced visuals, modular design, atmospheric gradients, and a growing need for brands to behave across digital touchpoints.

What are your thoughts on these logo design trends for 2026?

Related Logo Posts

• The Best Logo Designs
• Best Logo Design Resources
• Best Logo Design Courses
• Best Free Logo Makers
• Best Software for Logo Design
• How to Present your Logo Designs to Clients

And I don’t blame you. It’s a tough market out there as a designer.

Not only do we have to compete with our peers but we now also have to compete with DIY tools such as Canva and cheap marketplaces such as Fiver.

Are you feeling the decline? Struggling to make a good living from your freelance work? Never fear, specialisation is here! Specialising allows you to increase your fees and get hired for your unique skillset without competing on price.

Think about it, if you owned a Porsche and it broke down, would you take it to a regular mechanic or a mechanic that specializes in Porsches?

The same goes for our creative industry. If you specialize, you get hired for that skill set and you can charge more for the privilege.

When I learned how to separate my designs from my creative thinking I became a specialist and was able to increase my fees and you can too!

Have you specialised yet? Now’s your chance, learn brand strategy!

Here are the best brand strategy courses online, many of which I have taken personally.

Enjoy your trip down the brand strategy rabbit hole.

Also be sure to check our out list of the best brand strategy resources and the best branding courses.

You will find even more at the end of the article including Jacob’s very own branding mini-course.

Top Brand Strategy Courses Compared

Are you wondering what is the best brand strategy course online? Compare them below and find what’s right for you:

Please note this is a curated list of recommendations, not a ranked list.

The Best Brand Strategy Courses Online & In-Person

Brand Master Secrets (Course + Worksheet Bundle) (Editor’s Choice)

Cost: $897 | Length: 120 Videos, 20 hours | By Stephen Houraghan

Brand Master Secrets helps you become a brand strategist and earn specialist fees. And in my opinion, this is the most comprehensive & best brand strategy course online.

Stephen Houraghan, a brand strategist and producer of the course, has truly gone above and beyond with this course to give you everything you need to become a brand strategist.

I thought I knew a lot about brand strategy before I took this course, but by the end, I realised how much more there was to know.

The course gave me all the techniques and processes and more importantly… all the systems and tools I needed to build brand strategies for my clients.

I literally watched every video front-to-back and learned something new in pretty much every module (and that’s coming from someone who has been in branding for 15+ years!).

This is the consolidated “fast-track” version to becoming a brand strategist.

I wholeheartedly endorse this course for any designer or creative who wants to become a brand strategist and earn specialist fees. It truly transformed my business.

Check out the 15-minute video about the course, which lays out exactly what you get in the Brand Master Secrets.

If you do enrol, you should know that there is a full cash-back guarantee if you decide it’s not right for you.

If you want to ask me any questions about the course, send me an email and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.

You can also check out the video with Stephen and I answering all your burning brand strategy questions.

Brand Master Academy also offers a comprehensive course focused purely on how to run a brand strategy workshop which is outlined further below. Plus they also offer a messaging toolkit + contract template as optional add-ons.

You can get the Brand Master Academy Super Bundle that combines the Brand Master Secrets & Brand Master Workshops saving you hundreds.

Who’s this for? For those who want the most comprehensive and best value course on the market (based on me taking over a dozen here myself), with all the systems, tools, worksheets and processes to help you earn specialist fees.

Brand Strategy Academy (Editor’s Choice)

Cost: $697 | Length: 20 Core Videos, 5 Hours; 30 Advanced Videos, 8 Hours | By: Sarah Robb, Brand Strategy Sarah

Brand Strategy Academy, taught by Sarah Robb (aka Brand Strategy Sarah), teaches you how to do brand strategy properly and, just as importantly, how to sell it to clients of any size. It isn’t a workshop shortcut or a 200-video curriculum. It’s a professional, practical process: thorough enough to hold up in a boardroom, focused enough to finish in 2 hours a week across 6 weeks.

You’re not learning alone. The course includes 21 weeks of live Q&A coaching with Sarah a year, where you bring real client work (the conversation you’re nervous about, the strategy you’re second-guessing), plus a community of 460+ practitioners doing the same. Practising strategists call it the gold standard, and designers say it finally gives them the confidence to call themselves brand strategists.

Sarah spent a decade as Senior Director of Brand Strategy at Landor and has led strategy for 70+ clients including EY, Gatorade, Pfizer, BP, HPE and Dorchester Collection. The course’s Four Question Framework came out of six months studying the brand strategies of 181 of the world’s most valuable brands, so what you learn is grounded in what strong brands actually do, not a model built to look good in a deck. Sarah is also co-author of Rebrand Right, an Amazon bestseller and 2026 Business Book Awards finalist, now taught at Warwick Business School.

The seven core modules take you end to end:

• Foundational clarity and selling strategy;
• The process roadmap;
• Customer research and insight;
• Competitor research and insight;
• Company research and insight;
• From insight to strategy;
• Writing and presenting boardroom strategy.
• Roll-out – what to do next

You get 23 ready-to-use tools built from real client work (research scripts, survey and competitive audit templates, a workshop script, proposal and pricing guidance, a 12-month implementation plan), over 40 real brand case studies, and a practice case study where you write the strategy yourself then see how Sarah’s client responded.

It also teaches the part AI can’t do: running the stakeholder conversations that surface the real tensions in a business, and synthesising insight into a positioning a leadership team will act on. Tested Custom GPTs and prompts are included, so you use AI where it helps without handing over the thinking that makes your work valuable.

An advanced section, included and added to all the time, adds a 12-month implementation module plus 45-minute expert masterclasses on naming (Rob Meyerson), brand architecture (Nick Liddell), embedding purpose and values (Jeff Melnyk), AI in brand strategy (Piotr Bombol) and positioning your creative business (Emily Penny).

Take it in your own time or week by week with Sarah’s live Q&A sessions, run in 7-week terms across 21 weeks of the year. Everyone gets lifetime access to all material and Q&As, a completion certificate, and a 30-day full money-back guarantee.

Who is this for?

Designers, copywriters, marketers and strategists who can see the bottom of the market going to AI and want to move upstream, to the SME clients with real complexity and real budgets who need brand strategy done properly, not a discovery workshop bolted onto a design brief.

Bare Brand Strat (Live Co-hort)

Cost: ~$999 | Length: 4 Live Workshops, 3 Group Q&A Sessions | By: Richie Meldrum, Bare Brand Strat

The Bare Brand Strat program offers a no-nonsense, practical approach to brand strategy, focusing on real-world applications for designers, marketers, and brand professionals, taught by Richie Meldrum.

Over four weeks, it covers essential topics like research, workshops, narrative frameworks, identity design, and rollouts.

With 4x live workshops, 3x group Q&A sessions, and a one-on-one consult, it provides actionable insights and tools to help participants elevate their brand strategy skills.

The program stands out for its straightforward, interactive learning style, designed to improve both strategic thinking and practical execution.

Don’t be fooled by the name though, this is anything but ‘bare’. It’s comprehensive without the fluff and Richie delivers it with passion, energy and a ton of funny GIFs to keep things fun. I really enjoyed this one!

Who is this for?

The Bare Brand Strat program is ideal for brand professionals, designers, and marketers who thrive in interactive, collaborative learning environments. If you prefer live cohorts, hands-on workshops, and receiving direct feedback from an expert, this program is for you. It provides real-time group Q&A sessions, one-on-one consultations, and a focus on actionable, practical brand strategy skills. With its structured feedback and peer collaboration, it’s perfect for those looking to sharpen their strategic thinking in a supportive, live setting.

Discount Coupon Code

Email me for an undisclosed special offer to this program.

The Lighthouse Brand Strategy Academy – CBO Masterclass

Cost: DIY: $797  | Done with Community: $1,397 | Done with you + Mentoring: $4,500+

Length: 50+ instructional videos, 100+ worksheets and templates, 6 modules, timespan is flexible – this is a self-paced, evergreen program with a median completion of 9-12 weeks.

The CBO (Chief Brand Officer) Masterclass by Peter Wilken (who we have interviewed on our podcast) is designed for both Business Owners and Brand Strategists to raise their brand strategy skills in a practical way that can be applied directly to build stronger brands and businesses.

It takes participants through the battle-proven trademarked Brand Centered Management process co-developed by Peter Wilken and described in his book Dim Sum Strategy. It follows a stepwise process with comprehensive instructional videos, examples and worksheets.

The program benefits from Peter’s 35+ years experience in advertising, change management and brand strategy. Peter ran agencies for Oglivy and Leo Burnett before heading BBDO Asia Pacific. He was a co-founder of one of the world’s first specialist brand consultancies, The Brand Company in Hong Kong and has worked at the highest level with some of the world’s top creative and strategic minds and some of the most iconic brands including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Shell, Disney, Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, SONY, BMW, FedEx, Shangr-La, McDonalds and many more.

What makes the CBO Masterclass different?

It isn’t about academic theory or going ‘back to school’— it’s all about practical implementation of a battle-proven process to solve real-world brand and business-building challenges.

What’s included in the most popular DWC (Done with Community) offer:

• Bonus 1:1 Kick-off session with Peter
• 50+ educational videos
• 100+ downloadable worksheets
• Unlimited access
• Bi-weekly LIVE cohort calls with Peter
• Vault of recordings and bonus materials
• CBO certification upon completion
• Access to the Lighthouse Brand Builders Community in Circle
• Opportunity for discounted mentoring sessions with Peter
• Money-back guarantee

Who is it for?

The CBO Masterclass is for brand-builders—both aspiring and experienced strategists—seeking to elevate their strategic expertise and deliver greater value to clients and businesses. Blending strategists and business owners, it fosters collaboration and lasting professional relationships while empowering participants to create thriving, brand-centered businesses rooted in unique Brand DNAs. For deeper support, participants can book exclusive 1:1 mentoring with Peter, tailored to accelerate growth through structured workshops or personalized guidance.

10% Discount Coupon Code

Enjoy a 10% discount off the price with the editor’s endorsement using the code ‘PINKY10’. Click the links below to auto apply the coupon.

• Get 10% off Do It Yourself Option
• Get 10% off Done With Community Option

CORE Discovery for Creatives

Cost: $489-$1729 |  Length: 15 videos, 4 hours | By: The Futur, Jose Caballer

CORE Discovery from The Futur, taught by Jose Caballer, “empowers you, the creative, to hold Discovery work sessions with your clients to define, align and generate insights for all the key stakeholders, allowing you to go from being an “order-taker” to being a powerful strategic leader and valued partner to your clients and community.

This course focuses on a collection 6 key exercises (Culture, Customer, Voice, Feeling, Impact and X-Factor) in which Jose Caballer walks you through in a series of videos. There are templates and explanations and some print outs for live facilitation too.

This is design strategy framework and while it’s one of the more insightful courses on the market, it is tiered towards senior designers who have been in the game some time. A lot of background knowledge is required, which is why I preferred the aforementioned Brand Master Secrets as it teaches you these advanced principles to actually help you position yourself as an expert and be confident in selling through strategy as a service.

On a side note, you could actually learn the fundamentals with Brand Master Secrets then use the CORE framework for your sessions, so they can work in tandem quite well.

Who is this for? CORE is an advanced ‘course’ for those who understand what strategy is and are looking for a framework to help improve their process and facilitate workshops of their own.

Activate Your Strategic Brain

Cost: $299 | Length: 8 Hours | By: Stef Hamerlinck

Activate Your Strategic Brain will help you master the fundamentals of brand strategy and become a more valuable designer, allowing you to create better design solutions for your clients.

Although I still in the midst of taking this course, the modules seem quite promising:

• The key concepts: brand purpose, personality, customer, value proposition,
• How to sell brand strategy and how to price it
• How to do a workshop with your client
• How to think strategically and get beyond the brief
• How to bridge the gap between strategy and design

The course covers the whole spectrum of brand strategy, from selling, facilitating, positioning to preparing for design. The goal is to become a more complete and strategic designer, so you can charge more and create brands that connect with their audience.

Who is this for? Designers who want to jump straight into the core concepts of brand strategy to help better their designs and service offerings, at a slightly more affordable rate.

Stef also has a few separate niche courses (modules) on brand strategy:

• How to Facilitate a Brand Workshop – $79 –  Learn how to get on the same page with your client, build trust and create better design outcomes.
• Brand Strategy Research – $299
  This module shows the magic ‘under the hood’ of a lot of brand strategies. Research is what drives powerful insights that are the foundation for strong brands.
• Brand Strategy Fundamentals – $79
  Get a deep understanding of the key concepts that drive brand strategy and its relation to marketing and business strategy.

eResonaid by Fabian Geyrhalter

Cost: $649-$949 | Length: 1.5 Hours, 15 Videos | By: Fabian Geyrhalter

Fabian Geyrhalter is an acclaimed brand strategist, author and podcaster, who I had the pleasure of interviewing, and he has taken his one-day brand strategy workshop, which he has done hundreds of times around the world, and made it into an online course, ready for the taking.

eResonaid will help “Define your company, your culture and your story, while drawing your audience into your offering”.

This course consists of 15 videos that range between 3-10 minutes in length, so it’s short and sweet.

But what I found the most valuable, were the PDF worksheets that came with it, including an interactive PDF workbook that acts as your hands-on guide through the course. You can take this and easily apply it for your own clients.

Fabian includes 2x 1-on-1 30min advisory calls within the price to gain feedback and guidance on your discovery journey or to course-correct if necessary. (But you could always go with the basic version of the course if you do not see value in it).

As a bonus, you also receive Fabian’s two branding books in e-book format.

You can easily complete this course in a day, making it an extremely condensed version of strategy, that will help provide brand clarity, without the fluff.

Who this is for? eResonaid is perfect for someone who needs to learn or apply brand strategy quickly since you can easily get through the course in a single day.

Story Brand (SB7) by Donald Miller

Cost: $275 (yearly subscription) | Length: 10 hours | By: Donald Miller

Although Story Brand (based on the book) is a messaging framework, it’s worth mentioning because it is solid framework to help sell any product or service. In fact, the principles of Brand Story are used on the home page of JUST Creative.

You won’t learn how to become a brand strategist, but you will learn how to hook your customers with a “story brand”.

The basic premise is this:

“A CHARACTER who wants something encounters a PROBLEM before they can get it. At the peak of their despair, a GUIDE steps into their lives gives them a PLAN, and CALLS THEM TO ACTION. That action helps them avoid FAILURE and ends in a SUCCESS.”

Each of these 7 bolded chapters/modules come with actionable step-by-step guides that help you implement what you’ve learned into your own brand. There is also a free online tool that guides you through the implementation process.

This course used to be $1500 but has just recently dropped to $275 as part of their Business Made Simple subscription which now includes three all-new courses on Marketing, Leadership, and Emotional IQ.

Who is this for? Someone who wants to improve their messaging & marketing skills, with an easy to follow framework, at a great value price.

LEVEL C – By Marty Neumeier

Cost: Varies | Length: 1-2 days  | By: Marty Neumeier

Marty Neumeier, “the grandfather of branding” is running Brand Masterclass Workshops around the world.

Unlike the other courses on this list, this course is done in person (now also online due to COVID), in locations such as London, LA, Philly and Dublin.

The workshop is called Level C because they are on a mission to permanently place the role of “BRANDING” in the C-Suite (aka CEO, CBO, CDO).

This best part? This Masterclass Workshop is a certification so when you’re finished, you will become a Certified Brand Specialist and you can level up to their 5+ certifications.

Graduates from the London masterclass have already used this credential and are leveling up into roles such as Global Director of Marketing, Head of Strategy, Head of Brand, and more — which means higher levels, broader scopes, more influence, better titles, and more money!

Although not technically brand strategy, you master modern brand building disciplines hands-on, and in the process build connections along the way, meaning you can level up together.

It goes without saying, this is a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the best in the industry and get certified in the process.

See their website for dates and prices as they range depending on level.

Who is this for? For someone who prefers to work within a classroom format & wants certification to level up their career.

Brand Strategy: Build a Business that Lasts on Skillshare

Cost: $10/m (2 Month Free Trial) | Length: 1.5hours | By: Mark Pollard

In this short 1.5 hour crash course from Mark Pollard, you learn how to create a brand that can stand the test of time. Mark breaks down every brand into three categories—Product-centric, Customer-centric, and Vision-centric—and draws out frameworks for understanding how brands can develop and thrive within each.

Successful brands need a bit of all three, but as the class progresses Mark shows how one of these types of brands continually outperforms the rest and shares how to move your brand towards this model. You can download a worksheet to follow along and learn how to write out your brand on a single page to distill it into clear and concise terms.

Whether you’re a freelancer, marketer, small business owner, or entrepreneur getting your brand off the ground, this class will give you a deeper understanding of brands, businesses, and quite possibly yourself.

Who’s this for? Someone who wants to dip their toes into the world of brand strategy without too much investment.

The Futur’s Brand Strategy Fundamentals Course & Workshop with Anneli Hansson

Cost: $199 or $299 with workshop | Length: 30 videos | By: Anneli Hansson

Learn to facilitate workshops with a proven brand strategy framework and become your clients’ go-to for solving their big business problems. Take the course to learn the fundamentals of brand strategy and faciltation and see it in action through a real client case study.

This framework is proven and will help you become your clients’ go-to for developing their brand.

Who’s this for? Beginners to intermediate level creatives who want to learn the fundamentals of strategy with a proven framework.

10 Best Brand Strategy WORKSHOP Courses Online

If you want to learn how to run a brand strategy workshops, there are a few courses online that will do just that as per below.

Brand Master Workshop Course: How to run a brand strategy workshop

This is the only program you need to run effective brand strategy workshops with your clients, allowing you to develop strategies and brands they understand, feel connected to.

You can sit in on an in-person brand strategy workshop and watch the process in action as you look over the shoulder in a live recording with a leadership team of five for an industry-leading business.

Here is an overview of what you will learn in this extensive course + toolkit.

• Brand Strategy Fundamentals
• How To Sell Brand Strategy Workshops
• How To Structure Sales, Discovery & Workshops
• How To Facilitate Your Workshop Like A Pro
• How To Coach Strategy To Create Better Clients
• How To Deliver Workshop Exercises Step-By-Step
• How To Increase You Average Client Invoice
• How To Deliver Your Workshop Review
• How To Uncover Marketing Opportunities
• How To Deliver Your Brand Strategy

Cost: $697 | Length: 12 modules, 75+ videos | By: Stephen Houraghan

You can get the Brand Master Academy Super Bundle that combines the Brand Master Secrets (#1 on our list) & Brand Master Workshops saving you hundreds.

Who’s this for? Those looking to run effective brand workshops with structure and processes, plus those looking for the tools and templates to streamline the process.

The Remote Brand Strategy Workshop Masterclass

This course will teach you how to facilitate brand strategy workshops so you can get paid to think, upgrade your offering and go remote.

• WORKSHOP OUTCOMES
  In this chapter Charlie introduces the course, share the outcomes of completing the course and bust myths about workshops.
• BRAND STRATEGY BASICS
  Here Charlie teaches you what a brand is, how we should think about strategy and its best practices.
• HOW TO SELL THE WORKSHOP
  In these lectures Charlie shares his  step-by-step process to selling workshops to clients, including the ideal first call script and email templates.
• THE BRAND DISCOVERY SURVEY
  The client is excited and on board for a workshop. Now, it’s time to extract information from them with the brand discovery survey.
• THE WORKSHOP DOCUMENT
  Here, Charlie introduces you to the document that will be used to guide us through the workshop. Explaining each section and its purpose.
• PREPARING FOR THE WORKSHOP
  The key to a successful workshop is preparation. Here Charlie will show you the steps to being fully confident running your workshop.
• FACILITATING A SUCCESSFUL WORKSHOP
  In these lectures Charlie shares the mindset of a professional facilitator and walks you through each of the 20 fun and impactful exercises with a mock client.
• WORKSHOP FOLLOW UP
  With the workshop over, it’s time to recap all the insights. Here Charlie shows you how bring this together in a professional document.

Cost: $675 | Length: 8 self paces modules, 85+ videos with 1:1 Coaching | By: Charlie Osborne

Who’s this for? Those looking to run remote brand workshops with some coaching along the way.

Become a Brand Master Course by Jacob Cass

Instructor: Jacob Cass | Price: $197 | Length: 48 minutes

Jacob Cass’ very own branding mini-course will help you become a brand master.

This value-packed course takes you behind the scenes of a major project with Jacob Cass where you will dive deep into three core modules:

• Research, Strategy & Workshops
• Concept Development
• Logo & Brand Design

Plus, you get a strategy workbook and workshop template to use in your own branding projects.

Watch the trailer below or simply click here to take the course.

Other Business / Marketing / Brand Strategy Courses

• Mini MBA in Marketing by Mark Ritson – $1250
• BrandIt (for Leadership Teams) by Matt Davies – $750
• Designing Strategy by IDEO U – $799
• WHY Discovery Course by Simon Sinek – $150
• Business Strategy Sprint by Scott Galloway – $750
• Brand Strategy 101 by Philip VanDusen – $497
• Brand Clarity by Aventive Studio – $997
• Brand Strategy Bootcamp by Melinda Livsey – $2,500
• Planning Dirty Academy by Julian Cole – $1297
• Branding Masterplan by Daniel Patterson – $595
• The Future London Academy – $1599
• Strategy Finishing School by Julian Cole – $1997

Free Brand Strategy Courses & Resources

• Planning Dirty Newsletter by Julian Cole (Free Resources)
• Skillshare – Type in ‘brand strategy’ into their search (Includes 4 weeks free trial)
• Archetypal Branding on Udemy – 1.5 hour course on brand archetypes
• Strategyzer – 30+ downloads & videos that you can use to better design, test, and assess your business
• Brand Strategy Made Simple – The Futur Academy Free Training
• The Futur’s YouTube Channel – See their video on How to become a brand strategist

Have another brand strategy course or resource to add? Please let me know!

Frequently Asked Questions

10 Best Brand Strategy Courses Online: Key Takeaway

Some of the Brand Strategy Courses Online on the list were taken personally as mentioned earlier. Take advantage of these course offerings and start implementing them today.

You will definitely benefit from these courses regardless of whether you are an owner, a designer, or just a beginner starting your own business. These are the online courses you can access from wherever you want during your free time.

In this guide, we’ve compiled the latest Adobe Creative Cloud pricing and plan options for 2026 so you can compare the costs and choose the best plan for your creative workflow.

Before we start, it is worth clarifying one thing. Adobe Creative Cloud, often shortened to Adobe CC, is Adobe’s subscription based ecosystem of creative apps, cloud services, fonts, storage, stock assets, and generative AI features. Apps such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Lightroom, Acrobat, and Firefly are available as single app subscriptions or as part of a Creative Cloud plan.

Quick deals:

• Get Adobe Creative Cloud deals
• Get 10 free Adobe Stock images

What is the cost of Adobe Creative Cloud in 2026?

The cost of Adobe Creative Cloud depends on the plan you choose. Adobe now separates its main individual plans into Creative Cloud Standard and Creative Cloud Pro.

Creative Cloud Standard is the more affordable All Apps plan for users who mainly need Adobe’s core creative apps. Creative Cloud Pro includes 20+ apps plus more Adobe Firefly generative AI access for images, video, audio, and design workflows.

Here is a simplified 2026 pricing overview for Adobe Creative Cloud in the United States.

Note: Adobe prices can vary by country, tax, promotion, billing term, and eligibility. Always check Adobe’s checkout page before purchasing.

Adobe Creative Cloud pricing plans summary

What is the cost of Adobe Express?

Adobe Creative Cloud Express is now known simply as Adobe Express. It is one of Adobe’s easiest tools for creating social posts, flyers, thumbnails, presentations, short videos, brand assets, and simple marketing materials.

Adobe Express is aimed at beginners, creators, small businesses, marketers, and non designers who want to create polished content quickly. It includes templates, design assets, Adobe Fonts, stock assets, simple editing tools, and brand kits.

Adobe Express free plan

The Adobe Express free plan gives users access to a limited set of templates, design assets, fonts, editing tools, and generative AI features. It is a good starting point if you only need basic content creation.

Adobe Express Premium Plan

Adobe Express Premium costs US$9.99 per month. It includes more templates, premium assets, brand tools, Adobe Fonts, background removal, content scheduling features, and additional storage.

Adobe Express Premium is also included with several Adobe single app plans, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and InDesign.

What is the cost of Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard tool for raster image editing, digital art, compositing, retouching, photo manipulation, and graphic design.

In 2026, Adobe offers several ways to buy Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop Single App Plan

The Photoshop Single App plan costs US$22.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This plan includes Photoshop on desktop, web, and mobile, plus Adobe Express Premium and cloud services.

Adobe Photography Plan

The Photography Plan is usually the best value if you want Photoshop and Lightroom together. In 2026, Adobe’s public pricing lists the Photography Plan at US$19.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This plan includes:

• Photoshop
• Lightroom
• Lightroom Classic
• 1TB of cloud storage

Adobe Creative Cloud Standard or Pro

If you need Photoshop plus apps such as Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Acrobat Pro, and Lightroom, the full Creative Cloud plan is usually better value than buying several single apps separately.

Creative Cloud Standard costs US$54.99 per month, while Creative Cloud Pro costs US$69.99 per month on annual billed monthly plans.

Adobe Photoshop Student Plan

Students and teachers do not usually buy Photoshop alone. Instead, Adobe offers the full Creative Cloud Pro plan for eligible students and teachers at US$19.99 per month for the first year, then US$39.99 per month after that.

This is usually the best Photoshop deal if you are eligible.

How to get Adobe Photoshop free

The legal way to get Photoshop free is to use Adobe’s free trial. Adobe usually offers a 7 day free trial for Photoshop.

After the trial ends, it automatically converts to a paid plan unless you cancel before the trial period ends.

What is the cost of Adobe Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator is Adobe’s professional vector graphics app. It is widely used for logos, icons, illustrations, typography, patterns, packaging, brand identity systems, and scalable artwork.

Adobe Illustrator Single App Plan

The Illustrator Single App plan costs US$22.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This plan includes Illustrator on desktop and iPad, Adobe Express Premium, Adobe Fonts, cloud storage, and Creative Cloud services.

Creative Cloud Standard or Pro

If you only need Illustrator, the single app plan is the cheapest option. If you also need Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, or Acrobat Pro, Creative Cloud Standard or Pro will usually be better value.

Creative Cloud Standard costs US$54.99 per month. Creative Cloud Pro costs US$69.99 per month, with promotions often available for new subscribers.

How to get Adobe Illustrator free

You can try Illustrator free through Adobe’s 7 day free trial. You will need to create an Adobe account and enter payment details. If you do not cancel before the trial ends, the subscription will convert to a paid plan.

What is the cost of Adobe After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is a leading tool for motion graphics, compositing, animation, title sequences, visual effects, and post production workflows.

Adobe After Effects Single App Plan

The After Effects Single App plan costs US$22.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This plan includes After Effects, Adobe Express Premium, Adobe Fonts, cloud storage, and Creative Cloud services.

Adobe Creative Cloud Standard or Pro

If you use After Effects with Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, Audition, or Media Encoder, the Creative Cloud plan is often the better option.

Creative Cloud Standard costs US$54.99 per month, while Creative Cloud Pro costs US$69.99 per month on annual billed monthly plans.

Adobe After Effects Student and Teacher Plan

Eligible students and teachers can get Creative Cloud Pro for US$19.99 per month for the first year, then US$39.99 per month after that. This includes After Effects and 20+ other Adobe apps.

How to get Adobe After Effects for free

Adobe usually offers a 7 day free trial for After Effects. After the trial ends, you need to subscribe to continue using the app.

If you want free alternatives, tools such as Blender and DaVinci Resolve can cover some motion, compositing, and video workflows, but they are not direct replacements for After Effects.

What is the cost of Adobe Acrobat?

Adobe Acrobat is Adobe’s PDF platform. It lets you create, edit, convert, sign, protect, compare, redact, and manage PDF files.

Adobe Acrobat Standard

Adobe Acrobat Standard costs US$14.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

It includes core PDF tools for creating, editing, converting, and signing PDFs.

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro costs US$19.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

Acrobat Pro adds advanced features such as redaction, comparison, advanced editing, OCR, accessibility tools, and more professional PDF controls.

Adobe Acrobat Studio

Adobe Acrobat Studio costs US$24.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

It includes Acrobat Pro plus newer AI powered features such as PDF Spaces and AI Assistant features.

Adobe Acrobat Business Plans

For teams, Adobe Acrobat Standard for teams costs US$16.99 per month per license on an annual billed monthly plan.

Adobe Acrobat Pro for teams costs US$23.99 per month per license on an annual billed monthly plan.

How to get Adobe Acrobat for free

You can use Adobe Acrobat Reader for free to view, print, comment on, and sign PDFs. For full editing and advanced tools, Adobe usually offers a free trial of Acrobat Pro.

What is the cost of Adobe InDesign?

Adobe InDesign is used by designers, publishers, marketers, and agencies to create books, magazines, brochures, reports, catalogs, ebooks, flyers, and long form editorial layouts.

Adobe InDesign Single App Plan

The InDesign Single App plan costs US$22.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This includes InDesign, Adobe Express Premium, Adobe Fonts, cloud storage, and Creative Cloud services.

Adobe Creative Cloud Standard or Pro

If you use InDesign with Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, or Lightroom, Creative Cloud Standard or Pro is usually the smarter buy.

Creative Cloud Standard costs US$54.99 per month. Creative Cloud Pro costs US$69.99 per month.

Adobe InDesign Student and Teacher Plan

Eligible students and teachers can access InDesign through Creative Cloud Pro for US$19.99 per month for the first year, then US$39.99 per month after that.

How to get Adobe InDesign for free

Adobe usually offers a 7 day free trial for InDesign. After the trial ends, it converts to a paid plan unless cancelled.

What is the cost of Adobe XD?

Adobe XD was Adobe’s UI and UX design and prototyping tool. However, Adobe XD is no longer positioned as a main current Adobe plan in the same way as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, or After Effects.

Because of this, we do not recommend presenting Adobe XD as a standard current 2026 subscription option without checking Adobe’s latest availability in your region.

If you are looking for UI and UX design tools, consider comparing Adobe XD with alternatives such as Figma, Sketch, Penpot, Framer, and UXPin.

What is the cost of Adobe Premiere Pro?

Adobe Premiere Pro is Adobe’s professional video editing software. It is used by filmmakers, YouTubers, editors, content creators, agencies, and in house marketing teams.

Adobe Premiere Pro Single App Plan

The Premiere Pro Single App plan costs US$22.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This plan includes Premiere Pro, Adobe Express Premium, Adobe Fonts, cloud storage, and Creative Cloud services.

Adobe Creative Cloud Standard or Pro

If you use Premiere Pro alongside After Effects, Photoshop, Audition, Illustrator, or Media Encoder, Creative Cloud Standard or Pro will usually be better value than buying single apps separately.

Creative Cloud Standard costs US$54.99 per month. Creative Cloud Pro costs US$69.99 per month.

Adobe Premiere Pro Student and Teacher Plan

Eligible students and teachers can get Creative Cloud Pro for US$19.99 per month for the first year, then US$39.99 per month after that. This includes Premiere Pro and 20+ other Adobe apps.

How to get Adobe Premiere Pro for free

Adobe usually offers a 7 day free trial for Premiere Pro. After the trial period, the subscription converts to a paid plan unless cancelled.

What is the cost of Adobe InCopy?

Adobe InCopy is a professional writing and editing app designed to work with Adobe InDesign. It is useful for editorial workflows where writers, editors, and designers need to collaborate on the same publication.

Adobe InCopy Single App Plan

Adobe InCopy costs US$4.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This makes it one of Adobe’s cheapest individual app subscriptions.

Adobe Creative Cloud Standard or Pro

InCopy is also included in Adobe Creative Cloud plans, which can make sense for editorial teams that also need InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat Pro.

How to get Adobe InCopy for free

You can try InCopy through Adobe’s free trial. After the trial ends, you need a paid subscription to continue using it.

What is the cost of Adobe Stock?

Adobe Stock offers royalty free photos, vectors, illustrations, templates, videos, music tracks, 3D assets, and other creative assets.

Adobe Stock pricing varies by asset type, subscription size, credits, and billing term. In many cases, annual plans offer a lower cost per asset than month to month plans.

Adobe often offers a free trial that includes a limited number of standard assets, such as 10 free standard assets, but trial terms vary by region and promotion.

In 2026, Adobe also promotes newer Stock and AI related plans in some regions, so it is worth checking Adobe’s latest Stock checkout page before publishing exact asset pricing.

What is the cost of Adobe Lightroom?

Adobe Lightroom is a photo editing and image management app used by photographers, creators, agencies, and marketing teams. It is designed for editing, organizing, syncing, and exporting photos across devices.

Adobe Lightroom Plan

The Lightroom plan costs US$11.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This plan includes Lightroom and 1TB of cloud storage.

Adobe Photography Plan

The Photography Plan costs US$19.99 per month on an annual plan, billed monthly.

This plan includes:

• Photoshop
• Lightroom
• Lightroom Classic
• 1TB of cloud storage

If you need both Photoshop and Lightroom, this is usually better value than buying Photoshop alone.

Adobe Lightroom Student and Teacher Plan

Eligible students and teachers can access Lightroom through Creative Cloud Pro for US$19.99 per month for the first year, then US$39.99 per month after that.

How to get Adobe Lightroom for free

Adobe usually offers a free trial for Lightroom. You can start the trial through Adobe’s official Lightroom page.

What is the cost of Adobe Substance 3D?

Adobe Substance 3D is Adobe’s suite of 3D design tools. It is used for texturing, painting, staging, rendering, materials, 3D assets, and product visualization.

Adobe Substance 3D Texturing Plan

The Substance 3D Texturing plan costs US$24.99 per month.

This plan includes:

• Substance 3D Painter
• Substance 3D Designer
• Substance 3D Sampler
• Substance 3D assets

Adobe Substance 3D Collection

The Substance 3D Collection costs US$59.99 per month.

This plan includes:

• Substance 3D Modeler
• Substance 3D Painter
• Substance 3D Designer
• Substance 3D Sampler
• Substance 3D Stager
• Substance 3D assets

This is the better plan if you need a complete 3D workflow rather than only texturing tools.

Adobe Substance Student and Teacher Plan

Adobe has offered special Substance 3D access for students and teachers in the past. Eligibility and pricing can change, so check Adobe’s current education page before relying on this offer.

How to get Adobe Substance for free

Adobe usually offers free trials for Substance 3D plans. You can try the apps before committing to a paid subscription.

What is the cost of Adobe Firefly?

Adobe Firefly is Adobe’s generative AI platform for creating and editing images, video, audio, vectors, and design assets. It works through the Firefly web app and is also integrated into apps such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Express, and Premiere Pro.

Firefly is no longer just a free beta product. Adobe now offers both free limited access and paid Firefly plans.

Firefly plan availability, credit limits, and premium feature access may change, especially as Adobe adds more video, audio, and third party model options.

Adobe Creative Cloud discounts

Adobe runs promotions throughout the year, especially around major shopping periods, back to school campaigns, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and product launches.

The best Adobe Creative Cloud discount for most eligible users is usually the student and teacher discount.

How to get an Adobe student discount

Eligible students and teachers can save heavily on Creative Cloud Pro. Adobe’s 2026 student and teacher pricing is US$19.99 per month for the first year, then US$39.99 per month after that.

This includes 20+ Adobe apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, InDesign, Acrobat Pro, Lightroom, and more, plus Adobe Firefly creative AI access.

Who qualifies for an Adobe student discount?

To qualify for an Adobe student discount, you generally need to be at least 13 years old and enrolled in an eligible school, university, college, primary school, secondary school, homeschool, or other qualifying education program.

Teachers, faculty, and staff at eligible educational institutions may also qualify.

Adobe may ask for proof of eligibility, such as a school email address, student ID, transcript, report card, tuition bill, or other education documentation.

How to get Adobe discounts as a new user

If you are a new Adobe user, start by checking whether you qualify for a student or teacher discount. If not, compare the single app plan against Creative Cloud Standard and Creative Cloud Pro.

As a simple rule, if you need more than two Adobe apps, Creative Cloud is usually better value than buying multiple single app plans.

For example, buying Photoshop and Illustrator as two single apps can cost almost as much as Creative Cloud Standard, while Creative Cloud gives you many more apps.

How to get Adobe deals as an existing subscriber

If your Adobe subscription is getting expensive, log in to your Adobe account and check your plan management options. Adobe sometimes offers account specific retention deals, plan switches, or promotional pricing, especially when users try to cancel or change plans.

These offers are not guaranteed and may vary by region, account type, plan, and timing.

We recommend removing old references to COVID specific Adobe discounts, as those offers are now outdated and may no longer be available.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Adobe Creative Cloud in 2026?

Adobe Creative Cloud Standard costs US$54.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan. Adobe Creative Cloud Pro costs US$69.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan.

How much is Adobe Creative Cloud for students?

Adobe Creative Cloud Pro for students and teachers costs US$19.99 per month for the first year, then US$39.99 per month after that.

How much is Photoshop in 2026?

Adobe Photoshop costs US$22.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan. The Photography Plan, which includes Photoshop, Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and 1TB storage, costs US$19.99 per month.

How much is Illustrator in 2026?

Adobe Illustrator costs US$22.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan.

How much is Premiere Pro in 2026?

Adobe Premiere Pro costs US$22.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan.

How much is After Effects in 2026?

Adobe After Effects costs US$22.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan.

How much is InDesign in 2026?

Adobe InDesign costs US$22.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan.

How much is Lightroom in 2026?

Adobe Lightroom costs US$11.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan. The Photography Plan costs US$19.99 per month and includes Photoshop, Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and 1TB storage.

How much is Acrobat Pro in 2026?

Adobe Acrobat Pro costs US$19.99 per month on an annual billed monthly plan. Acrobat Standard costs US$14.99 per month, and Acrobat Studio costs US$24.99 per month.

How much is Adobe Firefly?

Adobe Firefly has a free limited plan and several paid plans. Firefly Standard costs US$9.99 per month, Firefly Pro costs US$19.99 per month, Firefly Pro Plus costs US$49.99 per month, and Firefly Premium costs US$199.99 per month.

Can I cancel the Adobe free trial?

Yes. To cancel an Adobe free trial, log in to your Adobe account, go to your plan, choose “Manage plan,” and then select the cancellation option. Cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged.

Is Adobe free for students?

No. Adobe is not free for students, but eligible students and teachers can get Adobe Creative Cloud Pro at a heavily discounted education price.

Is Adobe Creative Cloud worth it?

Adobe Creative Cloud is worth it if you rely on professional creative software for design, photography, video, publishing, branding, marketing, or client work. If you only need one specific app, a single app plan may be enough. If you use multiple Adobe tools, Creative Cloud Standard or Pro usually makes more sense.

Adobe Creative Cloud pricing: Final thoughts

Adobe’s pricing has changed significantly in recent years, especially with the introduction of Creative Cloud Pro, Creative Cloud Standard, and paid Adobe Firefly plans.

For most professional designers, photographers, video editors, marketers, and creative teams, the decision comes down to three questions:

• Do you only need one Adobe app?
• Do you need multiple Adobe apps?
• Do you need extra Adobe Firefly generative AI access?

If you only need one app, a single app plan may be the cheapest path. If you need Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Acrobat Pro, and other tools, Creative Cloud Standard or Creative Cloud Pro is usually better value.

Students and teachers should almost always start with the education plan because it offers Adobe’s strongest discount.

And if you are buying during a major promotion, check Adobe’s current deals before subscribing. Adobe often changes promotional pricing, especially for Creative Cloud Pro and Firefly plans.

Related articles

• Adobe Software List
• Adobe Photoshop Tutorial
• Best Adobe Fonts
• How to Download Adobe Photoshop Free
• How to Download Adobe Illustrator Free
• Best Tablets for Illustrator
• Adobe Illustrator vs Inkscape
• Best Student Software
• Adobe Firefly Review
• Adobe Stock vs iStock

Sources

• Adobe Creative Cloud plans and pricing
• Adobe Creative Cloud individual plan changes
• Adobe Photoshop plans
• Adobe Premiere Pro plans
• Adobe Firefly plans
• Adobe Substance 3D plans
• Adobe Substance 3D pricing change FAQ

Being good at the work is no longer enough.

In this episode, Jacob Cass and Matt Davies sit down with David C. Baker, author of The Business of Expertise and one of the leading voices on positioning, specialization, and advisory businesses.

Together, they explore what actually becomes valuable in a world where production is abundant.

We discuss:

• The difference between execution and expertise
• Why many creative firms still struggle to position themselves clearly
• What clients are really paying for at the highest level
• Why judgment, trust, and perspective matter more than ever
• How AI is reshaping pricing, specialization, and creative work
• What makes a firm truly irreplaceable

This conversation is for designers, strategists, consultants, and creative entrepreneurs who want to move beyond being seen as a pair of hands and become trusted experts.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between being good at the work and being known for the thinking behind it, this episode is for you.

Listen Here

Love the show? Please review us on Apple.

Play Now

Watch on YouTube

Learn Brand Strategy

Brand Master Secrets helps you become a brand strategist and earn specialist fees. And in my opinion, this is the most comprehensive brand strategy course on the market.

The course gave me all the techniques and processes and more importantly… all the systems and tools I needed to build brand strategies for my clients.

This is the consolidated “fast-track” version to becoming a brand strategist.

I wholeheartedly endorse this course for any designer who wants to become a brand strategist and earn specialist fees.

Check out the 15-minute video about the course, which lays out exactly what you get in the Brand Master Secrets.

Transcript

Today’s guest is David C. Baker. One of the most respected voices in the world of expertise, positioning and advisory businesses. David has spent decades helping firms, consultants and creative businesses become more focused, more valuable and far less replaceable. He’s the author of books, including The Business of Expertise. And through his writing, speaking and podcasting, he’s helped shape many of us to think about specialization, pricing, lead gen or what it really means to build a business around insight rather than just execution. And we’re big believers of that on the show here. I’m sure you’ve heard us talk about it quite a bit. So we’re getting the OG in here to talk about it. And this conversation is super relevant right now. As AI accelerates production, it makes execution faster, cheaper. Many creative pros are asking a bigger question. If everyone can make more faster, then what actually becomes more valuable? And that’s what David’s work has been incredibly useful. So in this episode, we’re going to explore the differences between execution and expertise, why so many creative firms actually struggle to position themselves clearly, what clients are really paying for, and how to build a business around judgment, trust and perspective rather than just output. So if you’ve ever felt stuck between being good at the work and being known for the thinking behind it, this episode is for you. So David, we’re stoked to have you on the show. Thank you for being here. Welcome.

So I’m glad to be here. Yeah, that after that introduction, I’m not sure what else there is to say. You just said it all.

Oh, we’re going to unpack that. We’re going to unpack it.

Okay.

Let’s start from the top. So execution to expertise. That’s the topic of your book. So let’s jump straight into it. What do you believe creative firms still get most wrong about expertise?

That one I think is easy. And I think it’s sloppy positioning. Somebody asked me on LinkedIn today, what percentage of firms or contractors, freelancers get their positioning correct? And I said, well, I think it’s a higher percentage than it ever has been. So every year that goes by, it gets better. But we’re still at around 30%. That’s just a guess. I don’t really know for sure. And so they’re essentially they’re generalists and not being viewed with the sort of expertise that every other branch of professional services craves. We’re the only side of professional services that just sort of pooh-poohs the idea of positioning, tight positioning. So that’s that would be the answer in my mind.

So which is ironic, right, David, because like, you know, particularly in the in the realm of marketing and branding communications, often we would talk to our clients about carving out a position in the market to defend, you know, and outmaneuvering the competition some way. So it’s a strange phenomena, wouldn’t you say?

Our industry is full of contradictions, you know, we’re, there’s that. And then what, how often are we telling our clients like, hey, your website really isn’t very good, it really needs to be redone. And then you look at your own website and it’s like, oh, we don’t have time for that and go on and on and on. And that’s, that’s just one of the reasons why I think clients don’t tend to take us as seriously as they could.

Yeah, we actually just spoke with the guests recently, Emily Penny, and they did a study of all the different agencies and put together a report looking at positioning and how they talk about themselves. And they did come to the realization very quickly that a lot of agencies say the exact same thing.

Yeah, award-winning, full service. We focus on but are not limited to, and then they fill in the blank. Yeah, I get a little angry at it. And so I have to just stay away from some of those things because I sound too much like an old man yelling at clouds sometimes. And I am an old man and I do yell at clouds, so it fits, but.

You’re in the right place. Me and Jacob are both, we’re both in the similar category, I think. There we are.

Great. Yeah.

So that’s kind of, what would you say this idea though about expertise is though in that sphere? Because obviously, you know, if everybody’s sort of sounding the same in terms of the execution, where do you see the opportunities in expertise?

So you mean like what changes if they determine expertise?

Focus on expertise. Yeah. What happens and where are the opportunities there?

Yeah. Well, the one thing that happens is that you’re upstream in the process, because by the time you get asked to do something, to do some implementation or some execution, a lot of decisions have already been made. So you get upstream, which means you probably have access to a little bit more money. You definitely have access to more time to do it, but you also have access to influencing the decisions that are made. Because the way it is now, a firm or an individual or freelancer is asked to do something, and it’s not like they aren’t capable of doing it. But they look at the request and say, seriously, this is what you want done? I can do it, but that’s really not in your best interests. So the execution moves them upstream and they have a seat at the table rather than they’re outside the conference room, they know all these important discussions are happening in the conference room. Then after an hour and a half, somebody emerges and says, okay, we decided what needs to happen, here’s what we’d like you to do. That’s execution and it’s not a very fun process essentially.

So just to clarify here for our listeners, what’s the difference between a highly skilled designer or creative versus the obvious expert, which is what you talk about?

It’d be hard to define that specifically, but we could eat around the edges of it. Core to that is this notion of, like if somebody is looking for execution, they’ve already decided what the problem is, and they’ve already decided what should be done to fix it. You are just simply taking orders, you’re like a waiter, and they’re saying, I’d like this, I’d like this. Somebody else has done the menu, somebody else has made all the recommendations and so on. With expertise, you’re essentially employing pattern matching, and you’re helping them decide not only what to do, but you’re moving even upstream of that, and you’re asking all the right questions to help them identify what the real problem is. That’s one way to think about it. Another way to think about it is just the difference between using your head and using your hands. So if you could, this is kind of a crude example, but can you imagine somebody who is colorblind, they became colorblind through some accident, they’ve lost the use of their hands, it’s very difficult for them to be a designer in any traditional sense because of that. But if their work consists largely of strategy, they can still have a very great livelihood because they still have the ability to think. Another way to think about it is strategy can be done in Microsoft Word. If whatever you’re doing for a client requires more than Microsoft Word, then it’s probably infused with execution. That’s not a great example, but anyway, it makes the point a little bit.

I think it makes a lot of sense. I think if you spent all your life in Microsoft Word, you’d be one miserable individual there just because of Microsoft, but moving on. But I think you’re right. You’re right. Absolutely right. That’s the thing, isn’t it? It’s about being a brain, not a pair of hands. That’s another expression I’ve heard around this. It’s really hard, isn’t it? Well, I think a lot of people find it hard, at least, let’s phrase it like that, to move. If you’re so used to seeing yourself as an executioner, as a designer for the sake of argument, as a producer of stuff, to shift. A lot of people think, I get this, I get I’ve got to be more valuable, I’ve got to move upstream. How do folks do it though? What are your thoughts on that? What would you say that the key things might be to think about how to shift your positioning if you find yourself as a pair of hands?

And just a follow up question with that, can you do both? Is it like either or?

Oh yeah, oh Jacob.

I think it’s very difficult to change an existing client’s mind, to move upstream in their mind. If they already have you in an implementation box, it’s going to be difficult to climb out of it. The only hope you have of doing that is to gently question, and you’re not going to get paid for this either because it’s not in the scope, but gently question what they’re asking you to do and say, hey, there might be a better way to do this. Have you thought about such and such? You’re just stepping outside of that box they have you in. But I think it’s almost a fool’s errand. You’re much more likely to impact the situation by starting out that way with a new client. Now, how do you do that? There’s a bunch of ways you can do it. One way is to develop clear points of view and write about them. Another is to ask much better questions at the beginning instead of how many orders of fries do you want with that? Asking more thoughtful questions to get them to think in ways they haven’t thought yet. But back to that second question about, can you do both? I have what I call a two-room model. If you imagine a smaller room on the left and a larger room on the right, there’s two rooms in this building, and there’s an outside door to both rooms, and there’s a connecting door between the rooms. If you imagine a client who comes in from the outside into that execution or implementation room, and that’s where most people start, they just take orders from clients, they do execution, they do implementation work, the first thing you would do is to close the outside door into that room. So the only way for them to get access to your execution work is to come in the strategy door, and then if they want execution from you, they can go through that connecting door into the execution room. That’s the best way to think about that. Now, I don’t think we should require clients to use us for execution or implementation. In fact, I think that’s one of the ways we tend to devalue ourselves, because it just looks like we’re doing strategy, quote unquote, in order to get all the execution work. That’s like what Offset printers did for years. They noticed that, wow, designers are spec-ing all these printing jobs, and we’re losing out, so I guess we need to have a design department so that then we get the printing. That doesn’t work. You make it completely optional for them where they come in. Now, I want to talk a little bit deeper. I’m going to go on and on here for a minute, but it’s one thing to say I want to be more strategic, but how do you become more strategic? Here I just have to take us back to the very first thing we talked about. If you’re a generalist, there’s no way you can be smart enough about all these things to be an effective advisor from a strategic standpoint. The world is too complicated. It’s not as simple as it used to be. There’s so many things that you can never know, and all you do is just go to YouTube and figure out how to do it, and you have an expectation that it’s going to be free and quick and you’ll learn what you need because some fool has decided to tell you how to do it on YouTube. The world is so complex right now, there’s no way you could be an expert in everything, and that’s one of the reasons why you have to narrow your focus, narrow your positioning so that you can, like my podcast partner, Blair Enns, he talks about it like this. Like we all have a certain amount of water, that’s the brain power. You can pour it into a cake pan where it spreads all the way across and it’s very, very shallow, or you can pour it into a narrow goblet where it’s very, very deep. That’s what positioning is. And once you allow yourself to notice the patterns because you have repeated application across similar scenarios, that’s when you start to be strategic and you see patterns and you develop the question so that when you’re talking with a new client, they say, oh my goodness, it’s like you have a camera in my office. The questions you’ve asked really demonstrate to me that you understand my situation.

Brilliant. I love the visual metaphors here, especially for creative folks listening. It really helps the rooms and the goblets and all of that. Where do we go from here? If we’ve established this idea of the obvious expert and position is super important, why do you think there’s so much resistance to doing that?

Well, there’s different reasons from different people, but I think there’s a few common themes. One of them is that the people who are drawn to this field are very curious people, and they love learning all kinds of new things. When they see a client come to them that they’ve never worked on before, they don’t think, oh gosh, I’m incompetent, there’s no way I should do this. What they think is, oh, this will be so much fun, I’ll learn about this, right? So that’s the first, is curiosity, and the notion of limiting the scope of what I do in order to be more of an expert feels like death to them. And just to illustrate, I said something earlier about how we’re one of the only professional services that does this. It’s like, climb up that ladder for a minute and think about, say, an attorney or a medical professional, a surgeon. You know, they get all their general training and then they specify something very, very specific. And now they’re like, do brain surgery. But you don’t see some position that does brain surgery. Have a office meeting in the morning that says, hey, team, you’ve noticed that people keep coming to our office because the number of the office is similar to the person down the street that does vein work, you know. Quit turning them around and sending them to that guy. Like, I think we want to start doing some of that work too. So, don’t turn them away anymore. Let’s do that. I have always wanted to learn how to do that. It’s like, you know, real experts never say that kind of stuff. But in our field, we do because we’re so curious and we love the stimulation that comes from learning different things. I think that’s one reason anyway.

And is it the fact that you can essentially have the whole pie? Like, you can do everything, like soup to nuts, strategy to the executional work. So like, oh, we can do both.

And not only can we do both, but there’s no governmental body saying we can’t, you know, there’s no, there’s no certification. You know, a couple of countries, Canada has a little bit, have certifications, but we only create certifications in society. If we feel like if somebody misuses this, they can hurt people. And the general sense is like at government and the governmental bodies will, they’ll implement any law, even the stupidest thing, right? But they just think, well, what these people do doesn’t matter. They don’t need certification. Just, you know, you can, it takes 2000 hours to be a massage therapist in Tennessee where I live, and it takes zero hours to be a designer or a consultant. So that tells you how important they think it is.

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I think some people are scared though as well, aren’t they? I don’t know what your thoughts are, but I see a lot of scarcity mindset. People are desperate for sales, they’re desperate for stuff, for pipeline, for deal flow. If it moves, they’ll try and go for it, and then they get spread too thin. A lot of creatives, as you said, they take up too many things, and then before you know it, 10 years down the line, they’ve not carved out a position, and then they’re scared to leave the generalist position that they’re in, because that’s all they know. That’s my observation anyway, I don’t know if that’s a fair one.

I think it is fair, yeah. People don’t usually, they’re not drawn to repositioning their firm unless they’re forced to, and they aren’t forced to until they don’t have enough work, and then they say, I need a marketing plan, and they look at creating a marketing plan, a lead generation plan, and they realize, oh my goodness, it’s so inefficient to do that for a generalist firm. I don’t know how to do that, and that forces them to think about a tighter positioning, and here’s where that pressure comes, because the moment where they reluctantly look at a lead generation plan is the moment when they are most panicky about work. And so, when they look at positioning, it seems to them like, wait, I need to spread my arms wide to get a bunch of work, and you’re asking me to narrow that. It’s like that seems the opposite of what I need to do, right?

Yeah, totally.

All right.

Well, can we get into something practical now? If these creators wanted to start moving upstream, working on their positioning, where do they start?

We’re not going to ever invent an expertise. It’s an expertise that’s going to emerge from something you’ve already been doing. And the only thing that changes after this boundary is that your rate of learning will be much faster than it was before because you’re being delivered similar circumstances. So we’re going to, we’re not going to invent something. We’re going to choose from the options that are already true for your firm. So the first thing you would do is say, you look back over the work that you’ve done and you’d ask yourself two, maybe three, but preferably just two questions. What work did I do that where I made a lot of money and where I really moved the needle for the client? So those are the two really important questions. You made money and you made a difference. The third question, which some people throw in there, I’m not a fan of it, but it’s like, where did I enjoy the work? At first, you may land on a positioning that wouldn’t have been your first choice, but once you start making a big difference in people’s lives and you start making money, you’ll start to enjoy it, trust me. So that’s the first thing. You may end up with just one or four or five, and then you just evaluate those options and say, what are the pros and cons of each one of these? And then you come up with, again, I’m going to refer to what my podcast partner, Blair N, says. He says, you’re not looking for a perfect positioning at this point. You’re looking for a perfectible positioning. So there’s two things that keep you from making the right decision, the right positioning decision. One is information and the other is courage. So if you have the courage, then you’re looking to round that out by getting the information and when you choose a provisional or a perfectible positioning, you’re just saying, this is the one I think is right, but I’m going to keep my eyes and ears open as I have conversations with clients and prospects and it might change or it might, usually it gets tighter. You pick something that’s a little bit broader and you’re not, you don’t lack courage about making it narrow or you just don’t have the information yet. So that’s how I would think about the process.

Awesome.

I love how you frame that around making money and making a difference. And the money side of things, I think some people, at least here in the UK, we shudder when we hear money, right? But the truth is that I think this is an important point because in our society, in our culture, particularly in the Western culture anyway, the way that we reward value usually is through money, right? So if I value what Jacob’s offering at a higher rate than somebody else, I’m happier to pay more money for it, usually is how my understanding of the philosophy of it works. So it’s interesting that you’ve paired those two things because if I’m also making a difference, that means I’m adding a lot of value. And so the two things should go hand in hand, logically speaking, making money and making a difference, meaning I’m getting paid for creating that value for that client in that specific way. So I love the way that you frame that. I think that makes a lot of sense. What do you think about the idea of value exchange and value perception? Is that something that you would go along with?

It is my fifth book. So three books ago, the subtitle, well, the title is The Business of Expertise. The subtitle is How Entrepreneurial Experts Convert Insight To, and then there’s two words, Impact and Wealth. So I really believe in both of those things. And in fact, I don’t think you can have one without the other. So people aren’t going to listen to you unless you charge them a lot of money. They just aren’t. You could provide the exact same advice, and the person who’s paying more for it is going to take it more seriously. So even if you don’t like the money, even if you fancy yourself as Gandhi or something, you want to give it all away, fine, but charge money or people won’t listen to you. Then if all you’re doing is making money and you’re not moving the needle, well, that’s very empty, you’re going to get found out and your business will eventually collapse. So I think both of those things could be improved in our world. I think we could move upstream and make more of a difference, and in the process, we can charge more so that people listen to us more.

It’s true. I found that as well in my own career. If you come in as an expensive consultant, say, and you’re talking to the right person, like the CEO, then it’s a reflection on them, and they wear it like a badge of honor. When this first happened to me, I was really shocked. I was like, well, you’re happy to… I’m introduced as like a, Matt, this is Matt, he costs a fortune, let’s listen to him. You think, that’s really bizarre. It’s really strange because when you’re earlier in your career, you think, no one’s going to pay a lot of money and it’s a really bad thing to charge lots of money. No, the opposite is the case. If you get the right client who really values what you have to say and the strategies that you’re going to help them with to overcome the bigger problems, they’re happy to pay the money. That is, as you say, exactly what you say, how it should work.

There’s times probably when both of you have the client or the prospective client misheard you and they repeat the number back to you and it’s a lot higher than you said, and you’re thinking, oh, wow, they didn’t even blink. I was going to charge them 4,000, they thought I said 40,000 and that didn’t seem to be a problem to them.

Yeah, I should have gone at 80.

Yeah.

All right then. So if we’re talking about pricing, AI is probably something to bring into this conversation because it’s making things faster and cheaper, especially heard in the labor side of creative work where that’s happening. So I guess the question here is like, how do you handle this influx of new technology where it’s affecting the execution side of things in creative firms?

If we could apply some truth serum to everybody in this field, and they could just tell us what they hope will happen, I think what they hope will happen is that AI will help them do the work a lot faster, and then what they want to do with that is retain the money, maybe do double the work, charge double, and sort of retain that advantage to their own bottom line. I think that’s daydreaming. I don’t think clients are going to let that happen. What I think, and this is a controversial take, so there’s going to be a lot of people that disagree with me, they’re all wrong, but they might disagree. No, I don’t know, they might be right. I think you should get more done for the same money with AI, and you should use the rest of the money that it frees up, that AI frees up to be more strategic on the client’s behalf. That’s what I think you should do. I don’t think that’s what most firms are going to do, and I don’t think a lot of people agree with me, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to hide the advantages that AI brings and somehow charge the same amount of money and just keep the difference. I don’t think that’s going to happen.

When you say more done, is that an executioner role?

Yeah. That’s right. AI does different things for us. In execution, if you’re giving it the right strategy, it can save an enormous amount of time. I’m a heavy user of AI, and on the execution side, it can be amazing. But it doesn’t do the same thing on the strategy side. What it does on the strategy side is it helps you do research better. You can bounce things off of an LLM and have it poke holes in your thinking. Everything is more efficient. It just makes you a more efficient thinker or strategist. That’s where I think, if you can free up some of your time on the execution and use that extra time to do better work for clients, I think that’s where everybody wins.

What’s your take, Matt?

Yeah, well, I definitely agree that AI brings a lot of efficiency in. I don’t do any execution myself, so David, everything you’ve been saying I love, I bring other people in to do the execution in my consultancy work. But where I found AI very, very helpful is particularly as helping crunch through the data points that then lead to a good strategy. In other words, I do a lot of internal research and customer research. I might send a survey out to employees asking them their ideas on perhaps the new future that might come about to inform a strategy. I might get 2,000 lines back in a survey come back. Now, a few years ago, I’d have to sit down and literally chunk through that. Now, I can ping that through ChatGTP and it can give me the key themes. It can even quote, same with customer research. We can give it the data and it’s good at chunking that through. What it can’t do is then take that to a client in a meaningful way and rally them around a potential opportunity that can find. That’s the bit I think that I see myself doing. I agree with you around the efficiencies because eventually you will see, I think we’re going to see AI be able to execute on strategy quite quickly, as in creative outputs based on it, but you’ve got to give it the data input to start with. You’ve got to give it the thinking and you’ve got to make sure that the client’s behind the thinking as well. That’s the bit I see for myself, the opportunity to keep relevant, to keep human in this rising wave of AI as it comes through the industry. But hey, who am I? I’m just a chap in the UK with a beard, but it’s one of those things. What do you think, David? I hear what you’re saying around efficiencies and stuff like that. Do you ever see a world where the AI is creating all of the outputs, all of the execution side of things?

I do, but the stuff it will be doing will be the stuff that’s just as meaningless now as it will be then. So if you think about content that’s indexable by Google, it’s largely meaningless content that just fills a role. It’s not the kind of insight, like when I write an article, I put a lot of thinking into it. I may use AI to do a little bit of research, but I am trying to figure out what I think on the way to helping other people figure out how they should think. I don’t think it’ll just make that easier for me to do, but it’s not ever going to be automated fully in a way that helps me learn or helps me personalize it for my audience. But if we’re just talking about general content, it’s like, well, that stuff is pretty meaningless now, so why not have AI do it? I do think AI is going to do some of that stuff without hardly any intervention. It will still require really important prompts and checks and balances and so on. But I think the more meaningless the marketing is, the better AI will do at replacing it.

The weirdest things that I’m finding is, is like this move towards AI agents, right? Like I was in my first project meeting, was it about two or three months ago, and we were defining the brand’s positioning for its audiences. And obviously in this process, one of the things you have to do is define your audiences. And so we’re going through these various audiences for this brand with their team and looking at opportunities, etc. And as we’re going through, one of the audiences for the first time in my career, was not human, right? It was other AI agents. Right. I was like, it took me honestly ages to get my head around this, like, how do we position a brand? Right? Yes, for some of the humans, but now we’ve got to position the brand for other AI agents, which by the way, don’t actually exist right now. So they’re thinking like, but they might exist in six months. And I’m like, oh my goodness, like, this is just really breaking my brain. Like we’re repositioning for agents that don’t exist. What are they like? What do they need? How do we even talk to that? Just literally mind blowing. So I guess as you’re saying, like in some industries, it’s going to be so automated. AI agents, my AI agent is going to talk to your AI agent and do AI agent stuff. And no one, no human is going to have a clue what’s going on, apart from some money is going to transfer in the stratosphere from my account to somebody else’s account quietly.

Yeah. Yeah. I think we’re going to discover how meaningless marketing, some marketing is, honestly, if AI can replace it entirely. Like I, I’ve written three million words over the years with the weekly articles, the podcasts and the seven books. And when I started writing, the Internet didn’t exist at that point, and certainly LLMs didn’t. But because I’ve done that, I’m all over the AI engines, but not intentionally. It just sort of happened. Now though, I am writing, I’m not reading, writing differently, except I’m writing more consciously because there’s certain, there’s certain things about how you write that makes it more indexable by these engines. And so it’s, I just bought a Tesla. Don’t kill me. This is not a big endorsement of Elon Musk. I just like the car. Anyway, like now, if you think about stop signs and flashing lights on fire engines and so on, you’re not just designing those for humans, you’re designing them for cars so that they will recognize them. It’s a very similar thing to what you were describing about AI. And it’s just, it’s just the way the world has changed. It’s fine.

All right. So we’re going to wrap up soon, but I just wanted to have a section on something very practical for people building a firm today. So if you’re starting from scratch in today’s world with AI and all the competition and the noise, like where would you start? Like what would you be doing differently from day one today?

I would be very, very tightly positioned. I would hire people full time as a final resort. So I think it will be quite possible to have a thriving firm of just a few people and all kinds of agents. But the key thing is to be very tightly positioned, and then to generate as much ungated insight as you can, so that you appear in these search engines. Like I check this for myself all the time, there are seven particular searches that I do. I’m showing up in six of them really well in the top two or three choices, and one of them I’m not showing up in, so I need to fix that. So very tight positioning, ungated insight, higher slowly. That’s where I’d start. Yep.

So would you be building around like an audience or a specialty, or like your thinking, reputation? How would you be building? You mentioned positioning, but let’s unpack that a little bit.

The positioning might be vertical, that is by industry or it might be horizontal, which would be by service offering design. Then if you think about all the possible ways that you could spread the word in the podcast that we do to Bob’s, we talk about the ladder of lead generation and some things are very low on that ladder. You might have the intern standing on the street corner with a sandwich board sign. Then at the very top of that ladder, you might have a book that is very well received. What you would want to do is to climb as high as you possibly can on that ladder, whatever is accessible to you. Then over time, higher rungs will be accessible to you and you keep climbing, leaving the lower rungs behind. That’s another big mistake that firms make, is they just think that if I do good enough work, enough people will hear about me and that’s all I’ll need to do. It’s like marketing is for the little people who don’t do great work. It’s like, no, that’s not the way it works. There’s so much noise out there, you need to be known. I did a post on LinkedIn not too long ago and I said, you know, we could boil all this down and say, you need two things, you need to be known and you need to be trusted. And those are two separate things, but there’s no way you’re going to be known. And I’m talking about being known by people who’ve never worked with you before. The people who work with you, they know you. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about people that have never worked for you before. You need to be in their minds and they need to trust you. And there’s different ways to do that. And of course, you want to do it based on your personality too. So, my marketing plan might not be your marketing plan and that’s totally fine.

So, what would you absolutely not do then if that’s what you would focus on?

What would I not do from a lead gen standpoint?

No, from like a building agency standpoint, like from the ground up.

Well, there’s a whole lot of things I wouldn’t do. I wouldn’t borrow money. I would not listen to any of the marketing bros on LinkedIn, for sure. I would not kill my brand by spamming people with cold calls or cold emails. You know, just kind of look around and see what experts do and try to emulate that. These are people that are confident. They can speak about what they do. They’re interesting. They’re curious. They are willing to experiment. One thing I wouldn’t do is I wouldn’t just let the work speak for itself. I would assume that that’s never going to be enough. I would devote probably 10 to 15 percent of my time to lead-gen efforts and insight development that I could then spread all over the world, because I think that would be the best way to attract the right clients.

Amazing. We have a few quick fire questions if you’re up for it, Dave.

Okay.

Awesome. Do you want to kick off, Matt?

Yeah. I would say, apart from yourself and Blair Enns, of course, but is there anyone or a company that you feel are doing a good job of this?

Do you know Pete Caputa? He used to work at HubSpot. He was one of the very first employees there, and he runs a firm called DataBox. I think his contributions on LinkedIn are really good. I’ll tell you somebody else that I’m really impressed with how he thinks about all this stuff is Will with 1L, Will Reynolds, who is the founder of Seer Interactive. And I love how he thinks about experimenting, sharing his information freely. I’d start with those.

All right. Great.

Thank you. What’s one belief creative firms need to let go of if they want to become more valuable?

Boy, you’ve stumped me there.

Jacob always does this. He’s absolutely mean, isn’t he?

Yeah.

You find these amazing guests on, and then you absolutely ask these awkward questions.

Maybe that being rich is wrong. Yeah. There’s a lot of that in the world right now. I admire rich people as long as they’ve earned it ethically. There’s nothing wrong with being rich, and I wish more of my clients were rich. Maybe that would be, I’ll just start there. First, the only one I think of at the moment.

What’s the simplest way that you can advise someone on to convert insights to impact and wealth?

It’s to pay attention to the questions that your clients or your prospects are asking, where it’s pretty clear that they expect you to have an insightful answer and you don’t. You kind of him and her, when the spotlight is on you, the mic is turned on. And write down all those things where you need a more articulate point of view, and then just start checking them off, doing research, writing about them, and start to develop a sort of a common canon of insight that’s tied to your particular specialization.

Love that.

All right. What makes someone irreplaceable in today’s market?

I view that as sort of the control thing. So, and there’s a very simple test. If your client decided that they are not going to use you anymore, how long would it take for them to find what they would deem a suitable replacement? So, they get to decide what’s suitable, but how long would it take them to find what they think is a suitable replacement for you? That’s how much leverage you have in the relationship. Nice.

What’s the next book you’re going to write?

Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know if I have another business book in me. We’ve done seven. Probably, I’m toying with writing a collection of short stories, but I don’t know what I’m doing. So, we’ll see if it comes out or not. I’ve been working on that today, but I don’t know if it’s going to actually happen. We’ll see.

Amazing. Well, where can people connect with you, find out more, get your books and so forth?

Sure. So, punctuation.com would be the first place to start. That’s the firm. We do mainly M&A work these days, in addition to my consulting work. punctuation.com. And then the podcast is 2bobbs.com. And the best way to stay in touch is to sign up for the weekly emails that come out every Sunday afternoon at punctuation.com. They’re free and each weekly email has a new article in it.

Thank you so much. We’ll chuck that into the show notes and that leaves us to the end of the episode. So David, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and expertise and all this good stuff for creatives. And professionals around the world. And yeah, we really appreciate it. So thank you.

Glad to do it. Yeah. Nice to chat with both of you. Take care.

Amazing to have you on David. Thank you.

What happens when every agency claims to be “strategic,” “human-centered,” and “different”… yet somehow all sound exactly the same?

In this episode, we sit down with brand strategist and verbal identity specialist Emily Penny of Becolorful to unpack the growing challenge of differentiation in an increasingly saturated market.

Emily is the creator of the Fully Saturated report and founder of a micro studio focused on positioning and voice. Together, we explore why so many agencies struggle to stand out, what strong positioning actually looks like today, and how agencies can build relevance in an AI-enabled world.

We discuss:

• Why agency positioning often falls flat
• The real meaning of “fully saturated”
• How verbal identity creates distinction
• The role of personality and point of view
• What agencies can offer that AI can’t
• How micro studios and modern agencies can stay valuable

Whether you’re a strategist, designer, consultant, or agency founder, this conversation will challenge how you think about differentiation, positioning, and the future of creative businesses.

Featuring Emily Penny, creator of the BrandStrand® framework and the Fully Saturated report.

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I wholeheartedly endorse this course for any designer who wants to become a brand strategist and earn specialist fees.

Check out the 15-minute video about the course, which lays out exactly what you get in the Brand Master Secrets.

Transcript

Hi, everybody. Welcome to this episode of JUST Branding. Today, we have the wonderful Emily Penny on with us. We’re going to be talking about how the world really has started to feel very saturated, particularly in the agency world. A lot of agencies look, sound, feel very similar. What do we do about that? We love to talk as brand builders about differentiation, but then it’s like a plumber, I always think. The plumber’s house has always got pipes that are leaking, and it’s like us in this world. This is for you. If you’re building an agency, if you’re running a creative agency, if you’re a brand builder offering this services for brand building out in the wild, we are going to tuck into this because Emily is a brand strategist specializing in positioning and verbal identity. She’s the creator of a really interesting report that I think came out last year, didn’t it, Emily?

That’s right, yes.

And it was called Fully Saturated. And we’re going to tuck into this. It explored how agencies are really navigating an increasingly crowded marketplace. Another couple of few facts about Emily is that she runs her own micro studio in the UK and has developed the brand strand positioning framework, helping brands find clarity in how they show up and communicate. And I’m hoping we’ll be able to get some time to tuck into that also at the back. A little unknown fact is that, Emily, I think we’ve worked together on a couple of projects quite a few years ago. So, you know, it’s lovely to see you again.

It’s a delight. It’s always a delight, Matt.

Oh, well, she has to say that. She’s a great guest. You can come again. Cool. Well, look, you know, I’ve obviously given a bit of an overview there and welcome to the show, but perhaps it would be great to hear about yourself in your own words. Like, who are you? What do you do? And most importantly, why do you do it, Emily?

Well, I’ve been in the world of design for forever, really, for over 25 years. So I’ve been on the inside at agencies in London. I spent a good 15 years at London agencies before starting Be Colourful, which is my own brand voice studio. And I love that world. And I decided to focus on working with agencies, studios and consultants of all sizes to actually help them to think about brands. Because as you said, sort of, what’s so interesting is that this is what we do. This is what design agencies do for their clients. But somehow it doesn’t apply to them, you know. And it’s interesting that you kind of made a comparison with plumbers, because plumbers are traders. There is commodity service. It’s rare that you get a plumber who is really differentiated and really using brand to their advantage. And I kind of feel like design is going that direction. I want us to think more broadly than just delivering a commodity service.

Exciting. So why did you get into that? Like, what was it that you think you personally connected with, like emotionally, I guess, behind it? Because I know you’re very passionate for improving things. So what do you think has driven that?

I think I’ve worked with hundreds of consultants in studios and agencies. And after a while, you start to see some patterns. And when you’re kind of doing your 20th competitor audit, looking at the same landscape, the same familiar faces, you start to think kind of what’s going on here and also why. I’ve seen several AI-powered competitor audits looking at the design and agency landscape. But what they don’t do is dig into the reasons why agencies are all showing up in a very similar way. And so we wanted to, this is Joel, Stein and myself, we collaborated on this project. We started talking about this as kind of therapy for a whole sector because we went out there and we spoke to agencies and people in the design world to find out, you know, why is this happening? Everybody knows it’s happening. We’re not, this isn’t news, but why? What are the obstacles? Because if we can name those obstacles, then perhaps that’s the first step in getting over them.

Yeah, let’s deny there’s an issue here. Let’s confront it and move on. So tell us about your connection with Joel as well, because I know both of you partnered on this, as you mentioned, and we did invite him on, but he’s a bit poorly today. So sending love to Joel if he’s listening in, but tell us what sort of brought about this report, the background, what inspired you to partner with Joel to get on with it? And what really was it? What was the idea behind it?

Well, Be Colorful is, I call it an agency is not an agency. I mean, it’s essentially me, but I bring in brilliant other independent practitioners, writers, justice, and others to work with me. Joel’s been working with me for at least two years now. We had worked together on some of my agency clients. And that’s when we had the idea to do the report, dig deep on the UK market. We couldn’t do global, not quite yet. We had to draw some boundaries. I know, we both know the UK design industry, so we decided to start there. And we spent probably about four or five months just looking at hundreds, literally hundreds of design agency websites and asking people in the sector as well for their suggestions, who’s caught their eye, who’s doing something interesting. And our mission really was to find agencies that were truly treating their business as a brand. We didn’t want to do this as a big critical exercise where we’re saying, you’re doing it wrong, you’re doing it wrong. Because what’s more interesting is to unearth some of the lesser known examples that are actually really interesting and inspiring. So we looked far and wide. We’ve got examples from Glasgow to Brighton and everywhere in between. It’s not just the usual big London agency, familiar names.

And even though you focused on the UK market, obviously from my experience, like working across the borders, I often find it’s very similar to this idea that you’ve said that everyone does have a very similar look and feel. Jacob, would you say that’s the same with your experience?

I wouldn’t say look and feel, but I haven’t done that much extensive work. I do know some of the messaging sounds similar. I do think the work on agency websites make them stand out in a different way, but how they talk about their services, I notice is similar in that regard.

Yeah, I think more recently, the sector has learned a lot from tech product marketing, both for good and for bad, really. And certainly, that’s put more of the focus on kind of productisation and selling points and talking about customer pain points and all those good practice things. But I think what can get lost in the mix there is that if everybody’s speaking to the same pain points, and this is kind of true in every sector, it still all sounds the same, because everybody’s promising to solve the same problem. I’ve worked with four US agencies now, and it’s interesting to go into that market where I’m less familiar with the competitor set. But, yeah, certainly I see very similar issues. And one of the things is, I guess, just copying the leaders. People see what’s working for the big agencies, and they think, oh, well, we’ll do that. But it’s, you know, what works for them isn’t…

Yeah, that’s the challenge, right? It’s like, you see these big brands and it’s working, but it’s not necessarily something you can copy. But I was going to mention, like, I think the angle that you bring to how you go about things. So, for example, if your specialty is environment branding, or if it’s in web or digital, the lens that you bring it kind of changes it a little bit with, even though it’s like similar customer pain points, if you’re talking about what your specialty is, that is how you can differentiate a little bit. And that’s what I’ve noticed recently. So I haven’t read your report yet. So I’m really curious about, like, what you’ve found from it, especially when you compare different, I guess, lenses. And talking about lenses, we’ve asked this same question on JUST Branding, the podcast, like, what does branding mean to you? How do you define it? And everyone has a different answer.

I mean, as with most things in this profession, I try and bring simplicity to it. And for me, brand simply means trust. If you swap out the word brand for trust in most cases, it will bring more meaning to what you’re talking about. And positioning simply means focus. So if we bear those two ideas in mind, that actually all we’re trying to do here is build trust and find focus. Those are two very simple ideas that people can grab hold of. And, you know, we don’t have to go into a whole kind of lexicon of jargon. Those are the ideas that are the foundations for how I work.

I love that. Build trust and find focus. It’s such a simple lens to look at through brand.

And with, sorry, I can talk a length on this.

Yeah, well, that’s why you’re here.

Yeah, when we talk about focus, then we get into this whole discussion around, should you niche? Nishing can be done around a vertical sector, which actually works really well because it’s very easy to communicate. And that can work brilliantly for agencies. There are agencies that focus on alcoholic drinks or the arts or B2B or whatever it is. That works brilliantly. But the big thing for me is that there are lots of other ways to focus. So it doesn’t have… That’s just one strategy. And this is where the Brandstrand Framework comes in, because that offers you 18 different positioning strategies. Just one of them is vertical niching.

Can I just ask you around focus and niching? Because how do you see the difference between a focus or a niche?

When people say niching, they tend to mean vertical sector niching. You decide that you are going to work for a particular sector. Whereas lots of agencies don’t actually want to do that. They want to bring a different kind of focus to the table. And what we are trying to do here is be memorable, be known for something instead of everything. So something has to be amplified, something has to kind of go to the surface and be that simple idea that you want to be famous for. So, for instance, there is a brilliant studio called Analog, whose mantra is seriously playful. They are owning the idea of play and being playful. And it runs through everything they do. It runs through their product offers, their language, their visual identity. And similarly, there’s a small studio down in Brighton called Crush, and their mantra is honor the craft. And while craft is a pretty general term in the world of design, they’ve gone all in, they own it. Everything they say ladders down from the idea of craft.

So, Emily, to kind of just summarize here, so the positioning is one thing where it’s like it could be about playfulness and craft, whereas the niche, you’re saying often people talk about the vertical niche. My understanding in terms of niche, and there’s many ways you can do that, whether it be location or size or budget or industry or service, there’s many different ways to cut that pie. And then thirdly, we have the focus side of things. I’m just trying to understand the differences of the focus and the niche and the position. Are you saying the focus is kind of like the position or how are you splitting that up?

I think the easiest way to think about it is that your focus is the simple idea that you want to be famous for. And that’s the point of branding at the end of the day. It’s to lay some groundwork so that when you’re having those sales conversations, there’s already some perception, some knowledge of you in the market, which might have been communicated with thought leadership or events, or any channel really can help you build your brand. I mean, PR is a great example, for example. If there’s no point just going out there and just trying to get PR coverage, because it won’t compound unless there’s a theme running through and you’re actually trying to build this sense that you are the agency with a particular point of view, and that’s when it becomes brand building and worthwhile.

It’s kind of risky, isn’t it? This idea of focus and positioning. Because you kind of feel like, look, there’s a lovely thousands of opportunities out there, and you’re asking me to double down in just a handful. That just feels like I’m leaving stuff on the table. But the truth is then, as you say, the problem with that attitude is that you become one of many, don’t you? You’re in a sea of sameness, I guess, in your language of your report, you’re part of the saturation of the market, right? So, to focus does enable you to win for those specific clients that you’re looking for, which is what brand strategy is all about, isn’t it really?

Completely. It is scary, and that is definitely one of the big reasons why agencies aren’t doing it, and they’re not taking that risk to treat the business as a brand. It’s because of the fragility of the market, and it’s because of fear. It comes down to fear. I think it also comes down to the character of designers who are running businesses. Designers are really sensitive souls who overthink things quite a lot, and that’s part of the job. But that can be quite paralyzing when you come to making those tricky decisions.

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Like in my mastermind, I’ve got people that specialize in different things. We’ve got one agency in Canada and they specialize, how about this, in the agricultural sector, which makes sense in Canada, it’s vast swathes of land. But who would have thought that an agency could specialize and thrive in that sector? Then I remember I did some work a few years ago with an agency that were very generalist, and they asked me to come in and basically do a brand strategy for them. We looked at their top customer base, and we found that actually a lot of their top customers were in the pharmaceutical sector and they weren’t actually doing creative work for them. They were actually helping with their internal learning and development and their sales enablement. Now, after quite a bit of work, we repositioned them to literally just focus on the pharmaceutical industry and sales enablement and sales training, and they are now absolutely thriving, right? So that’s just a couple of examples, and I’m sure you’ve got loads more, but this idea of focus and niching, and just if we can just get over potentially that fear, that’s something. But then the other thing, like you were saying, it doesn’t have to be on a vertical. It could be on a theme. Myself, I talk about alignment, right? That’s my thing, like personally. So I like to sort of try and sell that in so that when leaders are coming to me, they’re coming because they’re misaligned and they know they need some help. And I put that brand strategy lens into their leadership team. So that’s kind of how I do it. How do you do it, Jacob? What would you say your sort of focus area is?

I also go with alignment, actually. That’s kind of, it makes sense because when things are out of alignment, it’s like, well, it just doesn’t work. So you have to realign things and get them aligned as much as possible. So that’s the same approach.

So you two are going to have to think about how you differentiate from each other, then.

I don’t think we lead with alignment. It’s just how we talk about it internally. I think the external comms is vastly different. Like we have our own positioning. Matt is a brand consultant, a solo. I kind of lean into a mascot of Stand the Flock Out. Everyone’s talking about standing out. And that’s why I was kind of interested to hear this because a lot of the language is like stand out, be different. But like how do you put a new spin on that? The flamingo is one way of doing that. Stand the Flock Out and the language and the vocabulary that comes with that also helps. But it doesn’t lean into play or craft, like a big idea like that, which I thought was quite interesting.

Yeah. There’s an agency in New York that you might have heard of called Giza, and their tagline is older, faster, better. So they’re owning the fact that their team is made up of over 50s people, and that has advantages in the making of virtue of that. These are the kind of examples that we’re trying to bring to the fore. We’re trying to show that you can stand for unexpected things. I think a lot of agencies fall into the trap of simply describing what the profession does, what design does, and what I’m interested in is how is your brand different within that world or distinctive. And for instance, there’s a small studio called Art is My Career up in Newcastle, I think, and she’s set up her business as a community interest company, which means that she has to produce an impacts report every year. And we see agencies calling for brave thinking. For me, that is super brave. That’s really walking the talk. That’s saying I’m here to do positive impact work and I’m actually going to be a not-for-profit and create an impact report. So that was a really interesting one because it starts with the entity itself.

Yeah, that’s really interesting. A structural change in the way that that’s been set up, which is different. Amazing. Well, look, I wanted to get us back into that report and just get your initial thoughts around themes and trends that you’ve found. I mean, did you find the vast majority of agencies were all very similar? And obviously, you’ve referenced some of the outliers? Or did you actually find when you scraped the surface, there was actually differentiating positions and they became clear over the course of the research?

We looked at hundreds and hundreds of agencies. We narrowed it down to 150 to order in detail. I’d say that probably a good three-quarters of those were not really very noteworthy. We were looking for three things. We were looking for an angle that they brought to the sector. We were looking for relevance for their target clients. And we were looking for memorability. So we went through every example and kind of scored them on that heuristic. We came up with our own Top 25 Showcase. And the examples that we’ve shown there all have something truly remarkable about them. And they are very, very different to each other as well, which is the other really important thing. Among Equals was in there with their brilliant line, start with no one cares. And we had obviously analog with seriously playful. We had some big agencies as well. We included OneHQ on their website. They say, I love this. What we do isn’t different. How you feel when you work with us is.

Nice.

And when you think about this kind of best practice dominant approach right now about kind of constantly blasting the audience with outcomes and promises of change and transformation, et cetera, actually they’ve stood back and said, actually it’s not about the outcome. It’s about the process and the relationship. So I thought that was quite interesting.

Yeah, that’s interesting. I think that is another, you know, amazing way you can think about it. I sometimes use an example when I’m talking to my clients of like, say you’re a hairdresser, right, on a typical high street, right? You go to a hairdresser, everybody’s going to deliver the same outcome in some way, which ultimately would be a haircut. But the way that you do that can change. So you go into one salon and it could be like hard rock playing and really kind of grungy kind of people and like loads of stuff on the walls and black and, I don’t know, crazy stuff. Going to another one, it’s like got classical music playing and it’s really sophisticated. Someone hands you a glass of champagne and you sit down. These are very different approaches to deliver a similar service. The way that you do it, the how can make all the difference, right?

And yet, an awful lot of agencies and studios are simply saying, we cut hair. We do design. When I do workshops with agencies, I can tell you that every single agency thinks they are more strategic and deliver a higher level of craft and care more about their work. They all say that that is what makes them different.

It’s the better trap.

From the inside, they believe that. They think we care so deeply about our work. And I know they do and designers do, and they’re a fantastic bunch of people because of that. But you can’t simply explain what design is and what design does. To be a brand, you need to add another layer. So it’s, I like to think of it as layers, you know, we’ve got your basic information, your basic credentials. Then we need to frame that as a proposition. Why is that valuable to your customer? But let’s push further than that. Let’s get a point of view. Let’s have maybe a provocative, challenging point of view on the sector. That’s something that enables you to have interesting conversations rather than just keep showing up and selling. This is where this kind of triangle of PR and socials and web, you want your point of view kind of bouncing around that triangle. That’s how you start to have conversations rather than just selling.

I think it’s so ironic because as consultants, we help clients try to extract that to get over the cliches of being like, we have a better product, it’s more quality, it’s more innovative and we’re transparent. It’s like all these cliches. But as agencies, the trend is that we design and we’re better at it. There’s nothing differentiated about that. So it’s so ironic.

This is the creative sector. Let’s see some more weird. Come on.

It’s been creative, guys. Come on.

It’s allowed.

The other thing that I was going to point out was that I’ve worked across different agencies for many years and even run a couple of agencies myself. One of the things that I always found myself getting into conversations around is the process. Our process is different. So what you tend to find is that basically, well, this is what I found anyway, agencies package up their process in a way that they think is unique and they give it a name, it could be anything. Then maybe there’s different levels of processes that they go through. So you’ve got bronze, silver, gold, for example, and they call it different things. Again, similar to what you were saying, Emily, I think people tend to think the process is massively unique. Now, there might be the odd different thing that one agency might do than another. But on the whole, I find that the process of design is at least that the way it’s marketed and then usually what happens behind the scenes is pretty similar. There’s an exploration, then there’s concepts that are put together and a bit of back and forth, and then there’s the polishing at the end. Ultimately, that tends to be what tends to happen in the creative services. Did you find something similar as well, Emily, on that when you were going through these? Was there very sort of similar processes just dressed up in different colours or something or different names?

I think there is a trend for making that very generic process into something that’s a bit more of a signature product. There is a greater sense of productisation coming in, but this is all very new and creating packages that sort of have almost like programs that you buy into and it’s very sort of standardised. But I think the other way of looking at the product is to look at it, frame it in terms of client problems and scenarios. And Collins in New York, I think have something like 11 different packages on their website, each of which targets a very specific client problem and situation. And for me, that is much more interesting than a menu of services. It’s your kind of worst case scenario, really. That’s kind of really starting with the basics. But I think the Collins example is really interesting.

I’m going to ask a silly question now, but why is that the worst of all situations, Emily, to see a menu?

Because you are expecting your audience to make sense of it, and they’re not the experts in these disciplines. What they care about is their business, their current challenge or problem. So we need to work a bit harder to meet them where they are and understand what they need to hear that’s relevant for their situation, but also don’t forget to be the creative. I think it might have been John Higgins. Somebody had a brilliant story about a new agency that rocks up to a pitch, and they were so nervous about this pitch, they’re trying to put on their best possible performance. So they all wore suits, and they show up with a shiny presentation, and at the end of the presentation, the client says, wear the t-shirts. I want a creative inspiration. And what the agency had done is they’re just trying to mirror this corporate environment that they were walking into, whereas our superpower as creatives is that we offer something different. We offer a skill set that perhaps the client doesn’t have in-house, and that’s good. That’s something to be embraced.

It’s like you were saying earlier, take a perceived weakness, or at least a perceived reality that could be the weakness, the agency with a lot of more experienced people, and actually make that the strength. Turn it around and be like, yeah, that is what we are, and this is value for these reasons. So I think that’s a brilliant way of thinking. I want to shift gears because you yourself run your microagency, and I know you’re a word specialist because I’ve worked with you before. So how has that report sort of influenced the way that you think about your agency? Have you considered the way you niche? Are you happy to share anything in terms of how that sort of shifted your perspective?

Well, I think I’ve definitely refined how I present my offer and my proposition. I’ve been running Be Colourful for 13 years now, so that has been a journey. I have a mantra of my own, which is don’t be noisy, be interesting, and that stands for a lot of things. It’s about not being dull. It’s about showing up as interesting, and interesting might mean relevant for clients or different to all of the other candidates. But it’s also about not wasting your energy on just spamming your audience. Get specific, get focused on the right message. Over the years, you just sort of realize what is working for you and what isn’t. I pretty early on, I decided that I wasn’t going to take part in pitches because they were draining my energy. It wasn’t something that brought me joy. There are certain non-negotiables, and I add to this list of non-negotiables quite frequently, but it gives me some sort of foundational principles for how I run my business. So I don’t do any cold outreach at all. I believe in branding, even in B2B, even as an agency. So I try to build my agency as a brand and attract my audience.

Nice. And as a sort of a word specialist, a verbal identity, how important is verbal identity in creating distinction, and particularly for agencies, you know, going along in the discussion that we’ve had? Did you find many examples of different agencies speaking differently to each other?

Well, I think the key thing here is that design agencies tend to be founded by designers, and their first and foremost skill tends to be visual, not always. I know many designers who are extremely good writers, and at the end of the day, all of it is about communication. But I think there perhaps is a slight lack of confidence there for that reason. And there’s also a big emphasis on the portfolio, which I think is very ingrained right from kind of design school days. It’s always about your portfolio. And case studies are hugely important, but I try and encourage people to have a bit more of a wrapper, a bit more kind of of a package, some packaging around that portfolio so that it’s not just doing all the hard work by itself.

Just based on your studies and the report, what would the main takeaways be for our listeners, agency owners, if they were to go away and try stand out, differentiate from everyone else out there? Like, what are some tactical, practical tips that we can use?

The big one for me is that your story, your positioning, it’s already in there. You just need to find it. This isn’t about creating something that is going to transform your place in the market. It needs to be based on genuine strengths. The most resilient thing you can do is to base it on genuine strengths and to be really authentic and to get over that fear of turning that maybe overlooked feature of your practice or of yourself into a strength. I think that’s what we saw in a lot of our Top 25 examples was that they just got over the fear of turning that idiosyncratic feature into the big idea.

You mentioned your Brandstrand framework. I wonder if we could just tuck into that for the last few minutes. What is Brandstrand and how do you use it?

Brandstrand came out of an exercise that I would do in workshops with clients, and it tended to always be the moment at which the penny would drop and everybody would align around some ideas. Essentially, it’s about offering options for positioning, so different ways that you can promise value to clients. I decided to build out that list of types of value into a universal spectrum. So I looked at, I went into the academic papers on perceived value and correlated a whole bunch of different factors and different attributes that the people were talking about and came up with this set of 18. And they’re all types of value that you can promise. So you’ve got 18 different promises, whether that’s about flexibility or responsiveness or ethics or one-stop shop or heritage. They are positions that pretty much show up in every sector. You always have the premium offer. You always have the brand that’s come in and disrupted the sector to make it more easy for customers. So they’re sort of universal positions. And we just use it as a tool to try and narrow down, try and guide the conversation when we’re looking for focus.

I love that. Because as you say, there’s lots of different positions a brand can take. And if they haven’t taken one, that’s probably the worst scenario, isn’t it? Because then everybody’s sort of, you know, perhaps across the company is thinking they’re a slightly different thing. Whereas if they pick one, they can say, right, we are the premium offer in the market, that then guides a lot of strategic decisions from pricing right the way through to customer success, right? And I think that’s what I find. The worst case scenarios are, is when you’ve got a brand that hasn’t really made decisions and sort of organically sort of found itself in the situation it’s in, maybe through short-termism or just literally trying to grab whatever money that can be made. So I love that idea. I think that sounds phenomenal. Where can people find out about that and about the fully saturated report, Emily? Have you got kind of some URLs that you can sort of throw at us?

Yes, so becolourful.co.uk is the best place to go. That will take you through to a page on Brandstrand where you can download the Brandstrand manifesto that tells you a bit more about that. There’s also a link through to the Fully Saturated website where you can get your hands on that report.

Awesome. We’ll drop some links in the show notes. So have a look at their folks as well. Before we shift off, we’ve got a quick fire kind of round that we want to do with you. Before we get into that, the last question I had for you was around the idea of the rise of AI, right? Some of us are a bit like, this AI thing wasn’t supposed to do what it’s now doing, and now it’s doing lots of stuff. I guess the question is, where do you see it developing and what do you feel the role of the modern agency will be in the rise of a world of AI?

Well, I think the role of the agency has always been to bring an outside perspective to solving business problems, and that’s not going anywhere. A lot of what, certainly what my clients are after is the guidance through a journey and the advice and consultation, and what we offer is a sounding board and something very human. I tend to describe it as a combination between being a cat herder and a shrink. AI is a fabulous tool, but we constantly need to make sure that we’re using it to add value and not to take shortcuts.

A cat herding shrink. That’s a beautiful picture, isn’t it?

That’s a new take. I haven’t heard that one yet.

No, that’s definitely how I feel. More of a cat herder than a shrink. But yeah, I think that’s a really good analysis. So you’re not too worried about that because of that, the definition on the agency being like the outsider’s perspective, because I guess a lot of designers are thinking, oh, will these tools become powerful enough to be able basically to take over the craft of producing assets, delivering ads, etc., etc. I guess there is always going to be a technology and tools have always improved on that side of things. But what you’re saying is the role is very much to solve the business problems and to remember that’s why we’re at the table, right, to do that.

Yes, and I think we are seeing two markets emerging, two very different markets. I mean, going back to brand strand and the fact that there will always be people who are offering a premium service or a more human service versus cheap deliverables, cheap off-the-shelf deliverables. The market is absolutely still there for human relationships and guidance and strategic advice.

Definitely. Definitely. Great. Right. Should we do this quick fire round? Are you ready for this? Jacob, do you want to have the honor of going first?

Yes, absolutely.

No, I’m not ready. I’m just like carrying on anyway.

I’m ready for this one. Sir, the most generic agency phrase that you see everywhere?

Thinkers make us doers. It sounded fresh once. Seen it too many times.

All right. One agency getting their positioning right that you’ve not mentioned already.

I’ve not mentioned. I’m going to mention a small studio in South London called I Am Female. They are a queer led agency for the queer market and they just own that. And why not? It’s different. It’s not something that I’ve seen.

There you go.

All right.

One word to describe great positioning.

One word I think is it has to be focus.

Focus.

Nice. One thing an agency can do that an AI can’t.

Look you in the eye.

Nice. All right. What’s the biggest mistake agencies make today?

Looking over their shoulder and copying other people in the sector, other agencies in the sector. They need to find the confidence to stand up for their own truths and their own weird. That’s fine.

All right. Last one. One piece of advice for agency founders trying to stand out.

It goes back to authenticity. Find that nugget of difference that is already there and then go all in. They dilute it. Sometimes there will be, the idea will be in there, but then they’ve mixed it up with six other promises and it’s just lost all impact.

Go all in. Brilliant. Well, Emily, look, it’s been amazing having this conversation and thank you for all that work and those of us that have downloaded the report, thank you for putting that in. Are you going to do more of them in the future? Do you see yourself, kind of, you and Joel, like doing a few more or going global? Or what’s the sort of plan for the future on this?

We’ll definitely be doing something next. We’re just trying to decide exactly what shape that takes so that it’s most helpful for our audience.

Nice. So watch this space, folks. Emily, thanks for coming on. We really appreciate you taking the time.

It’s lovely to see you. Thanks.

Thank you, everyone.

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Our compilation of the best free branding courses online will get you up to speed in no time. But first, a quick primer…

What is Branding?

There is a sweeping ambivalence about what branding truly is and its role, especially among small businesses and startups. It’s easy to dismiss its concept and reduce its idea to logos and color schemes, but what plenty of people don’t know is that its coverage transcends aesthetics and style.

For starters, branding isn’t only how entrepreneurs make their business out to be; it includes everything an enterprise does and all they claim to achieve as an organization — even if it means only one person manages the entire venture. In other words, your brand is the collective perception of your customers and workforce toward your business. It is the look, personality, and principles carried out by your business.

All that said, it’s become even more critical for the modern entrepreneur to aptly and accurately define who they are as a business and what values they stand on. Strong branding doesn’t only set you apart from your competitors, it also helps cement your credibility in the industry, therefore shaping the kind of consumers who support and believe in you.

Best Branding Courses Compared

You could also consider getting a branding book to teach yourself. We recommend Branding in 5.5 Steps to start off with.

Reviews of the Top Online Branding Courses

1. Become a Brand Master Course by Jacob Cass

Instructor: Jacob Cass | Price: $197 | Length: 48 minutes

Jacob Cass’ very own branding mini-course will help you become a brand master.

You will go behind the scenes of a major project and learn:

• Research, Strategy & Workshops
• Concept Development
• Logo & Brand Design

Plus you’ll receive a strategy workbook and workshop template for your own branding projects.

Watch the trailer below or simply click here to take the course.

Top Free Branding Courses on Skillshare

You can get access to these free branding courses by using Skillshare’s four week free trial. As these are short courses, you will be able to finish them before the trial is up.

2. Branding Your Creative Business: Define Your Brand

Discover how to better brand your business through better messaging

Duration: 8 Lessons, 57 Minutes | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: 4-Week Free Trial then $19/mo  | Author: Faye Brown

It’s easy to get lost in translation when the word “branding” is thrown around so casually. Both beginning entrepreneurs and seasoned business leaders may find that determining their venture’s actual voice may not be as easy as it sounds. Selling products and services is one thing, but letting one’s business resonate intimately and personally with one’s target market is another.

For this course, sought after brand designer Faye Brown tackles the nitty and gritty of brand definition, what steps leaders may take to understand their business message better, and why defining your business is crucial in communicating with your audience.

3. On the Power of Personal Branding with Kris Jenner

Duration: 1 hour and 46 minutes | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: $15/month | Author: Kris Jenner 

All around you and with everything you purchase, you’ll come across various brands that are noteworthy in their own way. If you want your brand to shine among these brands in competitive industries, then you must learn to develop and enhance  brand strategies. Along with this, you must also improve your conceptual, analytical, and decision-making skills. 

Learning branding is more effective when you learn from an expert like Kris Jenner, who is the matriarch of one of the most influential families and a momager. She’s here to share her journey and teach how to crack through all the grinds to gain success in branding despite the struggles. 

“On the Power of Personal Branding” features 11 video lessons with a total duration of about 1 hour and 46 minutes. This course focuses on personal branding and its importance and will aid in making your vision a reality. 

4. Personal Branding: Crafting Your Social Media Presence

Learn how to create, evolve, and leverage your online personal brand for growth

Duration: 14 Lessons, 1 hour & 8 Mins | Experience Level: All levels | Price: 4-Week Free Trial then $19/mo  | Author: Kate Arends

When approached with the right strategies, social media can build empires and extend networks. Whereas the idea of becoming an internet personality existed only for entertainers and artists much earlier on its advent, the times have changed in that the digital space now makes personalities out of professionals, too.

Whether you’re a startup founder or a marketing maven, there’s definitely space for your personal voice to shine, as well. With a decade’s worth of experience, internet powerhouse Kate Arends discusses in her course helpful tips and valuable insight on what it means to let social media platforms help improve your individual career.

5. The Staples of Branding: From Purpose to Product

Learn how branding starts from the products you produce to the vision you align with your workforce

Duration: 14 Lessons, 1 hour & 8 Mins | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: 4-Week Free Trial then $19/mo  | Author: Jeff Staple

Product-based ventures pose a lot of stress and joys entrepreneurs who run serviced-based enterprises may not share. Considering how today’s business climate is saturated with a lot of worthy competition, it’s critical that the items you put out add value to your customer’s lives and carry the purpose and reflect ideals.

To make a positive impact, you will want your brand to be known not only for quality output but for the purpose you serve, as well. For his course, streetwear icon, Jeff Staple, talks about how to aptly tell a tale with what you sell, what it takes to come up with a snappy logo, and how to build a brand from the ground up.

Most Popular Branding Courses on Udemy

6. Business Branding: The Complete Course Part 1 – Strategy

Learn how a build a strategic brand from the ground up 

Duration: 52 lectures,  3 hours & 23 minutes | Experience Level: Beginner – Intermediate | Price: $89.99  | Author: Steve Houraghan

Branding can be complex science to both new and seasoned entrepreneurs. As a result, not too many leaders know how to start, what to do, or what strategies to follow to optimize a more cohesive market presence.

For Part 1 of this course, marketing strategist Steve Hourgahan tackles how to hold your audience’s attention, position your brand effectively to stand out on its own, and a lot more critical aspects of defining what your business is and keeping your customers glued and interested.

7. Business Branding: The Complete Course Part 2 – Expression

Learn how to express your brand with advanced messaging & storytelling frameworks

Duration: 48 lectures, 4 hours 11 minutes | Experience Level: Beginner – Intermediate | Price: $89.99  | Author: Steve Houraghan

Taking off from where Part 1 ends, Steve Hourgahan extends the conversation to brand psychology, neuroscience, color theory, brand identity design, and more. Perfect for creatives and business leaders looking to elevate their marketing game, this course captures the elemental blocks that comprise branding’s politics.

Enrolees who successfully finish the course can also take home a certificate of completion, making this course suitable for anyone interested in backing up their branding efforts with paperwork.

8. Branding & Marketing for Startups: Learn How To Stand Out

Learn top brand design strategies to build physical product brands

Duration: 40 lectures,  1 hour & 58 minutes | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: $89.99  | Author: Mac Piechota

One of the most important things in branding is identifying your target market and learning to speak their language, and sparking their interests. In his course, Mac Piechota details what to do to stand out among competition to charge more, how typography affects your overall aesthetic, and what to teach your team to better your collective approach to marketing as an organization.

Because Piechota understands that branding is seldom a one-person team, he also articulates what it means to work with other creatives to bring out the best in your business.

Learn Branding Online with Coursera (Free)

Although these branding courses from Coursera are free, with the free version of the course you won’t have a completion certificate, something which may be important if you are after an official recognition.

9. Branding Specialization

Become a branding specialist by mastering identity, strategy, marketing & customer experience

Duration: Approximately 3-5 months | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: Free to Enroll | Author: María Eizaguirre Diéguez, Pedro Cifuentes Huertas, Brian Hallett & Michael Thompson

More than anything, branding is a creative journey that may take time and a lot of effort to fine-tune correctly. As market trends evolve and consumer needs differ from time to time, it is vital that business people understand what level of relevance their business plays in the market.

For this course, industry leaders Maria Eizaguirre Dieguez, Brian Hallett, Pedro Cifuentes Huertas, and Michael Thompson discuss how to produce meaningful content, what it takes to develop a competent, creative pitch, and how curating a pleasant customer service experience speaks volume about your business values.

The Branding Specialisation course covers 4 modules:

• Brand Identity & Strategy
• Brand & Content Marketing
• From Brand to Image: Creating High Impact Campaigns That Tell Brand Stories
• Branding and Customer Experience

BONUS: Coursera Plus – Get the ‘Branding Specialization’ Course and 3000+ more courses

You can learn branding online with Coursera and you can get it for free for 7 days as a trial. Or for $49/month. Or for $499 a year with Coursera Plus where the true value is.

With Coursera Plus, you can access the Branding Specialization and 3,000+ other courses in various domains including business, computer science, health, personal development, humanities, and more.

• See our related post: Best Coursera Courses for Designers & Creatives

Coursera Plus will save you money if you are planning on taking multiple courses over the year.

A ‘specialization’ such as their 4 part branding specialization course takes an average of three months to complete, so that would save you approximately $130 over three months or $520 over the year.

For example their Branding Specialisation course covers 4 modules:

• Brand Identity & Strategy
• Brand & Content Marketing
• From Brand to Image: Creating High Impact Campaigns That Tell Brand Stories
• Branding and Customer Experience

10. Brand and Product Management

Understand the cruciality of product management and its association with branding

Duration: Approximately 14 hours | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: Free | Author: Luis Rodriguez Baptist

Brand strategies can be challenging to develop, especially when you don’t have the right tools and data to guide you. What’s more, people often a misconception that branding is solely about what consumers think a business is about. In reality, branding also covers what your team members think about your business and the culture you foster within your organization.

Marketing professor, Luis Rodriguez Baptista, tackles in his course how to establish a clear blueprint of your branding principles to help actualize the brand you deem your enterprise to possess.

11. Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand and Behaviour

Discover why company behavior is indicative of how brands are perceived 

Duration: Approximately 17 hours to complete | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: Free | Author: Nader Tavassoli

While branding is largely about how you make your business out to be, it isn’t any less about customer experience, too. The encounters you cultivate for both your consumers and your team members are just as integral in creating a familiar brand that people can trust and support.

For his course, business leader Nader Tavassoli discusses how you can foster desirable engagements with clients while maintaining healthy boundaries, what branding means in today’s context, and what others can do to help support affected brands.

The Best Branding Lessons on Creative Live

12. Branding 101: The Complete Toolkit

Learn the essential branding techniques 

Duration: 2 hours & 34 minutes | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: $13/mo.  | Author: Danielle McWaters

For a brand to thrive, leaders must put out a strong business message, functional aesthetics, a cohesive customer experience strategy, and core values that gravitate toward empathy, honesty, and a commitment to extending nothing less than quality products and services.

In-demand marketing creative, Danielle McWaters, talks about the nitty and gritty entrepreneurs can expect in their expeditions to building an authentic brand people appreciate and believe in. As the course name implies, expect to cover everything a young business leader may need to learn about in the name of branding.

13. A Brand Called You (Personal Branding) by Debbie Millman

Understand how your personal brand can attract more clients 

Duration: 4 hours & 47 minutes | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: $13/mo.  | Author: Debbie Millman

In developing a brand you can only hope people will love and support; it’s easy to forget that your personal charisma and energy play a huge factor in your overall business identity.

For her course, design and brand icon, Debbie Millman, tackles how to improve the way you relate with others, what communication tactics best work in your favor, and how vital it is to understand your own personal brand before you can build the image of an enterprise.

14. How To Develop and Market Your Brand

Discover how to make the most of developing your brand

Duration: 1 hour & 19 minutes | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: $13/mo.  | Author: Sandra Coan

Entrepreneurs who often fail to appreciate the power of strong brand positioning often don’t understand that a reliable business identity can be determinative of sales, too. The more highly customers think of your products, the more likely they’ll keep on supporting it.

Film and photography artist Sandra Coan discusses in her course what it takes to build a brand, what it means to connect to audiences, and why braving calculated uncertainty to meet clients where they are is the best way to strengthen relationships and keep abreast evolving marketing trends.

15.  Branding Essentials for Designers

Understand how to build a long-lasting brand with visuals and strategy

Duration: 5 hour & 16 minutes | Experience Level: Beginner | Price: $13/mo.  | Author: Stanley Hainsworth

Whether you’re just starting or are already in the branding industry, the branding course by Stanley Hainsworth does a great job of driving in everything branding-related. If you’re a newbie designer wondering about the role of branding in marketing or a veteran looking to brush up on the fundamentals, this course is a perfect choice.

Hainsworth was the creative chief for Nike, Lego, and Starbucks for a period of time, and he will help guide you through the strategies. You will learn the brand identity and how to create a long-lasting and meaningful brand. Other lessons include Branding Essentials for Designers, walking you through brand visuals, and fostering an environment for your creative process. 

The fundamentals are irreplaceable, and through this course, Hainsworth guides you through all the fundamentals of brand design with an expert lens.

Independent Branding Courses

16. Branding Now by Future London Academy

Duration: 10 hours | Experience Level: Advanced | Price: $1150  | Authors: Campbell Butler and Robyn Butler

Branding Now is the ultimate course on brand design and strategy tailored for senior creatives.

The self-paced online course offers comprehensive training from industry experts, including former professionals from Wolff Olins and Design Studio. Priced at £1190, the course provides 6 hours of pre-recorded video content, exercises, and a completion certificate.

Participants will learn how to develop a successful brand strategy, create a resonating brand story, and employ crucial strategic workshop exercises.

The course is divided into six sessions, covering topics such as building internal brand resonance, going beyond purpose in strategy, creating unique visual identities, and leading teams through brand launch.

articipants will gain insights into guiding designers effectively and providing timely feedback, while also exploring the elements of a strong visual identity and holistic brand system. The course emphasizes practical application, and participants are encouraged to implement the concepts in real-world scenarios to receive immediate feedback.

The program also offers templates, real brand-building exercises, and 5 personal advice emails from the course curators, Campbell Butler and Robyn Butler. The course can be completed in approximately 10 hours, with the flexibility to spread the workload over 5 weeks or complete it in a 2-day intensive format.

Participants have 1 year to finish the course, and interaction with other learners is possible through an interactive Miro board.

17. Mini MBA in Brand Management with Mark Ritson

Duration: 12 weeks (2-6 hours a week) | Experience Level: Advanced | Price: $1900  | Author: Mark Ritson

Mark Ritson in association with Marketing Week, offers a MBA-level practical training course in Brand Management.

Designed for brand managers and marketers interested in the field, the course provides a complete brand planning process and a competitive online simulator to enhance skills.

Participants also gain a one-year subscription to the Mini MBA Alumni Network, offering continued access to course videos, resources, monthly Q&A sessions with Mark Ritson, and alumni-led case studies.

The course consists of 10 modules, covering various aspects of brand management over a span of 12 weeks. Led by Mark Ritson, a renowned marketing and brand authority, the program delves into topics such as brand equity, brand planning, target marketing, brand positioning, brand architecture, and more. Each module includes readings and study time to deepen understanding.

Over 4,000 alumni have completed the course since its inception in 2019, with a high recommendation rate and increased confidence in brand management skills, making this possibly the best brand certification based on reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Summary of the Top Branding Courses Online

All in all, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to branding, and finding your business’ voice and banking on it to reach your market can be a challenging thing to do. With so much noise in consumerism today, it can be difficult to breeze through business and succeed the way household corporations do.

But with the right tools and resources, picking up what works for your business and building a community and culture that highlights what your enterprise is about shouldn’t seem like an impossible task.

If you’re determined to improve your branding efforts, you’re bound to find an online course on this list that speaks directly to you.

Date: September 8-11, 2026
Location: Online
Price: Free, with an optional VIP upgrade
Hosted by: Jacob Cass of JUST Creative

The creative industry is changing fast.

AI is accelerating execution. Competition is getting louder. Clients are becoming more selective. And for designers, strategists, marketers, and creative entrepreneurs, craft alone is no longer enough.

To stay relevant, valuable, and in demand, today’s brand builders need more than good taste and strong execution.

They need strategy.
They need commercial thinking.
They need sharper positioning, stronger creative direction, and the confidence to lead clients toward better brand decisions.

That’s why Brand Builders Summit 2026 is back.

This year’s theme is Ascent to Mastery, and the summit is designed to help ambitious creatives climb higher in their careers by becoming more strategic, more distinctive, and more commercially valuable.

Across four days, you’ll learn from 30+ global brand leaders across strategy, design, marketing, and business.

And yes, it’s free to attend.

Join the waitlist

What is Brand Builders Summit 2026?

Brand Builders Summit is a free 4-day virtual event for designers, strategists, marketers, creative entrepreneurs, consultants, and business owners who want to build better brands and stronger creative careers.

The summit brings together world-class speakers, practical sessions, live Q&As, expert panels, workshops, networking, coaching, tech demos, and community experiences.

But this is not just another online event packed with generic talks.

Brand Builders Summit is a curated growth experience for creatives who want to move from execution to strategy, from output to authority, and from being hired for what they make to being trusted for how they think.

If you want to become a stronger brand builder, this summit is built for you.

Brand Builders Summit 2026 at a glance

Event: Brand Builders Summit 2026
Theme: Ascent to Mastery
Dates: September 8-11, 2026
Location: Online
Price: Free
Upgrade: Optional VIP upgrade available after registration
Audience: Designers, strategists, marketers, creative entrepreneurs, consultants, and brand builders
Hosted by: Jacob Cass, founder of JUST Creative, JUST Branding Podcast, and Brand Builders Alliance

The 2026 theme: Ascent to Mastery

The theme for Brand Builders Summit 2026 is Ascent to Mastery.

Because mastery is not a finish line.

It’s a climb.

Every brand builder is somewhere on that path.

Some are sharpening their design craft. Some are learning how to sell strategy. Some are repositioning their creative business. Some are trying to build authority, attract better clients, or create more distinctive brands in a noisy market.

The summit is designed to support that climb.

Not with hype.

Not with recycled advice.

But with sharper thinking, proven frameworks, practical insight, and real-world guidance from experienced brand builders.

The goal is simple:

To help you elevate your thinking, strengthen your skills, and climb higher in your creative career.

What to expect

Brand Builders Summit 2026 will feature a curated lineup of sessions and live experiences across brand strategy, brand design, marketing, and business.

Here’s what’s planned:

• 30+ global speakers
• 24 elevated keynotes
• 24 live Q&As
• 3 live panels
• 6 workshops
• Design battle (TBC)
• Networking
• Tech demos
• Live coaching
• Prizes and bonuses
• After party

The summit is designed to be practical, energizing, and highly relevant to the challenges brand builders are facing now.

You’ll get big-picture thinking, tactical frameworks, creative inspiration, and commercial insight you can apply to your own work, clients, and business.

Summit Tracks

Brand Builders Summit 2026 is built around three core tracks.

Brand Strategy

The Brand Strategy track is for creatives who want to think more clearly, position brands more effectively, and lead strategic conversations with confidence.

Expect sessions on topics such as:

• Brand positioning
• Strategy frameworks
• Research and discovery
• Messaging
• Differentiation
• Brand architecture
• Client strategy
• Selling strategic thinking
• Turning expertise into authority

This track is ideal for designers moving into strategy, brand strategists refining their process, and creative business owners who want to lead at a higher level.

Brand Design

The Brand Design track is for creatives who want to create more distinctive, memorable, and strategically grounded brand identities.

Expect sessions on topics such as:

• Logo design
• Identity systems
• Typography
• Visual storytelling
• Creative direction
• Brand expression
• Design process
• AI and design workflows
• Building brands that stand out

This track is ideal for brand designers, identity designers, graphic designers, web designers, creative directors, and visual thinkers who want to sharpen their craft and connect design to strategy.

Marketing & Business

The Marketing & Business track is for creative entrepreneurs, consultants, marketers, and brand builders who want to grow stronger businesses and attract better opportunities.

Expect sessions on topics such as:

• Personal branding
• Visibility
• Client attraction
• Pricing and selling
• Offer development
• Creative business growth
• Marketing systems
• Commercial strategy
• Scaling your expertise

This track is ideal for freelancers, consultants, agency owners, marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone building a business around brand expertise.

Who is Brand Builders Summit for?

Brand Builders Summit 2026 is for ambitious creatives and business owners who want to move beyond execution and become more strategic, distinctive, and valuable.

It’s especially for:

• Brand designers
• Graphic designers
• Identity designers
• Designers moving into strategy
• Brand strategists
• Web designers
• Marketing professionals
• Creative business owners
• Entrepreneurs
• Consultants
• Agency owners
• Brand builders who want to attract better clients and projects

If you build brands, sell creative expertise, advise clients, or want to become known for stronger strategic thinking, this summit is for you.

Why attend Brand Builders Summit 2026?

The creative market is not rewarding more of the same.

AI has made execution faster and more accessible. That means clients have more options, more tools, and more noise to sort through.

The opportunity is not to become a faster pair of hands.

The opportunity is to become a sharper thinker, a stronger creative partner, and a more valuable brand builder.

Attending Brand Builders Summit 2026 will help you:

• Think more strategically about brand building
• Build better, more distinctive brands
• Improve your positioning and messaging
• Strengthen your creative process
• Sell strategy with more confidence
• Attract better clients and opportunities
• Understand how AI is changing creative work
• Grow your authority as a brand builder
• Connect with a global community of ambitious creatives

The goal is not just to watch more content.

The goal is to elevate how you think, create, communicate, and lead.

What’s included with a free ticket?

Your free ticket gives you access to:

• Insights from 30+ global speakers
• 4 days of expert sessions
• Live Q&A sessions and panel discussions
• A global network of brand builders
• 72-hour replay access

Registration is free, with an optional VIP upgrade available after you claim your ticket.

Optional VIP upgrade

After registering for your free ticket, you’ll have the option to upgrade to VIP.

The VIP upgrade is for attendees who want extended access, deeper learning, and extra resources beyond the free summit experience.

The VIP upgrade includes:

• Lifetime session access
• Exclusive VIP sessions
• Summit workbook
• $3,000+ in premium speaker bonuses

If you want to revisit sessions, work through the material at your own pace, and keep the summit as a long-term learning resource, VIP gives you the full experience.

Past summit success

Brand Builders Summit has already welcomed 25,000+ brand builders from around the world across previous events. 100% would recommend the summit to a friend.

Past summits have brought together respected voices across branding, design, strategy, marketing, business, and creativity, helping thousands of creative professionals sharpen their skills, grow their confidence, and connect with a global community of like-minded brand builders.

The response from attendees has been incredible, with strong satisfaction, high recommendation rates, and an engaged audience of designers, strategists, marketers, and creative entrepreneurs.

For 2026, we’re raising the bar again.

Speakers for Brand Builders Summit 2026

The 2026 speaker lineup will be announced soon.

Expect a curated mix of global experts across:

• Brand strategy
• Brand design
• Marketing
• Creative business
• AI and technology
• Entrepreneurship
• Positioning
• Visibility
• Client growth
• Commercial creativity

We’re looking for speakers with strong points of view, real-world experience, and practical ideas that can help brand builders climb higher.

This is not about filling a schedule.

It’s about creating a summit experience worth attending.

Sponsors and partners

Brand Builders Summit 2026 will be supported by partners and sponsors who care about helping creatives build better brands, stronger businesses, and more valuable careers.

Sponsor details will be announced soon.

If your brand serves designers, strategists, marketers, agencies, creative entrepreneurs, or brand builders, sponsorship opportunities are available.

To discuss sponsorship, partnership, or collaboration opportunities, please get in touch.

How to join Brand Builders Summit 2026

Joining is simple.

1. Join the waitlist
2. Watch for registration details when free tickets open
3. Claim your free ticket
4. Attend live from September 8-11, 2026

Once registration opens, you’ll be able to secure your free ticket and choose whether you want to upgrade to VIP.

Join the Brand Builders Summit 2026 waitlist

Brand Builders Summit 2026 is built for creatives who are ready to climb higher.

If you want to move beyond execution, elevate your thinking, build better brands, and become a more strategic, distinctive, and commercially valuable brand builder, this summit is for you.

Join the waitlist today and be the first to know when free registration opens.

Join the waitlist

See you on the climb.

Jacob Cass and Matt Davies speak with Amelia Sordell, founder and CEO of Klowt and one of the leading voices in founder-led marketing.

As audiences become more sceptical of faceless companies, founders and leaders are becoming one of the most powerful trust signals a brand can have. The company brand still matters, but increasingly, people want to hear from the people behind the business.

Amelia shares why founder branding has become a serious commercial lever, how it differs from company branding, and what CEOs often misunderstand about visibility, thought leadership, and influence.

We explore how founders can show up without overshadowing the business, how to align personal voice with company positioning, and why posting more does not automatically mean building authority.

You’ll also learn where to start if you are building from zero, what content habits actually move the needle, and how to think about ROI from founder branding.

A practical conversation for founders, marketers, strategists, designers, and brand builders who want to understand how personal visibility can drive trust, growth, and brand momentum.

Listen Here

Love the show? Please review us on Apple.

Play Now

Watch on YouTube

Learn Brand Strategy

Brand Master Secrets helps you become a brand strategist and earn specialist fees. And in my opinion, this is the most comprehensive brand strategy course on the market.

The course gave me all the techniques and processes and more importantly… all the systems and tools I needed to build brand strategies for my clients.

This is the consolidated “fast-track” version to becoming a brand strategist.

I wholeheartedly endorse this course for any designer who wants to become a brand strategist and earn specialist fees.

Check out the 15-minute video about the course, which lays out exactly what you get in the Brand Master Secrets.

Transcript

Hi folks. Welcome back to another episode of JUST Branding. I’m so thrilled. You guys are going to love this episode because traditionally, brand builders has focused very much on products and companies, and basically building propositions to help those things flourish and grow. But recently, headed up by our guest who we have on the show now, who I’ll introduce very, very shortly, there’s been a slight shift in one area, and that is in the area of founder-led brand building. We’re really, really thrilled to have Amelia Sordell with us today. Who is Amelia? If you don’t know who Amelia is, frankly, you’ve probably been hidden under a rock because she is dominating the channels, particularly LinkedIn, which is where I think I came across you, earlier, some years ago. But who is she? She is the founder of one of the best-known agencies helping founders and executives build powerful personal brands. She’s become known, and this was a quote that I found on the internet, as the number one voice on founder-led marketing. So folks, this is going to be really, really exciting. She’s founded Klowt, which is an agency that focuses in this area, and she’s been doing that for some years. She’s an entrepreneur, a speaker, an investor, and a best-selling author, and she’s become one of the leading voices on why businesses can’t rely on company branding alone anymore, because, she says, increasingly, trust is built through people, not logos. So through her work, Amelia has helped leaders turn expertise into visibility, authority, and commercial growth. And that is exactly why we’ve got you on the show today to discuss all of those things, Amelia. Welcome.

Thank you for having me. What an intro. I’m blushing.

Oh, no. But honestly, it’s a thrill to have you on. I think I’ve been following you for ages. I love your content when you’re giving tips to people. And I think I’ve followed a couple of your tips myself, and they’ve worked every single time. So thank you for all the work you’re doing out there. But let’s get into it. What is branding to you, and particularly founder branding?

I mean, I think we all know the old adage, right? I’m not going to tell anyone to suck eggs on the JUST Branding show. Everyone listening to this is going to know. Broadly, what we mean when we talk about branding, but it’s about how people feel about you, your business, whatever it is that you’re trying to brand. I quite frequently try to brand vegetables as a very tasty dish to my children, doesn’t always go down as to plan, but that is what branding means. But founder led branding or founder led marketing, which is the category that I own and talk a lot about, is about leading with the founder story, the founder journey or the executive story, the executive’s journey to bring eyeballs onto the business. I think increasingly we’ve seen over the last couple of years, people leaning heavily towards influence and marketing because they know that influencers have more influence over people than companies do because companies lie. We see that over and over and over again. It’s not new news. It’s why Trustpilot exists. It’s why TripAdvisor exists. We don’t believe brands. In fact, 92 percent of us don’t believe brands. We’d rather trust a stranger than a brand online. Having founders at the forefront of your marketing strategy, not just gets attention with the right people, but actually it builds trust. That’s ultimately what we’re trying to do with our brands. That’s what’s going to make people pick our business over another business and make us the choice, not a choice amongst many.

Love that. We’re going to dive into some of that detail. But before we do, another quick question just to frame things. How did you first personally get switched onto this as an area? And what made you first realize that this was something that was really, really valuable in the world?

Do you know what, Matt? I would love to be like, I picked this out because I saw history and I knew this was going to happen. And it was all a strategic play. I fell into it, like most things I have in my life. Literally stumbled and fell. And the sort of backstory was I was a recruiter. Inherently, I’m a salesperson through and through. I love selling. I love the thrill of the chase. I love closing deals. Even now, I’ll sit on sales calls now because it’s just so fun, right? To get that stuff over the line, it still gives me a buzz now.

I would be terrified if you sat on a sales call of one of mine.

Well, do you know what, Matt? Like, I’m sorry to sidetrack. I’ve got my sales calls now down to 20 minutes. I can close someone in 20 minutes now because it’s so like, and these aren’t small contracts. These are like thousands and thousands of pounds, but it’s a psychology, right? You understand what someone wants. You’ve got a solution that they want. Like, you just need to pair the two up. And if you do a good enough job of it, they’ll say yes at the end.

Side track note to Jacob, put that in your notes, get Amelia back on, we’ll talk about sales.

Yeah, I’d love to talk about sales. Look, the reason why I mentioned this, right, is branding, sales and marketing are the same thing. And it is hilarious to me that people love talking about them separately because they’re part of the same thing. And I always find it so funny that marketing is siloed from sales. Like marketing sits separately from sales, often in a separate building, separate country. Sales has a different leaderboard to marketing, have different KPIs. Guys, we’re all on the same team. Marketing should produce sales. That’s the whole point. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a marketing team? I kicked off my career in sales. And my first proper job, if you like, was in event sales. And I know very, very quickly that actually building relationships with the big businesses that I wanted to be building relationships with, Capgemini, NatWest, Bain Capital, et cetera, was to go in and actually meet these people and form some reputation with them. And that transcended into a business that I built myself, which was a clothing brand. Like every 21-year-old girl, I was like, oh, I’m going to be a fashion designer. And when I got funding first year, business was great. You know, we had loads of celebrities wearing our stuff. We were featured in the papers all the time, which back then was like the way to reach new customers. And then year two lost everything. But the reason I mention all of this is all of my successes, whether it be, you know, that first job in sales, my first year in business and before it kind of all went wrong, or whether it be in recruitment, which is where I discovered personal branding and founder-led marketing, it’s all been driven by money. It’s all been driven by how can I get my business and my product and my offering in front of the right people at the right time so that they buy what I’m selling. And so how I fell into this was really just in pursuit of getting as many eyeballs as humanly possible while we’re selling at the time it just so happened to be recruitment. I was a recruiter. I was very driven. I really wanted that big commission check at the end of the month and very quickly in the space of about six months went from zero experience to billing about 30 grand a month, which in recruitment, I don’t know if you’re familiar with, there’s quite a lot of money for someone who’s only six months into the role. And I did that through basically sharing content and DMing people on LinkedIn. So that’s how it all kicked off.

So it came about from your personal experience out there in the wild, if you like, in recruitment. And then you’ve formalized that and brought that into Klowt. Is that right? Because I heard you started Klowt in the middle of the pandemic. That sounds like a great time to start a business as well.

I know. Yeah, everyone said the same thing. They’re like, oh, well, it’s in freeform. Brilliant idea to quit your safe job. Yeah, you know what it was? I deeply believe in this theory I call the deep red button moment. And I think you get big red button moments throughout your life. And a big red button moment to me is you get given this moment where you can either press that button and blow up your life and see what happens, or you will continue to do what you’re already doing and get given that red button moment again, right, until you decide to actually press it. And that can be in the form of you’re in a crap relationship and you want to leave but you don’t want to hurt that person. That could be in the form of you’re in a job that you don’t enjoy and maybe you get fired or you get fired and you’ve been thinking about quitting for the last six months. Like these moments come to us. And COVID was one of those moments for me. There was never going to be a time where I could max out a credit card and the company couldn’t come and take my, you know, the mortgage company couldn’t foreclose my house. You know, I knew I had a three month runway, even if everything went wrong. And I just thought, you know what, like you got to play the game with whatever tools you can find, right? And those were the tools that were available to me. So I quit my job, I started my business and I was very fortunate to have the foresight, although it wasn’t actually intentional, to stop building my personal brand before I launched. So I had already started posting content for, you know, a year or two before I launched my business, which meant the day that I launched my business, I got like 10 inquiries. And then by, you know, 72 hours later, I’d closed my first two clients, which was double what I’d been paid with my previous employer. So, yes, it’s built, my business is built on real life experience. We were an agency for a very long time. For the, you know, the last six years, we’ve been literally full service personal branding agency from every social media channel to speaker training, to media training, to, you know, speaking to people about what podcast they should be on, you know, pitching our clients to people like you guys. And actually it’s been an interesting time to go through because when I launched Klowt, founder branding and personal branding was new, right? It was perfect timing. Everyone needed to be online, mainly because of the situation that we were in globally. But I kind of launched that business and grew very quickly. Like, I think we got to half a million in revenue in the first like 10 months or something, which is pretty spectacular. And our growth kind of continued from there. But what’s happened in that time is Klowt, Chachi PT, Gemini, like these are all things have exploded. And so people have absolutely had much more access to building their brand in a much cheaper, much faster, much quicker way, which has meant that lots of agencies have stumbled. You know, half of my competitors don’t exist anymore because they just haven’t been able to convert the clients that they typically would have been able to convert because if you’re charging someone three to five grand a month, you better bloody deliver. And a lot of these businesses are looking at that budget line going, well, why would we spend, you know, 60 odd grand a year with a business when we could just get, you know, one of the marketing teams to do it for you. And so as we’ve evolved as a business, so has our offering. So we don’t work actually in an agency capacity anymore. We train teams on how to do it. And it’s been an incredible, you know, success story that we’ve had in this huge pivot of if I’m being perfectly frank, like if we’d kept going the way that we were going offering the same agency model 18 months ago, we wouldn’t exist anymore. You mentioned Matt, you’ve seen me online. I’m very honest with stuff. Like I, you know, to a fault sometimes, I’ve got friends that message me going, like I posted something the other day on Instagram. My friend was like, why did you share that? It’s like, because I want people to know this story. You know, it’s going to help someone. If there’s someone sitting on their sofa looking at my content being like, yeah, damn, like she gets it, my job is done. So, you know, we’ve pivoted the business now. And instead of focusing on the monthly deliverables, we train, you know, businesses are doing 1 to 50 million a year. We train the marketing teams on how to do this for the founder. And the success that we’ve had has been amazing. In fact, the results have been significantly better than when we were doing this as an agency. So that’s phase two of Klowt, which is very, very exciting. And we’re launching in, I think, four weeks, like outwardly.

Well, all the best with that. I mean, that sounds amazing. Let me I want to ask you a little bit more about what your thoughts are on the theory of this, if you like. So if I was to ask you, like, why has this side of personal branding, founder-led branding become a commercial lever for businesses to kind of focus on and allocate budget to, as you sort of mentioned, what would you say that reason was? Like, why is it that that’s a thing?

Well, because people don’t trust brands. As I said, like, it’s been an evolution. If you look back over the last 10 years, like influencer marketing wasn’t a thing really, like 15 years ago. Instagram had just really started. Twitter was a thing. Like Snapchat wasn’t a thing. Facebook was the dominant social media channel. And social media wasn’t really leveraged by brands. It was leveraged by people to share photos of their night out last Friday or tag someone in photos from their wedding. Like it wasn’t actually a utilized channel. And as we’ve kind of gone deeper and deeper and deeper into the social media and attention economy, people now want to find products and find brands in their feed, but we don’t want to see a brand talking about a product. Like we don’t want to see pictures of a product. We don’t want to see pictures of like this microphone. I don’t want to see a photo of a microphone. I want to see someone using the microphone and showing me how good it is in situ. Like we trust people. I don’t trust brands. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen an advert that hasn’t got a single human in it, but I don’t trust it. Unless it’s of a car, which is slightly different. I’m not interested in the ad if it’s got no human interaction in it, because why would I trust something that hasn’t got a human in it? And so there is a psychological reason as to why we now distrust brands, because we now have access to more information about the things that brands do. And so we are much more likely to do a deep dive on peer reviews before we put that holiday, or do a deep dive on Glassdoor before, although arguably Glassdoor is total rubbish, but you get what I’m saying, like trust, pilot, all of these things. We look at all this stuff before we buy stuff, because we trust what Susan in Sydney is saying about the coffee cup we’re about to buy more than we care about what the actual brand says on their website. And so when you take that psychology and that consumer behavior shift and look at it objectively, obviously you would use the people in your business to market your product. They’re already on payroll. If you’re already paying these people, there was no new budget line that needs to be created to use the influence that’s already existing in your team, whether it be the founder, the assistant, the marketing manager, whoever it might be, these people are already there. So if you can get them talking about business and talking about their journey with the business, talking about why they’re here, whatever it might be, you’re going to reach a significantly larger portion of the market just by the fact of that’s where people are going to be. They’re online.

People by people. I love it. Question, do you also see it just with founders? Because I know a lot of service-based B2B businesses, they know they’ve got to build relationships, but they struggle, at least some of my clients do. You get this sense that the team don’t really want to, they feel uncomfortable going out and building a personal brand, they don’t really know what to say. The founder is not really leading from the front, they don’t really know. Everybody’s got this resistance. There’s two questions there really. One is, is it just founder or is it the full team that should be thinking about this? The second is, how do you deal with concerns resistance in businesses?

It should absolutely be everyone. But I also have to acknowledge that not everyone could or should build personal brand. Let me rephrase that. Everyone has a personal brand, whether you are posting content or not. This is personal branding. The way I say good morning to every single parent that walked past me on the school run this morning is part of my personal brand. I have a personal brand with my kids. Sometimes it’s a good one, sometimes it’s a bad one depending on what they’ve done. We all have a personal brand. Whether or not you want to use and scale that online is a personal thing. You cannot mandate to your team, you must post content about our business because it’s part of your job. Because what that will feel like is a chore. And when it feels like a chore, it will be crap. And actually, it’s got to do more damage to the business and more damage to that person. Then they actually just didn’t do it at all. So should everyone build a personal brand, I think is actually the first question we should be asking. No. Can everyone? No. You know, there is a certain level of requirement like with anything. Everyone has potential to be an unbelievably well-known person in their space, but very few people want to work hard. And the problem is the price of the first is the second, right? So you need to be willing to do this and post this and share this and go through the highs and lows of, you know, going and sharing your hearts, heart out on social media and getting one like for it for 50 days before anyone gives you what you have to say, right? So there is that barrier to entry, which most people will not cross because they are, A, lacking confidence, which we all are when we first start, by the way, and you don’t get confident by getting confident, you get confident by doing the thing and realizing you didn’t die doing things and getting a bit better every single time, right? So there’s that. The second thing is no one wants to be embarrassed. If I post 50 times and get one like on every single my post, I’m going to think that other people think I’m stupid, right? So no one wants to go through that thing. But the problem is you need the confidence to start, no one has the confidence to start, and you need an immunity to embarrassment to keep doing it, and no one has that one until they’ve done it. So actually, should everyone be doing this? No, because very few people can actually get past those two very simple barriers. Once you get over that, it’s really easy because if you don’t give it about whether your stuff gets one like or not, then of course, you’re going to do well because you don’t care. And ironically, the less you care, the better it does. So should it be a team-wide and a founder thing? Absolutely, but founders should not expect their team to do this. They should create a framework, which is what we do with our clients and what they should be posting, when they should be posting it and make it goddamn easy for them so that there is a marketing team supporting the company distribution. We used to create content plans for companies that was exclusively designed to be shared by their team. And the impressions and the kind of brand equity we won off that strategy was enormous compared to the company brand alone. No one followed the company brand, but everyone was really interested in what the team was saying about the company. And actually just flipping that on its head is a really simple distribution plan that you can put in your existing marketing plan to get your business in front of more people. What are some of the sort of obstacles and pitfalls of doing this? I think I’ve already mentioned them, you know? It’s embarrassment, it’s hard work. There is a reason why very few people, like we live in this world where everyone’s like an influencer, right? Everyone wants to be an influencer. The number of influencers who are actually making a lot of money influencing is very small and that’s because it’s a very hard job. You’ve got to be doing this all day. You’ve got to have things to say, content to create, editing, posting, scheduling all day. And most people don’t want to do that because it takes a lot of effort and there’s a level of embarrassment to it, right? There is a huge barrier to entry, but the best news for founders or anyone listening to this is you’re not a content creator. You are an amazing person who already has existing knowledge that you can talk about. And the thing that I think is probably the biggest blocker for most founders specifically is they compare themselves to these creators and go, well, that person’s got 100K followers, I should have 100K followers. They’ve got 100 likes, I should have 100 likes. You’re not a creator, you’re a founder. And both of those two things are full time jobs, right? So focus on the thing that you actually are, which is a business owner and talk about the stuff that’s happening in your business. Do not compare yourself to people who are doing this in a full time job. And hilariously, when you stop doing that, you actually start attracting the people that you’re trying to sell to, and you make a ton more money from the content you’re actually posting, because you’re not trying to pretend to be someone you’re not.

I love that, Amelia. Do you know what? That’s so true. Years ago, this is going back, I’m getting old now, so this is probably like over 10 years ago, I was a creative director in an agency in Nottingham, and I used to always think like I had a design team, right? I used to be like, our work is going to be the thing that draws people into our side of the agency. I was dead against like awards, public speaking, podcasts, not even that podcasts were a thing back then, but it felt to me like bragging. I think that’s quite like a, I don’t know, there’s maybe a European, maybe a British thing, like we’re quite closed off.

Oh, it’s very British. You need to promote your work. No one cares about your work unless they know about it.

So this was my attitude. And then one day, we won an award, our agency, and the CEO at the time, he couldn’t attend because he had to do something with his kids. And he was like, we were sat around this boardroom table, and he was like, Matt, you’re good at speaking. We want you to go and pick up the award and give a speech. I was like, afterwards, I called him inside, I was like, I’m not sure I want to do that. It just feels like I’m blowing up my own trumpet. It’s like really not me. And he sat me down and he was like, Matt, you, this is outrageous, right? I’d said this word, I’d said, I feel it’s like a little bit arrogant, right? And he went, Matt, you’re arrogant. I was like, what? He was like, you’re arrogant because you think the universe is going to care, like you were just saying there Amelia, about what we’re doing here in the agency without us even trying to expose ourselves. He said, you’re afraid, you’re scared, you’re brilliant in what you do, get out there, give this speech and do it. So I did it and it shifted and it was obviously, you know, it was quite a success. And then since then that kind of conversation flipped a little switch. It was like the thing that you were saying, like just to kind of push you over that fear barrier, because now when I started my consultancy, I’m doing it all the time and it’s been the best thing ever. Jacob, you’re like the king at personal branding. Like, was there a moment in your kind of world that pushed you over those barriers that Amelia’s just mentioned?

The whole personal branding thing came naturally to me. I was just sharing all the time, especially it started at university. I was just sharing my classwork online, getting feedback and posting, sharing where I was in the journey, not being ashamed of where I was at, and definitely laugh at it now. But that’s how I built a name for myself and got made connections because I was putting myself out there and have consistently done that for years. So that just paid off.

Sharing is caring. You’re just so nice, Jacob. It’s so nice, whereas I do it for complete greed reasons.

If you’re serious about mastering branding and building a thriving, creative business, the Brand Builders Alliance is for you. Inside, you’ll get live masterclasses, mentorship from our eight resident coaches, a stacked resource vault and a global network of brand builders who actually get it. If you’re done winging it alone and are ready to scale with structure, support and serious momentum, head over to joinbba.com and get on the wait list. That’s joinbba.com. I do have a question, Amelia. You’ve probably seen the video of the McDonald’s CEO eating the new burger, and it just was so corny and forced and all these memes came out of it. That was a CEO, not necessarily a founder. What’s your view on CEOs, founders, and not cliché, cringey, things like that?

I hate the word authentic because it’s like, what does that even mean? You know what I mean? I am not authentic to the degree that I’d be authentic with my girlfriends in the bar on a Friday night. If I was, I’d probably get canceled. What is authenticity? I think the thing is, it can’t feel like if you’re doing it for the clout, for lack of a better word. It can’t feel like you’re going like, oh, this is how amazing I am and how amazing my product is. I’m like, this is delicious because people-

Like The Truman Show.

Yeah, exactly. People read and see through that. Should you get involved? Absolutely. In fact, there’s some great examples of, interestingly, that moment kicked off a moment for loads of other brands. Burger King did it, I think Pizza Hut did it, Domino, they all did it because it became this meme and actually, they did it very authentically and it did much better as a result, obviously. Should CEOs be involved? Yeah, they’ve got a shareholder responsibility to represent the business. What a lot of founders and businesses don’t realize is the CEO or the founder’s reputation equates to 40 to 50% of the market value. So if you are not getting your founder or CEO to build their personal brand, it actually directly impacts the valuation of the business. And we know this from, you know, even in some bad examples, look at WeWork, WeWork’s valuation was absolutely astronomical and a big part of that was because the founder, Adam, was so prevalent on social media and he was on stages and he was doing speaking and he was doing all of these things. Same thing with Deliveroo, right? Like Deliveroo, I don’t even think on paper is actually a very successful business, but it’s a huge brand because they had such a heavy focus on the founders, the founding team posting about the business, talking about the business. And we’ve seen this again, even in history years and years and years ago before, this whole even concept of personal branding existed, like you’ve got Mark Benioff, who founded Salesforce, like he’s a huge personal brand and people knew who this person was and they all wanted to come to Dreamland because of him and learn from him. Michael Dell, another great example of great personal branding, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, all of these people have heavily invested, and don’t be fooled to think that this happened by accident, they’ve heavily invested in their personal brand. And as a result, I’ve got pretty big businesses to thank for it.

Ryan, as you say, it can go up and down, right? I think of like Elon Musk, right? Who was seen as this absolute weed smoking genius, going to space, all this stuff, and then got involved in politics. And then for those that weren’t of his political persuasion, in their minds, Tesla became a problem for them, right? Even though they probably would be supportive of Tesla’s ambitions. So it’s really, really interesting to think that through. It can go up and it can go down, right? Would you say there’s also a risk involved as well as benefits? And I guess you’ve got to weigh those up. But what you’re saying is it’s better to be in control of that roller coaster ride, I guess, than it happened by accident. Would that be fair?

For sure. I think Elon Musk is an interesting example because I don’t think this is an accident. I don’t think he sits there and he just randomly tweets stuff like Donald Trump does. Like I think Donald Trump really does just think something and just post it. Whereas Elon Musk, I would not be surprised whether he is posting stuff to manipulate stock markets so that he can benefit in some way, right? Like he’s a very, very, very smart man. He is not someone who’s just aligning himself with politics for the sake of it. He’s doing it to benefit himself or benefit a wider thing that he’s working on, right? So I think he’s probably a very niche example of someone who is up and down like a yo-yo and therefore public perception of him is up and down like a yo-yo because I think actually he’s doing it on purpose. But you know, you can see other examples of people who suffered negatively if you like because they have either not told the full truth or maybe they’ve told too much of the truth. And I think, again, you’ve got to you’ve got to look at this from the lens of is this going to benefit the long-term strategy of the business. And that’s what I look through all of my content through that lens and everything that I do. So you’re doing podcasts, doing speaking gigs. I do pretty much everything for free to the benefit of my business. If I don’t think someone’s going to benefit my business, even if it’s paid, I won’t do it because it needs to benefit the long-term thing. And that’s why I’m having this conversation with you. If I didn’t do that and I wasn’t very steadfast in the guardrails of what I will and won’t talk about, unlikely I would be speaking on podcasts and stages as much as I am.

One thing that I wanted to mention to you was this idea of your audience, knowing your audience because you’ve mentioned they’re adding value to your audience and making sure you show up for them and making sure that they’re connected with what you’re saying. And one thing I always find fascinating, because I do a lot of content and stuff and my audience tends to be like CEO and business leaders and managing directors. And what I find is that they don’t like my content, like they’re not going to go on LinkedIn and go, wow, Matt, that’s amazing, you’ve been to Prague last week. Hope you had a good trip. That’s just not their vibe. But if I’m in a business meeting this week, no doubt someone’s going to say to me, Matt, saw you went to Prague, how did it go? And they’re only going to know I went to Prague because they’re kind of digesting my content via LinkedIn. And so I kind of wanted to ask you about this idea of lurkers, right? Like a lot of my audience are lurkers, which is incredibly frustrating, right? Because I know they’re watching it and I know they’re reading it and digesting it. But I don’t know until the real world experience and they connect with me on a real world basis. What’s your view on kind of knowing your audience and what would you say around this idea of an audience that lurks but doesn’t connect?

So I think about audiences in two buckets. You’ve got community and you’ve got customers. Your community, the people that engage with your staff, they’re really interested in what you have to say, they’ll like it, they’re the ones that tag you and things going, oh, you’d be great for this, Matt and Jacob. But they’re never going to buy your stuff, right? Ever, because they can’t afford it. And then you’ve got your customer and your customer sees your community engaging with your content and therefore believes you are good at what you do because you have all of these people who are interested in what you’re doing. And so you have to create content for both of these people, otherwise you don’t get anything. And that’s, I think, the mistake that a lot of people make is, like, they say, my ideal audience are neurosurgeons, and therefore I’m going to create exclusively very technical content for neurosurgeons. But maybe their community is actually other medical professionals. And so they completely alienate the people that are actually going to give them the credibility to those neurosurgeons because they’re not actually thinking about the broader picture. You have to kind of think about this. You are going to do this strategically. I don’t love overcomplicating this, particularly when people first start out. I think it’s a nice way to frame it. The easy way to do it is tell people what you’re doing, which is going to get your community interested in, you know, your example there as you’re in Prague. Tell people what you’re doing, what you’re up to. Oh, I’ve just had this conversation this week. This was really interesting. Oh, here’s me with the team. And then you create content for your customer, which is I’m so proud of the team for this incredible project. They just delivered, like, we just got 15 hour, 15 time ROAS for this client working on this project. Like that’s actually going to convert your customers into a lead. And interestingly, the content that gets the most engagement is rarely the content that actually gets you leads. It’s the content that gets the least engagement, but is very, very specific to the audience that you’re trying to convert is the stuff that normally gets you the lead. So that’s why, you know, for both reasons, measuring the performance of your personal brand or your founder led marketing strategy on metrics, vanity metrics alone is a really dumb thing to do, just like you would do with your brand. You wouldn’t measure the impact of your brand on vanity metrics alone, you’d impact the measurement of your brand on, you know, lifetime value of a customer, like how they found you, how long they stayed with you, you know, you’ve got to think of it from a perspective of capturing of customers and creation of customers. If you think about it from an advertising perspective, brand creates new customers, advertising converts ones that probably would have already converted. And you need to think about your personal brand in the same way, like what can you post that’s gonna get your brand everywhere? It’s rarely gonna be the very intrinsic detail of the day-to-day things that you’re doing for clients. It’s probably more likely to be the trip to Prague, the fact that I stayed home this morning and did this podcast. It’s, you know, I did the school run this morning and dropped my coffee and like what happened next. That’s actually what’s gonna get my name into rooms. I’ve been, oh, I saw this woman, Amelia, talking about this thing and it was really interesting. You know, thought you’d be interested. That’s how you build your brand. The way you capture the customer is actually by talking about the results that you’ve had.

Love that. Love that. Yeah, Amelia, I mentioned mistakes as well. So that was one mistake. So are there any other mistakes that you see founders make when they’re like starting this journey that people should be aware of?

Yeah, like there’s this weird thing, I think it’s an ego thing, right? And like, I can be very honest about that. There’s this weird ego thing, just like you were saying about your old boss saying you were arrogant, Matt. There is this ego thing that like, oh, I’m being too visible. Like people are gonna think I’m really arrogant and I shouldn’t be posting five times a week because like I’ve never posted before. It’s like, who do you think you are? I don’t give a shit about you. You have to be in their face every day. What is wrong with you? There is a reason why you pick a specific brand of product, whether it be a water bottle or, you know, a type of camera or the fact that I have a certain type of computer. There’s a reason why I picked that and it’s because they’re in my face every single day, which makes them an option that I can’t not choose. If you think you’re so amazing that people are going to give a shit about you when you’re not in their feed or you’re not in their face, like I can’t help you. So I think that’s a really, really big mistake. And I love, Jacob, how honest you were about being like, yeah, I just came really naturally to just post. I think you’re probably in a very small minority of people who were just like, let me just f*** around and find out. Most people are like, oh, but you know, what if people think this thing and I post something and I get one like and everyone thinks I’m stupid? Like, you know, and it’s a huge barrier for them. The other thing is they’re like, they’re not honest enough. The stuff they want to share is like just very drab, boring stuff. You know, I’ve got a bit of a checklist that I run through with my content. And a lot of my content actually recently has failed this checklist. We’re going through a bit of a transition at the minute. So I’ve started deleting posts because I’m like, don’t believe that, don’t believe that, it’s not good enough, not good enough. And the checklist is what’s the f***ing point? If we’re sharing this, why are we sharing it? What is the thing that you want people to take away from this? Because otherwise it’s just wallpaper, right? It’s not, you’re not giving anyone anything. You need to give people something for them to engage, whether it’s a laugh, whether it’s entertainment, whether it’s information, whether it’s joy, inspiration, motivation, you got to give them something. The second thing is, who are you to say it? Like, what can you say about this thing that no one else can say? And it could be really simple, like, I love this Stanley Cup, right? Anyone could say that. But if I say, I love this Stanley Cup because I rarely drink enough water, and actually when I have this massive bottle, it makes me drink enough so that my skin actually stays hydrated and it’s honestly changed my life. That’s now something only I can say because that’s the exact reason why I bought this thing. So having to think about, like, if you’re gonna have an opinion about something, doesn’t matter whether millions of other people have that opinion, why do you have that opinion is actually really important. And then the final thing is, like, just make sure you’re only saying what is necessary. You don’t need to fluff everything out, you don’t need to have some big build up to the story. You know, I see people do this all the time. They’ll say a couple of lines on a LinkedIn post or a video or whatever to build up to the point of the video and it’s like, are you so arrogant that you believe someone’s gonna sit there and read or listen to something for seven seconds before you tell them actually what you’re trying to say? You’ve lost the room. The same thing would happen in a meeting. If you want to say something in a meeting, you sit your hand up, you’re not going to be like, well, put my hand up because I was listening to one of you talk and then this thing happened. You just be like, this is my opinion. So you got to get straight to the point because people’s attention is the most valuable thing they have and you need to earn that with every single thing that you do and say and post and share. So if that is the prerequisite, get to the point because people are busy. So those are the three things that I would say and that works for everything. It works for e-mails, like you guys have probably noticed in my communication, I don’t go, hi, how are you? I’m like, I’m late, I’ll see you in 15 minutes. Like I get straight to the point because you’re busy. It’s not because I’m trying to be direct, it’s because I’m busy, you’re busy. So why am I going to waste everyone’s time?

Just give them information.

Yeah, I’m respecting your time by just getting to the point. And you got to see content the same way. Like just get to the point, just say the thing and then move on. And also there’s a lot of other thing here, which is a bit off piste, but I think is helpful. You don’t have to be intelligent for it to be really valuable. I think there is this massive barrier to entry for people, because they feel, particularly on LinkedIn, right? Which is where a lot of your audience is going to be sitting right now. You know, if they’re trying to build businesses or they’re an executive, like that’s going to be the natural platform to be on. You don’t have to write an essay. Sometimes the best content is like four lines. Make the barrier to entry super low. Don’t make it really complicated. Don’t sit there and think, oh, I need to have this amazing video set up to get some videos. Just whack your phone out, like do a voice note, screenshot something and be like, I read this article today and here’s what I thought about it. Make it so low, it’s almost like a diary entry. It’s so ridiculously low for you to do it that it’s easy to do. This is a mistake a lot of people make is they think that, oh, I need to have it all planned out and scheduled and perfected, whatever. It’s like, just chuck it out there and see what happens. Learn what works and then make longer content about the stuff that works. That’s a really easy way to work this out. Everyone talks about optimization and benchmarking, do that. It’s so easy. If you could write five lines about something, and those five lines do really well, you can then write a longer piece that’s a bit more in-depth about it in the future, but you’ve already tested that it works. You don’t have to spend all that time upfront for something to then get no reactions, or no likes, or no shares, or no results. Just keep it easy for yourself.

Thank goodness you don’t have to be intelligent to post otherwise.

No, I mean, look, Matt.

I wouldn’t post anything, so be quick.

I am probably the least intelligent person of all of my friendship group. But yes, somehow I’ve managed to build a business. So, you know, like just make it easy for yourself. And this is the thing, right? We all compare ourselves to really smart, intelligent, successful people, because they’ve got something we don’t. In actuality, they are probably exactly the same as you, if not less of all of those things than you, but they just gave it a go. Like, that’s the difference. There is no difference between you, me, Jacob, Matt, Elon Musk, all of these people. There’s no difference. The difference is they just give stuff a go. And because they’ve given stuff a go, they’ve learnt more stuff than we’ve been able to learn, because we’re less curious, right? So just give it a go and see what happens. Why not? You’re going to die anyway.

I have to find there’s like two principles that I try and stick to, and that is like show yourself in action and demonstrate your value. I think I’ve spoken on this podcast about this before, but like they’re the two that kind of guide me when I’m trying to post. And again, like you were saying, Amelia, sometimes you break your rules occasionally, but you know, I think if you’re showing yourself in action, like speaking, doing a workshop, consulting, traveling, whatever it might be, but then you add some value, right? You’ve got to add, like you were saying before, show up for your audience in a way that gives them a thought, inspires them, educates them in some way. That’s, they’re the two. Jacob, do you have anything that kind of guides you in your sort of posts and stuff?

Nope, I would rather post them on.

You are so weird, my friend.

But that’s why Jacob’s got such a successful past around. Think about it. And this is my point, like the less you care, the better it does. I’m going to challenge you a little bit though, Matt. Like value is like the word authenticity is totally subjective. And when people hear the word value, they think that you need to give people a white paper, right? Memes are valuable. Like I laugh at a meme, therefore it is valuable. So like I said, you don’t have to be intelligent for it to be valuable. It just has to be something that someone’s going to go, huh, or huh. Like, you know, you need to get a reaction from them. That’s actually the definition of value, in my opinion.

No, no, I’d agree with that. I like that. Thank you. This is what this podcast is all about, getting tips all the time, all the way through. So that’s great. Okay, well, look, just another quick question, like, in terms of where we’re going with this, where should the founder brand show up versus the company brand? Like, have you got any kind of thoughts? Like, would you treat them completely differently? Are they connected at all? How does that kind of work in your world?

So for me, they’re sisters, not twins. And I think that’s a really important distinction to make. So stuff that’s coming out on the company brand should be about the company. It should be about the people in the company, what’s going on in the company, you know, it’s a company brand. The founder stuff should be from the founder’s perspective. So for example, if you have just released a new product and you’ve had a big product launch on your company brand, everyone’s really excited about it, you would then talk about it from the founder’s perspective being like, my team have been working on this product for 12 months. I’m so proud of them today. It’s finally here. Here are some of the things, like this is what I’m thinking about it. This is why we built this new product. Like, it’s almost like the behind the scenes, right? You know, when you watch a movie, like back in the day, if you sat long enough in the cinema, you would see the edits that didn’t make it to the film in the end, right? If you got to think about your company brand as like the final cut, and then the behind the scenes bit is actually what everyone wants to wait to see, right? So the founder and the executive is the behind the scenes of all the messiness, all the reality, all the stuff that actually shouldn’t be shared on the company brand, because the company brand needs to appear to be trustworthy and is obviously held on a much higher pedestal than a person, right? Because it’s a company. But the founder can be a lot more honest, a lot more simple, a lot more reflective about things that have happened and gone wrong and gone right and all of these things as a person. And actually that distribution of what that content will get is significantly more than probably the product launch and will drive all of that traffic to that product launch. An example of this is, you know, Grace Beverly, founder of Tala. They sold a million pounds in like two hours or something, because she’d been posting this journey about how she couldn’t find a puffer coat that fit properly and it was either too long or too short, it wasn’t made for boobs or maybe there was too much room. Like she did this whole thing about it for months. And then she was like, we’ve launched a coat. Here’s why we did it. I’m so excited about it because of these three reasons. Like I’m so proud of the team, but it sold out in like two hours and they made a million quid. And that’s not because Tala was like, we have a coat. It was like, it’s because the founder had been talking, talking and talking and talking and talking about as a founder, why they invented this particular product. So that’s a great example of someone who is absolutely nailed.

This is a story. If you come along with the process, you emotionally connect with the story and it means more than just, here’s a product, buy it because you see the process.

It’s drip feeding, you know? It’s drip feeding. We all want stuff that we can’t get yet, right? I always use dating as the example. Like, there’ll be that person when you were younger, you really fancied and they were in a relationship, but it almost made you fancy them more. Like, it’s the same thing. Like, you can’t have it yet. We’re thinking about it. We’re building it. You can’t have it yet. We’re thinking about it. We’re building it. It creates this level of curiosity that when you drop it, people are like, oh my god, and there’s an urgency to get it because they’ve been so invested in the process of building it for so long. And that’s a tactic, obviously, that’s used in urgency as a sales tactic. You build, at the end of my sales call, every single time I say, we only work with a capped number of founders. How does all this sound? Do you want to move forward? And so people are like, oh, how many founders do you work with? We’re like seven and we’re on six souls, so you can either take it or leave it. And it gives people a move, it makes them move. So it’s a similar tactic that’s used in the play that I just mentioned.

I think the other thing with what you said is like, it kind of builds a relationship with that person and with the thing, the product that they’re going to eventually potentially bring. And that sort of leads on to another question because we’re living in a world of AI, right? AI is everywhere. Obviously, it’s the buzzword of last year and obviously, it’s moved into this year.

Sord is my hardest working colleague.

Yeah, right, right.

Well, I was going to ask you about that because I guess the thing, we’ve been having a lot of conversations recently about like, well, how do we navigate the wave of AI that is here and is coming? How do we stay relevant in the world that’s basically generated by robots and it’s entered the content building space? And I’m so annoyed all the time with the AI. You can start spotting it now straight away, like AI generated Tosh. But the thing is, it can’t build relationships, can it? And authenticity and showing up day after day over years on social media is a way that differentiates you from, say, a plastic person who’s just kind of pulling Dripify content out connected to Klawt. Like it seems to me like being real, being out there is a real kind of way that we as how to deal with AI and making sure that we are relevant and human in that kind of upcoming wave of robotics.

I love AI. It has changed my life. I have a team of four people. We used to have a team of 17 and I can get done now more than I could get done when I had the team of 17 people because I got so many agents doing so many different things. I have an agent that skims all of my content autonomously from the last three months and goes, these are the topics actually that resonated most with your ideal audience because it looks at audience profile and it looks at the content. So then I just make more content about those things. So I used to manually have to do that. Social media managers have to go through and be like, and obviously mistakes get made there because you’re looking at it from a biased perspective. So I love AI. It’s brilliant. I don’t use AI to write my content though. And I have tried that, and I’ll be perfectly honest with you. And I’ve had varying degrees of success. But the one thing that I would say is the ones that did really well were basically just reworked stories that had already done well for me. And so there is this thing of if you’re going to use AI and it’s going to work well, which it can do with content, absolutely, you better have about 5000 posts that have already gone out because otherwise it will sound like ChatGPT because who knew robots had a tone of voice, right? It won’t sound like you. And it’s missing those three things that I mentioned earlier, which is like, what’s the point? Why can only you say this and getting to the point really fast? Like AI tends to learn what other people have posted to present back to you in formats and in styles and in writing styles, right? And if everyone else is using the same tool to create their content, it’s only going to keep producing the same type of content, which is why it all looks the same because it’s all learning from itself and then reproducing the same content. So no, I don’t think using AI to write your posts is a good idea. I think using AI to learn what does well, to be inspired by other people’s content, to feed you autonomously, articles to comment on and what’s happening in the world and give you something to bounce off, something to be inspired by every single week is absolutely a great use of it. I think using AI to reply to your DMs, I think using AI to reply to your comments if they’re trying to ask for a product or a link to something or do all that you don’t want to do or you don’t want to pay someone to do. That’s what AI is for. But creating content, how are you going to create content using a robot, that then someone else is going to use AI to reply to that content? You miss the whole point of branding. The whole point of branding is to make people feel something. So no, don’t use it to create your content and absolutely invest heavily in in real life brand building too. One of the reasons why I love doing stuff like this is I now know you guys, and it may well come a time where I have a client for you, you might have a client for me, maybe Jacob will be in the UK and I can be like, I’m from Sydney, you’re from Sydney, I’ll take you to the best coffee in London because no one does coffee better than Australia, right? Even the Italians as far as I’m concerned. I’m gonna get shot for saying that, but Melbourne, best coffee in the world. So I’ll take you there, but doing this has allowed us to form that relationship. So don’t think of this as just an online, how can I shortcut this exercise? Use AI for the things that you don’t need to do, like scheduling, all of that kind of stuff, and use your brain and your stories and what you’re up to to actually make human connection because the best thing is about AI is everyone’s using it, which means that the barrier to actually posting content has dropped dramatically, which means there’s loads more content, but it also means there’s loads more crap content because it’s all made using AI. So if you’re someone who’s actually just off the cuff sharing stuff, immediately you’re going to do significantly better than everyone else.

Love that. I also feel like what you said is so true in regards to before, you said something about make the barrier to posting really low.

Really low, yeah. And using AI to do that feels very complicated because then you have to go with the idea and then go back and forth, just share it.

But also, I kind of feel like a lot of people want to be perfectionists, particularly some of our audience who are designers, they’re very worried that you were saying that fear of looking silly or something. And I always kind of think, well, for example, I did a post the other day and it had a spelling mistake in it. I’m slightly dyslexic, right? Surprise. And someone messaged me like, oh, Matt, you’ve made this mistake or whatever. So I messaged back and said, thank you. I corrected it. And my comment was, at least you know that that wasn’t generated by AI, right? And they were like, so true. Like, that’s why I love your content. And it was kind of like, oh, yeah, we’re so in this polished world of everything being perfect. And it got me thinking, do you remember back in the day, Hollywood obviously is known for polishing all the movies and it being beautiful. But I don’t even remember there was a film that came out called The Blair Witch Project. Do you remember that? And it was basically some bloke with a handheld camera, right? Just did this whole video. I think it was like, and it was just really rickety and shaky and terrifying, right? And it won loads of awards and it was like super successful. And I think it’s because it was in stark contrast to the perfectionism that started to come from Hollywood and now shaky cameras is all part of the technique of filming. And I always wonder, do you think that really authentic content is a good strategy to think through a little bit grainy, a little bit shaky camera iPhone scenario rather than everything polished and perfect, lighting and stuff? What are your thoughts on rough and ready content, getting it out there?

My experience with posting stuff is that my least produced content always does the best. Like anytime I’ve done scripted stuff or it’s been really polished and whatever, it’s just never really done well. When I just off the cuff say stuff in my phone, in my car, on the way to the school run, or I get clipped up doing stuff like this, it’s like very authentic and very off the cuff and like we’re not thinking about the hook and like how it ends and like how long it is and all this kind of stuff, always does better, always. So yeah, I think we start again, sorry you can edit that bit, edit my cough out so that I’m not coughing in people’s…

No, you said at the start. Go edit.

Well, I did, fine, keep it in. I did say at the start, like don’t worry about editing me same time. I apologize in advance if you hear me coughing and croaking.

We’re putting all the coughs in, isn’t it? We’ll clip all the coughs and just have that as the bloopers reel. Cool, I mean, we’re coming towards sort of the end now. I was just kind of thinking, we’ve got a quick fire round shortly to get through real quick because I know you’re going to enjoy that. But in terms of that question around being performative, how do you take that out of it? Because you’re quite comfortable speaking off the cuff, for example. A lot of people will get really nervous, they get blocked, the fear kind of creeps in. How do you help people overcome some of that inertia and get moving forward?

Look, I think confidence is this sort of ethereal thing that evades all of us. I think one of the most searched terms on YouTube is confidence tips, how to get confident, how to do something when you’re going like… And people really are desperate for all the answers. And the answer is pretty simple, which is you just got to do it. There’s a reason why you would rather have a surgeon who’s done 10,000 surgeries than a surgeon who’s done one. And that’s because they’ve done 10,000 surgeries more and therefore are probably much better of a surgeon than when they first did the one surgery. And everything is like that. You have to be willing to suck at something in order to be great at it. And the problem is most people aren’t willing to suck because they’re worried about what other people are going to think about them. They’re worried about the opinion of strangers that they’re never going to meet online. They worry that their friends are going to make fun of them. And interestingly, when I first started posting content, there was a group of girls that I was friends with and they screenshot my content and posted it into a group chat to make fun of it. And I think one of them felt guilty and told me about it eventually. Obviously I’m not friends with those people anymore, but that’s people’s greatest fear is what if our friends make fun of it? What if our family and people don’t support it? What if people think I’m stupid? I have never met someone on their deathbed who has ever said to me, I wish I hadn’t shared that thing. I wish I hadn’t done that thing. I wish I hadn’t gone for more and not actually got it. I wish I’d not started trying to train for that marathon. Every single person who’s gonna die says, I wish I’d done the thing that I didn’t do. So you can either be one of the millions of people who regret the things that they don’t do, or you can just go for it, except it’s gonna be embarrassing, or moreover, just decide that you’re not gonna be embarrassed because it’s only embarrassing if you’re embarrassed, right? And that’s one of the big things that’s taken me probably from where I was a couple of years ago to where I am now is I’m not embarrassed by anything. And that was a conscious decision to be like, I’m not embarrassed. Like, why would I find this embarrassing? Because I’m trying. And I think also, like, if you’ve got friends or family or colleagues or whatever who find what you’re doing embarrassing, that says more about their unwillingness to push the boat out and do something for themselves than it does about what you’re doing. People don’t like people who are different from them. They struggle to understand why you wouldn’t want to just stay in your box. But if you look at all the greats, all the people that you admire every single day, not one of them has ever held themselves back from going for what they want. So you just have to go for it. If you want to build a brand, you want to build a business, you want to quit your job, you want to ask that person out, you want to lose weight, everything starts with, you need to start and suck, right? When you first go to the gym, when I was a little bit overweight, I was embarrassed to be there, like who am I to be at the gym? I want to lose weight. So this is how we got to do it. So you just got to get over it, get over yourself, stop thinking that people care as much as they do, because normally people don’t give a f*** actually about you, they care about themselves more and don’t do anything that you would regret, which is normally not doing anything at all.

Love how we went from marketing to deathbed conversations.

You did ask me to be on the podcast, Matt. This is where we go. But that’s how I live my life.

You’re right though. You’re absolutely right. We’ve got to go for it. And I think that’s probably the biggest message that I’m taking away from today’s episode is show up and push yourself out there, get out of your comfort zone.

What have you got to lose? For sure. Really, what have you got to lose? The worst that’s going to happen is no one’s going to care what you have to say. But the best that’s going to happen is you’ll change your life. I was able to quit a job, start a business and be oversubscribed in six weeks because I took the plunge to actually just share what I was doing and share my thoughts. And since then, I’ve changed my life, you know? So just give it a go. You won’t regret it. You won’t regret it.

Stop dipping that toe in the water and just jump the hell in, guys. Let’s move into the quick fire. Jacob, you can go up first if you fancy it. Quick fire question for Amelia.

All right. Who’s a founder brand that’s getting it right?

Oh God, I know his name. There’s an Aussie guy, actually. There’s two of them. Frank and Mark, I think they’re called. They’re building a social media platform. Frank Grief is a founder brand I’m obsessed with. Frank Grief is building an app called Kinsow, which is basically an inbox that brings all of your inboxes into one. Think all your social media inboxes, your WhatsApps, your emails into one. It’s like a genius idea. I’m obsessed with it, but he is building in real time. He’s like, here’s what it’s like building $100 million business. Here’s what it’s like building this. Here’s what I did when I sold my first business. Here is the teams that I’m running at the minute. We have 20,000 people on our wait list. Isn’t it exciting? And he’s just bringing people on that journey. And I think there are so many obvious choices of founder brands that you could mention, but he’s someone who’s just popped out of nowhere and is just everywhere. And I now know about that company because of what he’s posted. And I’ll probably be a customer of that company. So Frank Grief, incredible job.

Nice. Next quick fire. Biggest mistake founders make?

Thinking that anyone cares about their mistakes and that they need to be perfect. Like, actually, my best content ever and the content that’s produced the most leads for my business has been the content that I’ve shared where things have gone wrong.

All right. Visibility or credibility, which one matters more?

Both. You can’t have one without the other.

That’s still the question, Amelia.

I know. But like, it’s a trick question because no one’s going to think you’re credible if you’re not visible. Like, you could build the best thing in the end. You could just cure cancer. If no one knows you’ve cured it, how are we going to save the world? So you need both.

All right. One word to describe great founder branding?

Consistent and honest.

Two words. Oh, yeah.

We’re honest. She’s a rebel.

We’re letting her break the rules. We kind of like rebels, Amelia. Last one. Okay. One piece of advice for founders building their brand?

Just post it.

There you go. Amelia, listen, that brings us to the end of the quick fire. I just want to thank you so much for coming on. Jacob, was there anything else that you wanted to ask Amelia before we wrap?

Well, this has been brilliant. And Amelia, thank you for being a part of the summit last year and coming on the JUST Branding podcast. It’s been awesome to reconnect and go dive deeper into founder-led branding. Love it. Thank you.

Well, thanks so much for having me, guys. I super appreciate it.

Thanks for coming on. If people want to follow you, Amelia, connect with you, hire you, where do we go?

Just search Amelia Sordell. I’m the only one in the world. So whatever it says on there, you can click on that. I’m really aggressively trying to build on Instagram and TikTok at the minute. So come and follow me on there.

You’re going to see a huge spike of JUST Branding listeners. Just follow, follow, follow.

Instagram has been an interesting one because I think it’s a secondary platform that no one really gives a s*** about because they think it’s only for friends and family. But I’ve grown 50,000 followers in the last three months just by posting basically what I was already sharing on LinkedIn but in a slightly different format. All of those people are founders and business owners, which is exactly who I’m trying to reach. So I think it’s proof that you should not dismiss platforms, even the ones where you’ve got talking and dancing teenagers on TikTok.

You go. Well, thanks so much for coming on and sharing your wisdom, and thanks folks for listening. Tune back in next time for another amazing interview, where we’ll have some more guests coming in to share insights into some of the topics around branding. Thanks everybody and take care. Thanks Amelia.

Bye. Thanks.

As a designer, I’ve had my fair share of smartphones with colors looking off or wavy lines. Most smartphone reviews talk about games or taking photos, but what about those who need it for design? That’s what I’m here for. Dive in as I list the top smartphones perfect for those who love to design and create. Let’s find that perfect fit.

On a side note, if you are a designer, make sure to check out my tailored list of graphic design essentials, laptops, monitors, and tablets.

Which Smartphone is the Best in 2027?

Having tried and tested various smartphones, I’ve found the iPhone 17 Pro Max to be the best smartphone so far in 2026. It’s powerful, fast, immersive, versatile, and overall worth every penny of its premium price.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, US Version, 256GB, eSIM, Deep Blue- Unlocked (Renewed)

$1,268.49

Buy Now

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04/28/2026 07:07 am GMT

My Top 3 Picks

Best for architects and photography	Best Budget Phone	Best with excellent feature-price balance
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	SAMSUNG Galaxy A54	Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Primary Rating: 4.9	Primary Rating: 4.8	Primary Rating: 4.6
$1,268.49	$449.99	$1,199.00$949.00
Screen Size: 6.9 Inches	Screen Size: 6.4 Inches	Screen Size: 6.8 Inches
RAM: 12GB	RAM: 6GB	RAM: 12GB
Storage: Up to 2TB	Storage: 128GB	Storage: 256GB
Battery: Up to 37 hours	Battery: 14 Hours	Battery: 24-Hour Battery
Pros: Powerful A19 Pro chip Advanced 48MP camera system Long-lasting battery life	Pros: Cost-effective with robust features. Potential for storage expansion Extended battery life with quick charging.	Pros: Powerful Google Tensor G3 processor Camera system with Macro Focus Powerful security features
Buy Now	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Amazon

Best for architects and photography

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Primary Rating:

4.9

$1,268.49

Screen Size:

6.9 Inches

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

Up to 2TB

Battery:

Up to 37 hours

Pros:

• Powerful A19 Pro chip
• Advanced 48MP camera system
• Long-lasting battery life

Buy Now

Best Budget Phone

SAMSUNG Galaxy A54

Primary Rating:

4.8

$449.99

Screen Size:

6.4 Inches

RAM:

6GB

Storage:

128GB

Battery:

14 Hours

Pros:

• Cost-effective with robust features.
• Potential for storage expansion
• Extended battery life with quick charging.

Buy on Amazon

Best with excellent feature-price balance

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Primary Rating:

4.6

$1,199.00$949.00

Screen Size:

6.8 Inches

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

256GB

Battery:

24-Hour Battery

Pros:

• Powerful Google Tensor G3 processor
• Camera system with Macro Focus
• Powerful security features

Buy on Amazon

Detailed Review of the Best Smartphones in 2026

1. iPhone 17 Pro Max —  Best Smartphone Overall (Editor’s Choice)

The overall best phone for Design professionals

RAM: 12GB | Storage: Up to 2TB | Battery Life: Up to 37 hours video playback | Screen Size: 6.9 Inches

The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is built for professionals, creators, and power users who need performance, polish, and serious creative flexibility in one device.

Its expansive 6.9 inch Super Retina XDR display gives designers, photographers, video editors, and content creators a generous canvas for reviewing work, editing visuals, and managing demanding creative tasks. With ProMotion up to 120Hz, Dynamic Island, and a bright OLED display, the experience feels fluid, sharp, and immersive.

The design has also evolved, with a forged aluminium unibody that gives the device a strong, refined, and distinctly pro feel. Available in finishes including Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver, the iPhone 17 Pro Max balances durability with Apple’s signature minimalist aesthetic.

Powered by the A19 Pro chip, the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers faster performance, improved efficiency, and better thermal management for sustained creative workloads. Whether you are editing high resolution video, switching between productivity apps, capturing content on the go, or using Apple Intelligence features, the device is designed to keep up without slowing you down.

The camera system is one of its biggest upgrades. It features three 48MP rear cameras, covering Main, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto, giving creators more flexibility across landscapes, portraits, product shots, social content, and professional video. The improved telephoto system also offers up to 8x optical quality zoom, making it far more capable for capturing distant subjects without sacrificing detail.

For video creators, the iPhone 17 Pro Max supports advanced recording features including 4K Dolby Vision, ProRes workflows, and improved front camera capabilities with an 18MP Center Stage camera. This makes it a strong tool for creators who shoot, edit, and publish directly from their phone.

Battery life is another major strength, with up to 37 hours of video playback and up to 33 hours of streamed video playback. For professionals working across shoots, meetings, travel, and content creation, that extra endurance makes a real difference.

Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is Apple’s most capable creative phone yet, combining a larger display, stronger performance, a more advanced camera system, and all day battery life in a device built for serious work and everyday use.

PROS	CONS
Expansive 6.9 inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz and excellent brightness.	Large size and 231g weight may not suit all users.
Powerful A19 Pro chip delivers excellent speed, efficiency, and sustained performance.	Premium price point, especially at higher storage tiers.
Triple 48MP Fusion camera system gives creators more flexibility across wide, ultra wide, and telephoto shooting.	No headphone jack
Up to 37 hours of video playback, making it one of the strongest iPhones for battery life.	2TB storage option may be overkill and expensive for most users.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, US Version, 256GB, eSIM, Deep Blue- Unlocked (Renewed)

$1,268.49

Buy Now

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04/28/2026 07:07 am GMT

2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — Best Phone for Designers

Best phone for graphic designers

RAM: 12GB | Storage: 512GB | Battery: 17+ Hours | Screen Size: 6.9 Inches

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra takes mobile creativity to the next level. Its 6.9″ Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with 3120 x 1440 resolution and a 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate delivers ultra-vivid colors and razor-sharp details. The anti-reflective coating ensures excellent outdoor visibility, making it a perfect companion for designers and content creators who demand high accuracy in their work.

With its titanium frame and more rounded edges, the phone offers a better grip and comfort, improving usability for extended creative sessions. The embedded S Pen remains a standout feature, allowing for precise sketching and note-taking, though it loses Bluetooth functionality, limiting remote camera control and gestures.

At its core, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM, ensures blazing-fast performance and seamless multitasking. Storage options range from 256GB to 1TB, accommodating large creative projects with ease.

The camera system is top-tier, featuring a 200MP primary sensor, 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP periscope lens with 5x optical zoom. The ProVisual Engine enhances low-light photography, making it a powerful tool for capturing high-resolution textures and reference images.

While the S25 Ultra remains slightly bulky, its improved ergonomics, AI-powered tools, and exceptional display make it one of the best choices for designers and content creators. The only real downside is its premium price tag, but it’s worth every penny for those seeking top-tier performance, AI-driven workflow enhancements, and a superior creative toolset.

PROS	CONS
6.9″ AMOLED display with anti-reflective coating for accurate color rendering.	Premium price may deter budget-conscious buyers.
200MP camera for sharp reference captures.	S Pen loses Bluetooth support, limiting remote features.
Built-in S Pen for intricate design work.	Lack of built-in Qi2 magnets means wireless charging alignment issues.
Snapdragon 8 Elite ensures high-speed multitasking.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best for graphic designers

SAMSUNG Galaxy S25 Ultra Cell Phone

$1,419.99 $1,187.99

Buy Now

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04/30/2025 07:14 am GMT

3. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 — Best Phone for Drawing

Best phone for digital art

RAM: 12GB | Storage: Up to 1TB | Battery Life: 4,400 mAh | Screen Size: 7.6 Inches (Main), 6.3 Inches (Cover)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers a versatile foldable design, making it an ideal choice for designers and content creators. Its large 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display serves as a digital canvas for sketching, video editing, and multitasking. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth interactions, while the 6.3-inch cover screen provides convenience for quick tasks.

Equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and 12GB RAM, it delivers fast performance for demanding creative work. The Multi-Window Mode allows users to run multiple apps side by side, enhancing productivity.

The 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP telephoto (3x zoom) provide high-quality visuals for content creation, while the 4,400mAh battery supports long work sessions with 25W wired and 15W wireless charging.

PROS	CONS
7.6-inch AMOLED display for creative workflows.	Higher price point.
True multitasking with Multi-Window Mode.	Battery life may require midday charging.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 + 12GB RAM for smooth performance.
Pro-grade cameras for content creation, lightweight design.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best for digital art

SAMSUNG Galaxy Z Fold 6 AI Cell Phone

$2,000.00

Buy Now

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05/30/2025 06:38 am GMT

4. Google Pixel 9 Pro — Best Value for Money Smartphone

Best Android smartphone with excellent feature-price balance

RAM: 12GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery: 24-Hour Battery | Screen Size: 6.8 Inches

As a designer who’s constantly on the move, balancing creativity and efficiency, my experience with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has been exceptional. If you’re looking for a high-performance phone at a reasonable price, this is the one.

The Google Tensor G3 processor ensures fast, efficient performance, making multitasking seamless. Whether you’re editing high-resolution images, running design apps, or reviewing mockups, this phone handles it effortlessly.

The camera system is a standout feature. The 5x periscope telephoto lens with 30x Super Res Zoom captures fine details with precision, making it a great choice for designers, photographers, and content creators. The enhanced ultrawide lens with Macro Focus is perfect for close-up shots of textures and prototypes, ensuring every detail is crisp and clear.

The 6.8-inch OLED Smooth Display provides vibrant colors and sharp resolution, with a 120Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling and interactions fluid. This is a key advantage when working on design mockups or video editing.

From a security perspective, the Titan M3 chip and built-in VPN by Google One add robust protection, making it ideal for professionals handling sensitive information.

That said, the charging speed could be better, especially during busy workdays. The Face Unlock feature, while convenient, isn’t as advanced as some competitors.

Still, these are minor trade-offs for an otherwise highly capable smartphone. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is a fantastic choice for those who want top-tier performance, excellent cameras, and strong security features without paying a premium price.

PROS	CONS
Powerful Google Tensor G3 processor for smooth performance.	Slower charging speeds.
Impressive camera system with Macro Focus & 30x zoom.	Face Unlock lacks advanced depth-sensing features.
Robust security features, including Titan M3 chip.
Vibrant 6.8-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best with excellent feature-price balance

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

$1,199.00 $949.00

Buy Now

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04/30/2025 07:25 am GMT

5. iPhone 16 Pro —  Best for architects and photography professionals

The best phone for architects and photography professionals

RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery: 30 Hours | Screen Size: 6.3 Inches

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro takes innovation to the next level with its aerospace-grade titanium build, combining premium aesthetics with enhanced durability. Its lightweight design ensures comfort and resilience, making it perfect for everyday use and demanding environments.

The 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display offers exceptional brightness and sharpness, providing an immersive viewing experience. Whether you’re streaming, gaming, or multitasking, the vibrant screen elevates the overall experience.

At its core, the iPhone 16 Pro is powered by the A18 Pro chip, delivering lightning-fast performance. From running resource-intensive apps to seamless multitasking, this processor ensures that every task is handled with precision and speed.

The camera system is another standout feature, with a 48MP main sensor and enhanced image processing. It captures stunning photos and videos, making it a top choice for photography enthusiasts and professionals.

While the iPhone 16 Pro excels in design and performance, its premium price might deter some users. Additionally, although the battery life is impressive, the lack of faster charging capabilities remains a drawback.

PROS	CONS
Durable aerospace-grade titanium build	Premium price tag
Stunning 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with vibrant visuals	Lacks fast charging support
Exceptional performance powered by the A18 Pro chip	No headphone jack
Advanced 48MP camera system for professional-grade photos

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best for architects and photography

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

$984.97

Buy Now

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04/30/2025 08:15 am GMT

6. OnePlus 13 — Best Phone for Content Creators

Best smartphone for content creation

RAM: 12GB, 16GB, or 24GB | Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB | Battery: 5,400 mAh | Screen Size: 6.82 Inches

As a content creator, my experience with the OnePlus 13 has been outstanding. Its 6.82-inch LTPO 4.1 AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate delivers crisp visuals, making it ideal for video editing and creative work. The Ceramic Guard glass enhances durability, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor ensures smooth multitasking and app performance.

The camera system is a highlight, featuring a 50MP main lens, 50MP periscope telephoto (3x optical zoom), and 50MP ultrawide lens. The camera captures vibrant, high-detail shots, perfect for professional content.

The 5,400 mAh battery supports 100W wired charging (full charge in 36 minutes) and 50W wireless charging. The phone’s sleek design and strong build quality make it a reliable tool for daily use.

PROS	CONS
High-resolution AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate.	Lacks advanced AI features found in some competitors.
Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor for smooth performance.	No official IP rating for water and dust resistance.
Versatile camera system for professional content creation.
Fast 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best for content creation

OnePlus 13 Dual SIM

$1,535.00

Buy Now

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04/30/2025 08:19 am GMT

7. Xiaomi 13 Pro — Best Phone for Digital Marketing

Best phone smartphone for digital and social media marketers

RAM: 12GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery: 2days | Screen Size: 6.36 Inches

From performance to battery life, durability, storage, camera, and display quality– the Xiaomi 13 Pro has everything a marketer needs on a typical work day. And I love how it seamlessly integrates style with functionality.

Starting with the display quality – I found its 6.73-inch OLED screen strikingly vivid even in direct sunlight. This is crucial for digital marketers who often work with high-quality visuals and need to review content with precision, even in direct sunlight. It also offers a 1440×3200 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes everything from reading to streaming a visual treat.

Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor combined with 12GB RAM makes multitasking super easy. This really comes in handy for digital marketers who frequently switch between various apps and platforms. Plus, with 256GB of storage, I never had to worry about running out of space for all my files and projects.

Connectivity is key in digital marketing, and the Xiaomi 13 Pro nails it with 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 7 updates. This means I can always stay connected, upload content, and communicate with my team or clients without any hiccups.

The camera, co-engineered with Leica, is another reason I loved using this phone. The 50MP sensors deliver vibrant photos in a variety of lighting scenarios, perfect for creating eye-catching content for digital campaigns.

It also stands out in terms of design and durability. Weighing 229g and boasting an IP68 rating, the phone feels sturdy and durable. Plus, its 4800mAh battery lasts all day, which is crucial for a digital marketer’s long working hours. The multiple charging options are a bonus, keeping me powered up on the go. All this makes it a must-have for a professional always on the move.

Apart from that, the stereo speakers offer clear sound quality. This is something I really found useful for reviewing media content or conducting online meetings. 

However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro does have a few drawbacks. For one, the ceramic back, while stylish, attracts fingerprints and needs regular cleaning. Additionally, the absence of a 3.5mm audio jack might turn off some users, and the MIUI 14, despite its features, can be less intuitive for those new to it.

But all in all, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, despite a few design and software quirks, really stands out in the premium smartphone segment. Its combination of a vivid display, powerful performance, excellent connectivity, and a high-quality camera makes it an ideal smartphone for digital marketers in 2026.

PROS	CONS
Large screen for better content consumption.	Slightly unintuitive software.
Efficient multitasking with 12GB RAM.	Bulky rear camera module.
Leica-engineered camera for top-notch photography.
Generous storage for academic materials.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best Phone for Digital Marketing

Xiaomi 13

Buy Now

8. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G — Best Budget Phone

Best cheap Android phone

RAM: 6GB RAM | Storage: 128GB | Battery: 14 Hours | Screen Size: 6.4 Inches

Want a feature-packed, high-performance smartphone but don’t want to spend big? In my opinion, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is your best option in the current market. Let’s explore how it elevated my smartphone experience without breaking the bank.

With its 6.4-inch 1080p OLED display that can brighten up to 1000 nits, the visual experience is a step ahead, especially when you’re checking emails or making video calls on the move. The 120Hz refresh rate provides fluidity, making every scroll and swipe feel seamless.

Design-wise, it draws inspiration from the Galaxy S23 series. Those glass panels on both sides give it a premium feel, but it’s noticeably bulkier than the S23. And while the plastic frame might not scream “luxury,” the IP67 rating did give me confidence during those unexpected rain showers.

Under the hood, the Exynos 1380 chipset does its job. However, there were moments, especially during intense gaming sessions or quickly switching between apps, where I missed the power of something like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in pricier counterparts.

Apart from that, photography enthusiasts will appreciate the camera. The 50-megapixel main sensor, equipped with optical stabilization, captured some really detailed shots during my trips. The variety, with the 12-megapixel ultra-wide, 5-megapixel macro, and the 32-megapixel front camera, offered flexibility. However, don’t expect a lot from its night mode.

Battery life was one less thing to worry about. On days packed with meetings, calls, and content streaming, the phone still had juice left by bedtime. The 25W charging is a nice touch, but I did miss the convenience of wireless charging.

Wrapping it up, the Galaxy A54 5G is a solid choice for those who prioritize a balance between aesthetics, functionality, and cost. If these factors resonate with you, then this device might just fit the bill.

PROS	CONS
Cost-effective with robust features.	Midrange Exynos 1380.
	No wireless charging, charger sold separately.
Enhanced security with Knox and Private Share.	Struggles with moving subjects.
Potential for storage expansion up to 1TB.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best Budget Phone

SAMSUNG Galaxy A54

$449.99

Buy Now

02/22/2024 12:32 am GMT

9. Asus ROG Phone 7 — Best for Animation

Best smartphone for animators

RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 512GB | Battery: 18 hours | Screen Size: 6.78 Inches

Based on my experience with the Asus ROG Phone 7, I can confidently say that it stands out as the best smartphone for animators in 2026. Its robust design, generous capacity, display quality, and, most importantly, impressive refresh rate make it a perfect device for animation. Let’s break it down.

The heart of the ROG Phone 7 is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, backed by 16GB RAM and a whopping 512GB of storage. This setup handles animation software effortlessly. Whether I was rendering complex scenes or working on detailed character animations, the phone never stuttered or lagged.

Its 6.78-inch OLED display, with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz touch-sampling rate, is a dream for animators. The high refresh rate ensures that every frame of animation is smooth and fluid, a key factor when fine-tuning animations or scrubbing through timelines.

I was impressed by how cool the phone stayed, even during long animation sessions. Thanks to its innovative vapor chamber and graphite sheets, it dissipates heat effectively, preventing any thermal throttling that could hinder performance.

The 6000mAh battery, coupled with 65-watt fast charging, means you can work for extended periods without worrying about running out of juice. The Bypass Charging feature is a godsend, especially when working plugged in, as it reduces battery wear.

Although the phone is slightly heavy at 239 grams, and its gamer-centric design might not appeal to everyone, these aspects hardly matter when you’re focused on creating animations. The additional OLED display on the back and the AeroActive Cooler slot underline its high-performance nature.

While the ROG Phone 7’s camera system may not be the best in its class, and the lack of a zoom lens is noticeable, these aren’t deal-breakers for animation work. The selfie camera flipping images is a minor inconvenience.

“However, its mediocre cameras, uneven Wi-Fi performance, and divisive look may turn off anyone who isn’t focused on gaming.” [Dave LeClair, pcmag]

Initially, I encountered some glitches in the software, but subsequent updates have smoothed these out, enhancing the overall user experience.

Simply put, if you’re an animator looking for a smartphone that can handle demanding animation tasks with ease, the Asus ROG Phone 7 is definitely worth considering. It’s not just a gaming phone; it’s a powerful tool for animation, tailored to meet the specific needs of animators in 2026.

PROS	CONS
Robust performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and 16GB RAM.	Software extras can be intrusive.
Outstanding 165Hz display ensures smooth gameplay.	Camera performance does not match the phone’s price point.
Impressive battery life with fast charging.
Advanced cooling system with GameCool 7 Technology.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best Phone for Animations

ASUS ROG Phone 7

Buy Now

10. Motorola Razr — Best Phone Design

Best of the cool looking phones

RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 256 GB | Battery: 1 Day | Screen Size: 6.9 Inches

The Motorola Razr+ is an impressive blend of style and functionality, perfect for those with a creative mind. The external display allows quick access to designs or sketches without having to open the phone. And when you do, the 6.9″ pOLED screen doesn’t disappoint, showcasing designs with clarity.

The external camera setup includes a 12MP main and a 13MP ultrawide lens, providing clear and detailed shots. Video capabilities are also commendable, with 4K at 60fps on the main and 4K at 30fps on the ultrawide. The inner 32MP camera, though defaulting to 8MP output, produces decent images.

Sound-wise, the stereo setup utilizes both a down-firing speaker and the earpiece, producing clear audio. However, the absence of a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter in the box could be a drawback for some. Apart from that, Bluetooth 5.3 ensures stable connections, while NFC integration facilitates easy tap-to-pay transactions. Overall – a recipe for convenience and innovation.

I was also impressed by the fingerprint scanner’s responsiveness, regardless of its position. The inclusion of Android’s one-handed mode gesture and Gboard’s one-handed typing further aids in usability, especially on-the-go.

Additionally, with the Snapdragon 8+ processor at its core, the phone handles even demanding apps efficiently. The battery is quite reliable, and the TurboPower 30W charging comes in handy during long workdays.

In terms of design, tactile buttons, the refined hinge mechanism, and the balance between the external and main screens make for an intuitive experience. The Flex View, though innovative, might require an adjustment period for some. 

To sum up, the Motorola Razr strikes a balance between aesthetic appeal and function. Other than its unique design, its overall features and performance make it a compelling choice for a variety of creative professionals.

PROS	CONS
Instant access with the unparalleled external display.	Limited Android updates.
Vibrant 6.9″ pOLED screen for detailed visuals.	Potential limitations with Flex View.
Versatile camera options for quality imaging.	Front screen tends to smudge.
Robust processor tailored for intensive design apps.

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best Flip Smartphone

Motorola razr+

$999.99 $699.99

Buy Now

02/22/2024 12:45 am GMT

How I Selected and Tested the Best Smartphones for Graphic Designers, Artists, and Architects

Selection Process

To find the right smartphones suited for these niche professions, I implemented a thorough and systematic approach. Here’s the path I charted:

Step 1: Requirement Analysis: Drawing from my familiarity with the fields of graphic design, art, and architecture, I identified the specific needs and challenges when utilizing smartphones for activities such as graphic design, 3D visualizations, animations, and gaming.

Step 2: Exhaustive Market Survey: Based on my understanding, I delved deep into the market to spot top-tier and high-performance smartphones. My approach involved scrutinizing user feedback, browsing specialized forums, and assessing relevant publications to put together an initial list of potential candidates.

Step 3: Technical Specifications: With the preliminary list ready, I analyzed the technical attributes of each device. Aspects like screen clarity, color fidelity, processing capabilities, RAM, storage space, and GPU performance were under the microscope. Special emphasis was placed on features pivotal for graphic design, art, 3D visualization, and animation.

Step 4: Refinement: Guided by the detailed analysis, I refined the list, sidelining devices that didn’t cater to the high demands of the disciplines in focus.

Testing Process

A curated list demands rigorous evaluation. Here’s how I tested the potential contenders:

Step 1: Practical Application Testing: I employed each shortlisted smartphone in real-world scenarios. Activities included drawing detailed designs, conceptualizing 3D architectural prototypes, crafting animations, and even gaming. This hands-on approach ensured that each device was up to the mark, fulfilling both professional and recreational needs.

Step 2: Performance Metrics: To further gauge their capabilities, I subjected each smartphone to benchmarking tests. These evaluations provided a clearer picture of their graphic processing strengths, multitasking efficiencies, and general responsiveness.

Step 3: User Experience (UX) Assessment: Beyond mere technical prowess, the overall user experience is pivotal. Thus, I dissected the UX for each device, examining attributes like touch screen sensitivity, stylus integration (if relevant), and software interface ease.

Step 4: Analyzing Outcomes: Post-testing, I collated my observations, pinpointing any persistent challenges or standout features.

Step 5: Conclusive Evaluation and Categorization: Combining insights from my hands-on trials, benchmark outcomes, and UX reviews, I completed my assessments. I then ranked each smartphone based on its aptitude for graphic design, art, 3D visualizations, animations, and gaming.

The Ultimate Buying Guide: Best Smartphones for Graphic Designers, Artists, and Architects

Selecting the right smartphones can be overwhelming, especially when your professional tasks like graphic designing, art, 3D rendering, animation, and even gaming demand a device that’s not just ‘good’ but stellar. Dive deep into this buying guide to find the best smartphone for your professional needs.

Display and Color Accuracy

Your artwork deserves to be viewed in its full glory. Seek smartphones with:

• High-resolution displays: Think Quad HD or even 4K.
• OLED or AMOLED panels: Phones with these panels, like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offer richer blacks and more vibrant colors.
• Natural color calibration: This ensures your designs and artworks appear as intended.

Performance Powerhouse

Whether you’re rendering intricate 3D models or sketching your next masterpiece, lag is the enemy:

• Processor: Look for top-tier chipsets, like the latest from Qualcomm, Apple, or Samsung like the OnePlus 13 has Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
• RAM: 6GB should be your minimum, but 8GB or more will offer a smoother experience.
• GPU: Essential for animation and gaming. Prioritize phones with robust graphics chips.

Stylus Support

A phone with a stylus like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, can elevate your precision and creativity:

• Pressure Sensitivity: The more levels, the better. This allows for intricate shading and detailing.
• Palm Rejection: Because nothing’s more annoying than unintended marks.
• Integration: Some smartphones have dedicated slots for stylus storage and charging.

Storage and Expandability

Your projects can eat up space, fast:

• Base Storage: Aim for at least 128GB. If you handle video or 3D projects, consider 256GB or more as in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
• Expandability: A microSD card slot can be a lifesaver, offering flexibility and additional space.

Battery Life

You’re on the move, and your phone should keep pace:

• Battery Capacity: Look for 4,000mAh or higher as in the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. But remember, screen resolution and usage can influence battery drain.
• Fast Charging: When you’re in a rush, this feature can be a lifesaver.
• Wireless Charging: Not a must-have, but a delightful convenience for many.

Software and Updates

A phone’s software can make or break your experience:

• Latest OS: Ensure the smartphone runs the latest version for security and feature benefits like the Google Pixel 9.
• Software Skin: Some manufacturers tweak Android. Test these out in-store or via reviews to see if they mesh with your workflow.
• Update Commitment: Brands that promise regular updates help future-proof your device.

Design and Durability

As an architect or designer, aesthetics might matter to you:

• Build Quality: Metal and glass exude premium vibes, but ensure they’re durable.
• Water and Dust Resistance: Accidents happen. IP ratings (like IP68) provide peace of mind. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers an IPX8 water resistance.
• Weight and Size: Balance is key. Ensure the device feels comfortable, especially during prolonged use.

Gaming-Ready Features

For the downtime or if gaming is part of your job:

• High Refresh Rate: A 90 Hz or 120 Hz screen ensures smoother graphics and gameplay.
• Cooling Systems: Some phones boast vapor chambers or fans to keep thermals in check like the Asus ROG Phone 7.
• Gaming Modes: These optimize performance and block interruptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right phone for work can be tricky, especially when there are so many options out there. But for me, the Google Pixel 9 stands out from the rest. It is quick, captures detailed photos, and displays everything crisply. While it could improve in charging speed and facial recognition, its benefits outweigh the drawbacks– especially considering its appealing price to cost ratio.

But if the price is no bar or you’re a loyal iPhone user, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone 16 Pro Max – which excels in all: performance, speed, display quality, camera, and more. Plus, it integrates well into your Apple ecosystem.

So, which smartphone are you leaning to buy? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Related Posts:

• The 8 Best Smartphones with Stylus
• 15 Best Smartphones for Graphic Designers, Artists & Creatives
• 10+ Best iPad Alternatives
• 10 Best Tablets for Note-Taking

Our Top Pick

Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Performance Mouse

5.0

$99.99 $92.99

While it's not the most affordable mouse on the list, it is the best mouse out there, especially if you do any kind of creative work during your day.

With customizable buttons, an ergonomic build, and a thumbwheel, it is truly a creative's best friend. All in all, the Logitech MX Master 3S is the best mouse out there for graphic designers and it comes in black or light grey.

And if that isn’t enough to tout its pedigree, it's also the mouse of my choice - I've used the same model series for over a decade!

Pros:

• Best for productivity and comfort

Cons:

• A bit expensive

Buy on Amazon

02/20/2024 04:00 pm GMT

Frequently Bought Together

Logitech MX Palm Rest (Premium, No-Slip Support)

$19.99 $17.99

Buy on Amazon

02/20/2024 12:37 pm GMT

3M Ergonomic Mouse Pad with Gel Wrist Rest

$28.93 $21.32

Buy on Amazon

02/20/2024 12:47 pm GMT

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

When you start your career as a graphic designer, you tend to concentrate on making a big first impression on any potential clients and delivering more than you promise.

However, if the tech you’re using to create those works of art is out of date, it will affect the quality of your work. You’ll know it and your client might know it too.

While it’s always a good idea to upgrade the monitor that comes with the computer you just bought, don’t forget about the little guy most people just ignore. The mouse.

Much like the headphones that come with your new smartphone, they work just fine, but you know there is a better option out there. The mouse is more often than not, the one thing you use more than anything else related to your computer.

So why would you use the generic piece of wire and plastic that comes with your computer when there are so many options out there?

Maybe you don’t know where to start or you’re worried you might pick the wrong one. It’s fine, we understand, you’re busy, which is a good thing. That’s why we’re here to show you what are the Best Mice for Graphic Designers on the market today.

You should know what to look for when choosing the best mouse for your job. See the bottom of this article for a guide if you need it.

You may also be interested in my feature on the best left-handed mouse or the best mouse for Mac.

What is the Best Mouse for Graphic Design in 2026?

Logitech MX Master 3S is the best mouse for graphic designers. Although each user has different needs, I believe the best mouse for graphic design for each category is as follows:

Thumbnail

Best Overall

Best For iMac Pro

Great For Comfort & Navigation

Best Silent Mouse

Best Budget Vertical

Best Backup

Title

Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse Standard Edition with Logi Bolt USB Receiver, Ultra-Fast...

Apple Magic Mouse 2 (Wireless, Rechargable) - Space Gray

Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse – Ergonomic Design Reduces Muscle Strain, Move Content Between...

Logitech M330 Silent Wireless Mouse, 2.4GHz with USB Receiver, Optical Tracking, Quiet &...

Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse for Work, Multi-Device Connectivity, 800/1200...

Microsoft Classic Intellimouse - Gray. Ultra-Slim and Lightweight, Comfortable Ergonomic Design,...

Prime Status

-

-

-

-

-

-

Star Rating

-

-

-

-

-

-

Reviews

-

-

-

-

-

-

DPI

4,000

1300

4,000

1,000

1000

3200

Interface

Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless

Bluetooth

Bluetooth (pairs with up to three devices); USB-C

2.4GHz wireless

USB

Wired

Buttons

8

-

6

3

5

5

Ergonomic

Right-handed

Ambidextrous

Right-handed

Right-handed

Vertical

Right-handed

Price

Price not available

Price not available

Price not available

Price not available

Price not available

Price not available

Buy Now

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Best Overall

Thumbnail

Title

Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse Standard Edition with Logi Bolt USB Receiver, Ultra-Fast...

Prime Status

-

Star Rating

-

Reviews

-

DPI

4,000

Interface

Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless

Buttons

8

Ergonomic

Right-handed

Price

Price not available

Buy Now

Buy on Amazon

Best For iMac Pro

Thumbnail

Title

Apple Magic Mouse 2 (Wireless, Rechargable) - Space Gray

Prime Status

-

Star Rating

-

Reviews

-

DPI

1300

Interface

Bluetooth

Buttons

-

Ergonomic

Ambidextrous

Price

Price not available

Buy Now

Buy on Amazon

Great For Comfort & Navigation

Thumbnail

Title

Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse – Ergonomic Design Reduces Muscle Strain, Move Content Between...

Prime Status

-

Star Rating

-

Reviews

-

DPI

4,000

Interface

Bluetooth (pairs with up to three devices); USB-C

Buttons

6

Ergonomic

Right-handed

Price

Price not available

Buy Now

Buy on Amazon

Best Silent Mouse

Thumbnail

Title

Logitech M330 Silent Wireless Mouse, 2.4GHz with USB Receiver, Optical Tracking, Quiet &...

Prime Status

-

Star Rating

-

Reviews

-

DPI

1,000

Interface

2.4GHz wireless

Buttons

3

Ergonomic

Right-handed

Price

Price not available

Buy Now

Buy on Amazon

Best Budget Vertical

Thumbnail

Title

Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse for Work, Multi-Device Connectivity, 800/1200...

Prime Status

-

Star Rating

-

Reviews

-

DPI

1000

Interface

USB

Buttons

5

Ergonomic

Vertical

Price

Price not available

Buy Now

Buy on Amazon

Best Backup

Thumbnail

Title

Microsoft Classic Intellimouse - Gray. Ultra-Slim and Lightweight, Comfortable Ergonomic Design,...

Prime Status

-

Star Rating

-

Reviews

-

DPI

3200

Interface

Wired

Buttons

5

Ergonomic

Right-handed

Price

Price not available

Buy Now

Buy on Amazon

For maximum comfort when using your mouse, ensure you get a comfortable mousepad. Check out my list of the best ergonomic mousepads.

Top 3 Most Popular Mouses

These are the three best-selling mouses on Amazon right now:

Bestseller No. 1

Logitech MX Master 4, Ergonomic Wireless Mouse...

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller No. 2

Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse Standard...

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller No. 3

Logitech MX Anywhere 3S Compact Wireless Mouse,...

Buy on Amazon

10+ Best Mice for Graphic Designers in 2025

1. Logitech MX Master 3S Mouse (Editor’s Choice)

The best mouse for graphic designers overall (Best for productivity and comfort)

DPI: 4,000 | Interface: Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless | Buttons: 7 | Type: Right-handed

While it’s not the most affordable mouse on the list, it is the best mouse out there, especially if you do any kind of creative or productive work during your day.

With customizable buttons, an ergonomic build, and a thumbwheel, it is truly a creative’s best friend. All in all, the MX Master 3S is the best mouse out there for graphic designers and it comes in black or light grey.

And if that isn’t enough to tout its pedigree, it’s also the mouse of my choice – I used the same model series for over a decade. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. The previous model, the Logitech MX Master 2S is still available and is slightly cheaper than the newer MX Master 3S if you’re wanting to save a few bucks.

What’s the difference between the Logitech MX Master 3S and the Logitech MX Master 3?

Yes, there are two slightly different model names. Both are visually identical Bluetooth mice however the MX Master 3S is newer and has several improvements such as quieter clicks, and an upgraded sensor that has a wider CPI range making it more sensitive. It also has a new “Bolt Receiver”, while the Master 3 uses an older Unifying USB Receiver.

Make sure you grab an ergonomic mouse pad as well. I recommend the 3M Ergonomic Precise Mouse Pad. You may also want to consider a palm rest, such as the Logitech MX Palm Rest.

Pros	Cons
Ergonomic and comfortable design	A bit expensive
Great battery life	Slightly heavy
Amazing customization	Not suitable for left-handed individuals
Does not require batteries as it can be charged

Latest Price on Amazon:

Logitech MX Master 3 Advanced Wireless Mouse, Ultrafast Scrolling, Ergonomic, 4000 DPI,...

• Ultra-fast magspeed scrolling - Remarkable speed, precision and quietness of electromagnetic scrolling with all new magspeed wheel - up to 90% faster, 87% more precise and ultra-quiet
• Comfort shape and intuitive controls - Work comfortably with perfectly sculpted shape and ideally placed thumb wheel and controls
• App-specific customizations - Speed up your workflow with predefined app-specific profiles and numerous customization options. Advanced 2.4 GHz wireless technology
• Flow cross-computer control - Work seamlessly on three computers. Seamlessly transfer cursor, text, and files - between windows and macOS, desktop and laptop
• Works on any surface even on glass with dark field 4000 DPI sensor. It is faster and 5x more precise than the basic mouse - so you always hit the right Pixel

Buy on Amazon

Ergonomic Mouse Pad on Amazon:

Combine your Logitech MX Master 3S mouse with this ergonomic mouse pad.

MROCO Ergonomic Mouse Pad with Gel Wrist Rest, Smooth Wrist Support Surface, Non-Slip PU Base for...

• Comfortable Gel Cushioning: The ergonomic wrist rest contains soft gel to provide soothing comfort and effective support, helping reduce wrist strain and the risk of repetitive motion disorders....
• Smooth and Comfortable Surface: The premium Lycra cloth surface provides a silky-smooth, comfortable feel for your wrist and hand while moving the mouse. Its finely textured design ensures precise and...
• Firm Desktop Grip: The soft, non-skid PU base keeps the mouse pad firmly in place on your desktop, preventing slipping and ensuring stable mouse control during work or gaming. Move freely without...
• Optimal Size and Ergonomic Shape: Designed to provide a comfortable fit at your desk, this mouse pad offers the ideal size and ergonomic shape for all-day use. Reinforced edges prevent fraying and...
• Buy Risk-Free: If you experience any compatibility issues, gel leaks, or wrist support concerns, simply reach out to us. Enjoy peace of mind with our 18-month after-sales service.

Buy on Amazon

Ergonomic Palm Rest on Amazon:

Combine your Logitech MX Master 3S mouse with this ergonomic palm rest.

Logitech Palm Rest for MX Keys, Premium, No-Slip Support for Hours of Comfortable Typing, Black

• Performance for Long hours: firm wrist support keeps your hands in a nice, Relaxed position so you can type comfortably for hours.
• Crafted with high-quality materials: soft yet resilient Memory foam is comfortable and durable — Plus, it's stain-resistant and easy to clean.
• Support where you need it: smooth and pleasant to the touch and doesn't slip or slide on surfaces. It stays put no matter how and where you type. Depth: 8 mm
• Designed for thin keyboards: it's a perfect fit for MX keys or craft.
• English (Publication Language)

Buy on Amazon

Logitech MX Master 3S Mouse Video Review

Want a closer look at this fine mouse? Check out this Logitech MX Master 3S Mouse review video:

Video Credit: Techkhamun/YouTube

2. Apple Magic Mouse 2

The best mouse for your Apple iMac Pro

DPI: 1300 | Interface: Bluetooth | Buttons: 0 | Type: Ambidextrous

These days, by the other products that they release, you’d think Apple only makes phones and watches, but the Magic Mouse 2 shows that isn’t the case with an effective and ambidextrous mouse.

With no buttons on the mouse, we understand that it may at first cause some confusion on how exactly you use it.

Controlled by the gestures you make with your fingers, the mouse combines a trackpad and a mouse into a single package with the benefits of both. You may be also interested in my feature on the best mouse for Mac.

Another option that graphic designers like are the Apple Magic Trackpad 2 as it brings Apple’s Force Touch pressure-sensitive technology (like found on the screen of the Apple Watch and Mac trackpads). See my feature on the best trackpads.

Pros	Cons
Ambidextrous design	Does not fully fit your hand
Great design and multi-touch surface	Only suitable for Apple operating systems
Rechargeable with Lightning to USB cable which comes included

Latest Price on Amazon:

Apple Magic Mouse 2 (Wireless, Rechargable) - Space Gray

• Magic Mouse 2 is completely rechargeable, so you’ll eliminate the use of traditional batteries.
• It’s lighter, has fewer moving parts thanks to its built-in battery and continuous bottom shell, and has an optimized foot design — all helping Magic Mouse 2 track easier and move with less...
• And the Multi-Touch surface allows you to perform simple gestures such as swiping between web pages and scrolling through documents.
• Magic Mouse 2 is ready to go right out of the box and pairs automatically with your Mac.
• Connections: Bluetooth and Lightning port

Buy on Amazon

3. Logitech MX Ergo

The best trackball mouse for Mac

Dpi: 440 | Interface: Logitech Unifying USB receiver / Bluetooth | Buttons: 9 | Type: Right-handed

When you’re on the computer all day, designing great projects, carpal tunnel can be a real worry. The MX Ergo from Logitech is a great answer.

With its wrist-friendly tilt and trackball, you can keep your wrist from damage. The mouse has a dual connectivity system and a rechargeable battery.

The adjustable hinge allows the users to control or customize the trackball angle from 0 to 20 degrees. If you’ve never used a trackball mouse, it can take some time to get used to but when your health is being considered, it might be worth taking the time.

Pros	Cons
The best trackball performance	Not easy to learn
Quick sensitivity switching
Comfortable design

Latest Price on Amazon:

Logitech MX Ergo Wireless Trackball Mouse, (Bluetooth or USB), Rechargeable,Color Graphite.

• ERGONOMIC DESIGN FOR MORE COMFORT: Customize the trackball angle from 0–20° for a more natural, comfortable hand position. 20% less muscle fatigue*. * Than a regular mouse.

Buy on Amazon

4. Microsoft Classic IntelliMouse

A classic mouse that still holds up

DPI: 3200 | Interface: Wired | Buttons: 5 | Type: Right-handed

These days, it seems like every new mouse released either comes in some shape you’ve never seen before or adds enough lighting to be classified as a Christmas decoration. Sometimes, getting back to basics is the best option and this is never truer than with the Classic Intellimouse from Microsoft.

With a classic design and non-distracting, while lighting, the mouse has a beefed-up sensor, with a DPI of up to 3,200. While being a wired mouse may keep some away if you’re looking for a regular mouse without a ton of flash that helps you get your work done then meet your new best friend.

Pros	Cons
Ergonomic and comfortable design	No wireless connectivity
Affordable price
Solid, tactile build

Latest Price on Amazon:

Microsoft Classic Intellimouse - Gray. Ultra-Slim and Lightweight, Comfortable Ergonomic Design,...

• Ultra-slim and lightweight.
• Quickly and efficiently click to complete your most common tasks with three customizable buttons.
• The ergonomic design of the new Microsoft Classic IntelliMouse is comfortable for hours of use.
• Plug in the fast, wired USB connector without waiting for Bluetooth to pair or searching for a dongle.
• The exceptional tracking that fans loved about IntelliMouse 3.0 is even more precise with a DPI range up to 3200.

Buy on Amazon

5. Logitech MX Anywhere 2S

A small but powerful mouse

DPI: 200 to 4000 | Interface: Bluetooth and Unifying Receiver | Buttons: 7 | Type: Right-handed

Due to its small size, it can be easy to ignore the benefits that the MX Anywhere 2S from Logitech can offer. Anywhere 2S is the best mouse for productivity on the go featuring a seamless workflow that allows you to switch between computers while not having any tracking problems.

The mouse has cross-computer control features and can be used for multiple devices. It is also known for its rechargeable battery.

The 2S is also incredibly efficient with a full day’s charge after only three minutes of charging. If its size is keeping you from considering it, you should reconsider as you may just find a great travel mouse.

Pros	Cons
Can function well across multiple operating systems	Slightly expensive
Can be used across multiple  devices	Not suitable for left-handed individuals
Easily portable	Slightly small
Amazing battery life
Comes with good customization features — has 7 buttons

Latest Price on Amazon:

Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse Use On Any Surface, Hyper-Fast Scrolling, Rechargeable,...

• Cross computer control: Game changing capacity to navigate seamlessly on three computers, and copy paste text, images, and files from one to the other using Logitech Flow
• Connect via included Logitech Unifying receiver or via Bluetooth

Buy on Amazon

6. Anker Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse

An unusual but great ergonomic design

DPI: 1000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 5 | Type: Vertical

Sure, the look that the mouse from Anker comes with is sure to get some looks when you put it on your desk for the first time but don’t let that keep you from seeing it for what it is – a great mouse that can help save your joints.

When compared to other ergonomic mice, the build quality may feel a little cheap, but you can’t beat its price point when it comes to preventing repetitive strain injuries.

Pros	Cons
Solid build and ergonomic design	No Bluetooth connectivity
Good pricing	The surface could use more grip
Multiple sensitivity options

Latest Price on Amazon:

Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse for Work, Multi-Device Connectivity, 800/1200...

• Experience enhanced comfort and productivity with the Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse. Its scientifically designed ergonomic structure promotes a healthy neutral "handshake" wrist...
• Enjoy superior sensitivity and precision with this wireless mouse. It boasts 800/1200/1600 DPI Resolution Optical Tracking Technology, offering more sensitivity than standard computer mice. This...
• The Anker Ergonomic Mouse is not only convenient but also user-friendly. It comes with next/previous buttons for effortless webpage browsing, making it an excellent choice for internet enthusiasts,...
• This computer mouse is not just ergonomic but also energy-efficient and durable. It transitions into a power-saving mode after 8 minutes of inactivity, entirely disconnecting power. A simple press of...
• The package offers a comprehensive set and warranty. It includes: 1 Anker Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse (2 AAA batteries not included), 1 2.4G USB receiver (stored in the mouse's bottom),...

Buy on Amazon

7. Logitech MX Vertical

A mouse with a great combination of comfort and navigation

DPI: 4,000 | Interface: Bluetooth (pairs with up to three devices); USB-C | Buttons: 6 | Type: Right-handed

For many people, repetitive strain injuries can be a very real thing but that shouldn’t mean that they should suffer from a standard mouse. Thankfully, the MX Vertical from Logitech with an ergonomic design that helps it feel more natural in your hand.

One of the great features of the MX Vertical is a button on top of the mouse that allows you to swap between different computers seamlessly without hurting productivity.

Pros	Cons
Ergonomic design	Difficult to get used to initially
Good Bluetooth and wireless connectivity	A bit too light
Can switch the DPI mid-task

Latest Price on Amazon:

Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse – Ergonomic Design Reduces Muscle Strain, Move Content Between...

• NATURAL HANDSHAKE POSITION - MX Vertical’s natural handshake position reduces muscular activity by 10 percent compared to a standard mouse – without any loss in overall performance
• 57° VERTICAL ANGLE FOR IMPROVED WRIST POSTURE - MX Vertical’s unique 57° vertical angle reduces the pressure on your wrist, while your thumb is positioned comfortably on the thumb rest
• USER TESTED. ERGONOMIST-APPROVED. MX Vertical has been designed and tested with criteria set out by leading ergonomists – improve posture, lower muscle strain, and reduce wrist pressure
• ADVANCED OPTICAL TRACKING WITH CURSOR SPEED SWITCH- The 4000 DPI high-precision sensor results in 4x less hand movement (1) and reduces fatigue. The cursor speed switch instantly adjusts DPI speed and...
• (1) As compared with a traditional mouse with 1000 DPI sensor

Buy on Amazon

8. Razer DeathAdder Chroma

A great gaming mouse that’s even better for creatives

DPI: 10,000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 5 | Type: Right-handed

Razer isn’t typically known as a manufacturer that markets its products to creatives, tending to have more of a gamer slant to their products. However, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t suitable for the needs of designers and creatives.

While the lighting effect of the DeathAdder Chroma may not be exactly what some are looking for, the sensor is incredibly accurate at 10,000 DPI making it one of the most responsive mice on the list, and also our pick for the best budget gaming mouse!

Pros	Cons
Ergonomic design	Not suitable for left-handed use
Good price
Comfortable rubber texture grip
Comes with a very responsive sensor

Latest Price on Amazon:

Razer DeathAdder Chroma - Multi-Color Ergonomic Gaming Mouse - 10,000 DPI Sensor - Comfortable Grip...

• Ergonomic right-handed design with textured rubber side grips
• 10 000 dpi optical sensor
• Chroma lighting with a wide range of customizable colors
• On the fly sensitivity adjustments
• Always-on mode

Buy on Amazon

9. Logitech M330 Silent Plus

The best mouse for travelers

DPI: 1,000 | Interface: 2.4GHz wireless | Buttons: 3 | Type: Right-handed

The problem with many mice is that no matter how gently you press the buttons, the noise they make can become a distraction, especially to those around you. The M330 Silent Plus from Logitech is a great solution to those problems.

With a design that provides you with not only a compact mouse but a silent one as well, it is a great choice for airplane rides or even if you’re working in a quiet library. The diminutive size makes it a great choice to toss in your laptop bag and with reported two-year battery life, you may never buy another mouse.

Pros	Cons
Minimalistic design	Requires batteries
Good battery life	A bit expensive
Wireless
Noiseless

Latest Price on Amazon:

Logitech M330 Silent Wireless Mouse, 2.4GHz with USB Receiver, Optical Tracking, Quiet &...

• Quieter Click: Logitech’s SilentTouch Technology reduces over 90 percent (1) of clicking sounds — ensuring top performance while contributing to a quieter working environment
• Crafted for Comfort: Design with naturally shaped contoured plastic grips, the M330 SILENT wireless mouse is built for long-lasting comfort and functionality for right-handed users
• Long Battery Life: M330 SILENT has a 18-month battery life (2) and power saving auto-sleep mode; it allows you to focus on your work without the hassle of changing batteries (1 x AA included)
• Advanced Optical Tracking: With a wireless range of up to 33 ft (10m)(3), this quiet computer mouse provides high-performance precision and smart cursor control on most surfaces
• Plug and Play: M330 SILENT comes with a USB-A receiver that’s compatible with most operating systems including Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux

Buy on Amazon

10. Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600

The best backup mouse for all of your needs

DPI: 1000 | Interface: Bluetooth | Buttons: 2 | Type: Ambidextrous

At the end of the day, all the bells and whistles that many other mice offer can’t do much to replace a good, reliable mouse at a very affordable price. The Mobile Mouse 3600 from Microsoft is a great example of this.

Whether it’s your backup during a long business trip or your primary mouse, the Mobile Mouse 3600 is one of the most dependable wireless mice available today and the best part is, it’s from a company that you can trust.

Pros	Cons
4-way scroll wheel	Slightly small
Compact design
Suitable for both right and left-handed users

Latest Price on Amazon:

Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600 - Dark Red. Comfortable Design, Right/Left Hand Use, 4-Way...

• Compact Design for ultimate portability
• 4-way scroll wheel for navigating up, down, left and right
• Works on virtually any surface with BlueTrack Technology
• Ambidextrous design is suitable for use with either hand
• Bluetooth 4.0 compatible

Buy on Amazon

11. Logitech G903

The best mouse for left-handers (Best ambidextrous mouse)

DPI: 200–12,000 | Interface: Lightspeed wireless | Buttons: 11 | Type: Ambidextrous

Logitech is a brand known for its high-quality products and the G903 is no different. With 11 programmable buttons and up to 12,000 DPI of accuracy, the mouse provides you with more features than you could even really need.

Built-in mechanical button tensioning, which provides you with physical feedback when you click, can be personalized for your preferences. The 32-hour battery life isn’t a worry either as you can charge the mouse wirelessly using the PowerPlay mat. This is the Swiss army knife of computer mice and also our top pick for the best wireless gaming mouse.

You can see all the best left-handed mouses here.

Pros	Cons
Good build	A bit expensive
Great overall performance
Ambidextrous design
Good customizability

Latest Price on Amazon:

Logitech G903 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse, Hero 16K Sensor, 16000 DPI, RGB, Lightweight,...

• HERO 16K sensor : Next-generation optical gaming sensor with 1: 1 tracking, 400+ IPS and 100 - 16000 max DPI sensitivity - plus zero smoothing, filtering or acceleration, and 10x the power efficiency...
• Light speed wireless : Pro-grade 1-ms responsiveness and connectivity for long-lasting, high-performance gameplay even better than many wired mice, with no compromises on weight, battery life or...
• 140-hour LiPo battery : Thanks to the HERO 16K sensor's efficiency, G903 now lasts for up to 140 hours of gameplay with RGB lights on and 180 hours with no lighting
• Power play wireless charging compatibility : Add the Power play wireless USB charging system to keep G703 and other compatible G mice charged. Power play Wireless Charging System for PC or Mac sold...
• Light sync RGB : Intelligent full-spectrum lighting responds to in-game action, audio and screen colour; customise lighting effects from 16.8M colours with G HUB gaming software, and sync across your...

Buy on Amazon

12. Redragon M908

Best mouse with great battery life

DPI: 12,400 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 8 | Type: Right-handed

If you’re a graphic designer, the Redragon M908 is an excellent option because it has an incredible battery life and can sustain your creativity for hours. This mouse is made with a maximum DPI of 12400 and 5 movable DPI settings (500/1000/2000/3000/6200 DPI) to accommodate your various needs, whether for graphic designing or gaming.

This mouse comes with 18 customizable buttons, 16.8 million RGB LED color possibilities, and 5 memory profiles, each of which has a unique light color for easy identification. This mouse is appropriate for more than just designers because it has an 8-piece weight tuning kit that makes it simple to adjust the weight to fit your activities. It has a high-end design and is made with sturdy, smooth TEFLON foot pads for maximum comfort.

Pros	Cons
RGB backlight and programmable buttons	It is not wireless
High-precision sensor
Customizable color option

Latest Price on Amazon:

Redragon M908 Impact RGB LED MMO Gaming Mouse with 12 Side Buttons, Optical Wired Ergonomic Mouse...

• Professional Gaming Mouse - Redragon M908 optical gaming mouse is designed with up to 12400 DPI, 5 adjustable DPI levels (500/1000/2000/3000/6200 DPI) meet your multiple needs, either for daily work...
• RGB Backlight & Programmable Buttons - 16.8 million RGB LED color options (LED Backlight can be disabled). 18 programmable buttons, 5 memory profiles each with a dedicated light color for quick...
• Comfort & Precision At Your Hands - Redragon M908 gaming mouse is an essential computer accessory for die-hard with its aggressive design for hands! You will be amazed by the unmatched comfort, lethal...
• High-end Design - Redragon M908 Mouse features 6 buttons and 12 MMO programmable side buttons. Durable smooth TEFLON feet pads for ultimate gaming control. 6ft braided-fiber cable with gold-plated USB...
• Die-hard Players Choice - Whether you are targeting, aiming, slashing or attacking, a professional gaming mouse is your basic weapon! The mouse will be your ideal partner. Compatible with Windows...

Buy on Amazon

13. Logitech M525

Best compact mouse 

DPI: 1000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 3 | Type: Ambidextrous

If you’re looking for a small mouse, the Logitech M525 is a great choice. It is comfortable to use anywhere thanks to its ergonomic shape, soft rubber grips, and portable, carry-anywhere design.

A mouse’s ability to respond quickly is crucial for graphic designers, and the Logitech M525 has back and forward buttons that are easy to access. It has a brand-new scroll wheel that provides the best possible navigational experience.

Additionally, the device has a 3-year battery life, and the smart sleep mode extends the time between battery changes. The Logitech Unifying receiver connects a number of compatible wireless devices, making plug-and-play easy.

Pros	Cons
Micro-precise scroll wheel	No easy switching
Convenient controls
Long-lasting battery life

Latest Price on Amazon:

Logitech M525 Wireless Mouse, Black/Gray

• CONVENIENT CONTROLS - Easy-to-reach Back/Forward buttons makes moving quickly between documents or browsing your favorite Web sites a breeze
• Micro-precision scroll wheel: Faster, easier web navigation plus advanced optical sensor for smooth tracking on more surfaces
• Extended battery life: Go for up to three years without a battery change (Battery life may vary based on user and computing conditions)
• Compact comfort in cool colors: Ergonomic shape, soft rubber grips and great style that's easy to take anywhere
• Multi-device wireless receiver: Tiny Unifying receiver connects up to six Unifying-compatible devices

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How to Choose the Right Mouse for Graphic Design

Before you decide to hand over your money for a new mouse for your needs as a graphic designer, there are a few details about the mouse you need to consider:

• Wired or Wireless
• Laser or Optical
• Ergonomics
• Full-size or Travel-size
• Programmable Buttons

Wired or Wireless

Whether you choose a mouse that is connected to your computer with a wire or through the computer’s USB port generally comes down to personal preference. After years of struggling and hating all the cords on their desk, some people opt to use a wireless mouse, which avoids the problem of tangled cords, but you do run out at the wrong time.

While there are some wireless mice out there that come with docks to charge them so you’re not hoarding AAA batteries, you’ll still need to remember to dock the mouse so it can charge. Some mice come with an on/off switch that will help extend the life of the battery you’re using, but again, that’s only useful if you remember to switch it off at the end of the day.

Wireless mice come with a receiver that lets your computer and the mouse “talk” to each other. Some mice come with what’s known as a nano receiver that can sit flush with your computer’s USB port. Some come with a larger wireless receiver that sticks out from the USB port a couple of inches.

Those with nano receivers tend to be more expensive than their counterpart but might be worth checking out, especially if you travel a lot for work. While a wired mouse doesn’t have to worry about batteries or charging because they are plugged into your USB or PS2 port, the downside is that you a tied to your computer. You have a limited length of cord to work with which can be troublesome as well as having to deal with tangled cords that may damage the wire.

Laser or Optical

When you use your mouse, it operates by tracking in dpi, otherwise known as dots per inch. Optical mice typically track between 400 and 800 dpi which is perfectly fine for your regular everyday-use mouse. However, a laser mouse will generally be about to track 2,000 or more dpi.

While this number is pretty high and not necessary for consumers using a mouse for basic functions, such precise tracking can be overkill, even becoming annoying. For those who work in graphic design or those who may be pretty big into gaming, the preciseness and sensitivity that comes with such a high dpi can be a welcome feature.

Ergonomics

As using computers and mice has become the norm in society, so have the issues with hand and wrist pain that come from the odd angles we keep our hands in while we work. This is why the ergonomics of the mouse you choose is the most important thing to consider before you buy not only a mouse but any peripheral.

For mice, in particular, correct ergonomics is important because it can help prevent repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Unfortunately, the ergonomics of a mouse aren’t one-size-fits-all, no matter what the manufacturer’s marketing department might tell you.

The only way to know if you’re going to feel comfortable using a mouse for hours on end is the same way you know if your shoes fit at the store, which is to try them on. Now with computer peripherals, a lot of times products will be boxed up so you cannot “try before you buy” or anything like that so your best option is to make sure that you do your research first, like reading this article. Good Job!

When you buy the mouse, be sure that you can return it and how long you have it, so you aren’t stuck with a mouse you can’t use. When you get home try it for that amount of time to see if it’s comfortable and doesn’t cause any pain in your arm or wrist.

Many people will choose a mouse based on its look which is fine. For graphic designers, however, you will want to focus more on comfort than aesthetics in this case.

Full-size or Travel-size

Most manufacturers make mice in both full-size and travel-size options. Which size you choose can come down to one singular piece of criteria: comfort. Many people who may never take their mouse off their desk will feel more comfortable using a travel-sized mouse because of the comfort that it provides for them, especially if they happen to have smaller hands.

Likewise, many people who primarily travel for work will choose a full-size mouse because of the comfort it provides their hand, while a travel mouse may cause them discomfort.

Programmable Buttons

Your standard mouse comes with two buttons and a scroll wheel in the middle. However, there are many mice on the market, tailored for those who may work in specialized fields like graphic design, that come with additional buttons on the side of the mouse.

These buttons are there so that you can program them, otherwise known as “mapping” them for certain functions. One such example is to set one of the buttons to be a back button when you’re on the internet.

These additional buttons can be very handy, especially if you use the same programs over and over. Mapping these buttons to a specific function isn’t very difficult and you should be able to learn how either with the mouse’s manual or on the manufacturer’s website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Part of being successful is having the best tools at your disposal to help you succeed. The right mouse is part of this; having it for your needs can make a difference, no matter what you do. 

We hope our list of the Best Computer Mouse for Designers in 2026 helps you ditch your old mouse and pick the best upgrade to help you succeed. If you found the mouse among our selections, let us know in the comments below!

More Top Gear for Graphic Designers

If you’re a graphic designer looking for some new tech, you might also want to check out these articles:

• Best monitors for designers
• Best ergonomic mousepads
• Best tablets for designers
• Best printers for designers
• Best laptops for designers
• Best computers for designers
• Best cameras for designers
• Best earphones for designers
• Best microphones for designers
• Best scanners for designers

Don’t forget to save the article for later, pin the image below!

In this post, I’ll show you the top tablets that will revolutionize your crafting experience on the Cricut Design Space. So, get ready to unlock a new level of precision and convenience as we dive into Cricut tablets.

And while we’re on this subject, you should also check out the best Cricut laptops, machines, and accessories!

What is the best tablet for Cricut Design Space?

The Apple iPad Pro13-Inch (M4) has proven to be the best tablet for Cricut in 2026– thanks to its unparalleled processing capabilities, natural pen-on-paper feel with Apple Pencil and immersive visual quality.

Best Overall

Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4)

4.9

$1,299.00 $1,219.00

The Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4) combines a powerful M4 chip with a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, making it ideal for demanding creative tasks. With support for Apple Pencil Pro and up to 2TB storage, it’s a top-tier portable workstation for professionals.

Pros:

• Exceptional performance with the M4 chip
• 13-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with HDR and sharp visuals
• Secure authentication with face ID

Cons:

• Highly expensive
• Software compatibility is limited by iPadOS

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05/30/2025 03:30 pm GMT

Top 3 Tablets for Cricut in 2026

Take a look at our top picks for the best Cricut tablets in 2026– offering unparalleled processing power, display quality, stylus compatibility, and more!

Top Pick	Top Choice for Cricut Projects	Best Value Tablet
Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4)	HP Chromebook x2 Convertible 2 in 1 Tablet	SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S9 Android Tablet
Primary Rating: 4.9	Primary Rating: 4.6	Primary Rating: 4.7
$1,299.00$1,219.00	$269.99$239.22	$799.99$669.99
Screen Size: 13 inches	Screen Size: 11 inches	Screen Size: 11 inches
Processor: M4 chip	Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c	Processor: Snapdragon8 Gen2
RAM: 8 GB/16 GB	RAM: 8 GB	RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB/1TB/2TB	Storage: 64 GB	Storage: 128GB
Pros: Exceptional performance with the M4 chip Secure authentication with Face ID Compatibility with Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard	Pros: Compact, portable design for flexibility High-resolution 2K display with vibrant visuals Long battery life supports all-day use	Pros: Brilliant display Natural-feeling S Pen Water and dust-resistant
Buy on Amazon	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Amazon

Top Pick

Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4)

Primary Rating:

4.9

$1,299.00$1,219.00

Screen Size:

13 inches

Processor:

M4 chip

RAM:

8 GB/16 GB

Storage:

256GB/1TB/2TB

Pros:

• Exceptional performance with the M4 chip
• Secure authentication with Face ID
• Compatibility with Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard

Buy on Amazon

Top Choice for Cricut Projects

HP Chromebook x2 Convertible 2 in 1 Tablet

Primary Rating:

4.6

$269.99$239.22

Screen Size:

11 inches

Processor:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c

RAM:

8 GB

Storage:

64 GB

Pros:

• Compact, portable design for flexibility
• High-resolution 2K display with vibrant visuals
• Long battery life supports all-day use

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Best Value Tablet

SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S9 Android Tablet

Primary Rating:

4.7

$799.99$669.99

Screen Size:

11 inches

Processor:

Snapdragon8 Gen2

RAM:

8GB

Storage:

128GB

Pros:

• Brilliant display
• Natural-feeling S Pen
• Water and dust-resistant

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10 Best Tablets for Cricut Design Space and Machine

Below, I have given detailed reviews after testing each tablet on our list to help you find the best device for Cricut Design Space and Maker in 2026:

1. Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4) ㅡ Best Overall (Editor’s Choice)

The overall best iPad for Cricut

Screen size: 13 inches | Processor: M4 chip | RAM: 8 GB/16 GB | Storage: 256GB/1TB/2TB

After exploring various tablets, the Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4) stood out as the ultimate choice for creative professionals. Its powerful M4 chip and expansive display make it ideal for crafting, designing, and productivity.

The M4 chip ensures blazing-fast performance, handling complex designs and multitasking effortlessly. With storage options up to 2TB, it offers ample space for large files, making it perfect for professionals managing extensive projects.

The 13-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is another highlight. Its 2752 x 2064 resolution, coupled with HDR support and brightness up to 1600 nits, ensures vibrant visuals and sharp details. Smooth scrolling and true-to-life colors make designing on this screen a seamless experience.

Security is enhanced with Face ID, offering a quick and secure way to unlock the device, make purchases, and sign into apps. Paired with Apple accessories like the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, the iPad transforms into a complete workstation, ideal for drawing, note-taking, and typing with precision.

While the iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4) is premium in both price and build, its iPadOS may limit compatibility with certain desktop software. However, for professionals who prioritize portability and top-notch performance, it’s a game-changer.

PROS	CONS
Exceptional performance with the M4 chip	Highly expensive
13-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with HDR and sharp visuals	Software compatibility is limited by iPadOS
Secure authentication with Face ID
Compatibility with Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard

Latest Price on Amazon:

Top Pick

Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4)

$1,299.00 $1,219.00

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05/30/2025 03:30 pm GMT

2. SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S9 — Best value for money tablet  

The best tablet for Cricut with great value for money

Screen size: 11 inches | Processor: Snapdragon8 Gen2 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128GB

When I had the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, it felt like my Cricut projects hit a new level of ease and fun. The thing that stood out the most was its screen. The 11-inch AMOLED display wasn’t just big; it was stunning. Every design I worked on looked sharp and vibrant, which was a big deal for getting the details right.

The S Pen was another highlight. Drawing or writing on that screen felt as natural as using my favorite pen on paper. It was perfect for quickly sketching designs that I could use directly in my projects, significantly cutting down my prep time.

I also really appreciated the tablet’s IP68 rating. My workspace isn’t the tidiest, and I often have drinks around. Knowing that a little water wouldn’t immediately destroy my device was a huge plus.

But it wasn’t without its flaws. Despite having a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, it lagged at times, especially when compared to other tablets like the iPad Air. And the battery life wasn’t what I hoped for; it needed frequent charging which made me carry a powerbank while traveliing.

Switching to DeX Mode for a desktop-like experience was incredibly useful, especially when I needed to multitask or handle more complex tasks than the tablet mode could comfortably manage.

Overall, the Galaxy Tab S9 made my Cricut crafting sessions more enjoyable and productive. Despite its few downsides, its benefits, such as the stunning display and the S Pen, greatly outweighed the negatives. 

PROS	CONS
Brilliant display	Performance can lag
Natural-feeling S Pen	Short battery life
Water and dust-resistant	Feels fragile

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best Value Tablet

SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S9 Android Tablet

$799.99 $669.99

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04/07/2024 01:38 am GMT

3. Apple iPad Air ㅡ Best for Graphic Designers

Best graphic design tablet for Cricut

Screen size: 10.9 inches | Operating System: M1 chip | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 64GB

The Apple iPad Air checks all the boxes when it comes to the needs of graphic designers, and I’m saying all of this from experience. Let me tell you what makes it a solid pick.

I can’t count how many times I’ve had to squint at my screen because of annoying reflections. The iPad Air’s display is something else. It’s super low on glare, which means I could work in bright spots without the headache of constantly adjusting the screen or my seating position. 

Its 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone and P3 wide color made my designs pop with the most accurate colors I’ve seen on a tablet.

Performance-wise, this thing is a beast. It runs on the Apple M1 chip, and with its 8-core CPU and GPU, I breezed through my design apps without any lag. Whether I was using the Cricut Design Space app or juggling between multiple apps, it never missed a beat. And the storage options—64GB or 256GB—meant I could keep all my important files right where I needed them.

For me, a tablet needs to do more than just show my designs. I need to interact with them. The iPad Air works with the Apple Pencil and some alternatives stylus. This makes taking notes or sketching out ideas as natural as using pen and paper.

Battery life is a big deal for me. Thankfully, the iPad Air kept up with me all day, so I could focus on my work without worrying about running out of juice.

The cameras on this tablet are also worth mentioning. The 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage and the 12MP Wide back camera were more than adequate for my needs, like attending video calls or capturing inspiration for my projects. Although, the front camera sometimes left me wanting more clarity.

Looking back, the iPad Air made a difference in my daily design work. It had everything I needed in a design tablet: a great display, solid performance, useful features for creativity, and good battery life. 

PROS	CONS
Ultra Low reflectivity	Low front camera quality
Neural Engine with 8-core CPU & 8-core GPU
Ultra Wide 12MP front 12MP Wide back camera
Security with Touch ID and Apple Pay

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best for Graphic Designers

Apple iPad Air (5th Generation)

$599.00 $449.00

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04/07/2024 01:41 am GMT

4. Microsoft QIL-00001 Surface Pro 9 — Best 2 in 1 Option

Best Cricut tablet cum laptop

Screen size : 13 inches | Processor: Intel i7 \ RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 256GB

Versatility means a lot to me, so when I got the Microsoft Surface Pro 9, it felt like hitting the jackpot.

I loved how light it was. Carrying around just 1.94 pounds for a device that could do so much was amazing. The 13-inch PixelSense display made everything from work documents to Cricut designs look fantastic. And with the power of a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, I never had to worry about it lagging or freezing, whether I was crunching numbers or letting my creative juices flow.

The display was another highlight for me. The touchscreen was super responsive, and the visuals? Just wow. The colors popped, and the Dolby Vision IQ made everything look crisp and vibrant. The 120Hz refresh rate also made scrolling through web pages and documents smooth.

Battery life was a big deal for me. I hated running for a charger in the middle of the day, and thankfully, the Surface Pro 9 kept up with me for over 15 hours on a single charge. That’s a whole day of work and extra time for chilling without worrying about battery life.

The connectivity options were decent. I used the USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 ports for everything, from connecting external displays to attaching high-speed storage. With Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1, I always had a fast and reliable connection, which was great for my endless video calls and music streaming.

I also found the adjustable Kickstand and the Phone Link feature super handy. Probing the screen at just the right angle for video calls or presentations was a small but significant convenience.

However, it wasn’t all perfect. The limited ports bugged me. I missed having a headphone jack (I had to use Bluetooth headphones) and sometimes wished for more connectivity options. Also, the price felt steep for what I got, especially when I looked at other devices with similar specs.

To sum it up, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is versatile, powerful, and packed with features that make professional work easier in many ways.

PROS	CONS
Super versatile	No headphone jack
Light and easy to carry around	Pricey for the features it offers
The battery lasted all day long
Good connectivity options with USB-C and Thunderbolt 4
Adjustable Kickstand and Phone Link

Latest Price on Amazon:

Best 2 in 1 Option

Microsoft QIL-00001 Surface Pro 9

$1,804.97 $1,458.43

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04/29/2025 08:53 am GMT

5. SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S9 FE — Best Slim and Lightweight Tablet 

Best portable tablet compatible with Cricut

Screen size: 10.9 Inches | Processor: Samsung Exynos 1380 | RAM: 6 GB | Storage: 128 GB

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE was a tablet that made managing my Cricut projects easy. Its portability stood out to me the most. I could easily take it everywhere, from my cozy home setup to the outdoors.

The 10.9-inch screen was large enough for design but not too big. Whether I was sketching out new ideas or adjusting details on a design, the clarity and size of the display let me see everything perfectly. And with the S Pen, it felt like I was drawing right on paper, which is exactly what I needed for precision in my Cricut projects.

I’m not always the most careful with my gadgets, so the tablet’s water and dust resistance were a real plus. I didn’t stress over the occasional spill or the dust that seemed to find its way onto everything in my workspace.

The battery life on this thing was impressive. I could work through most of the day without needing to recharge. And when I did need to charge it, it powered up quickly, so I wasn’t waiting around to get back to my projects.

However, the processor sometimes struggled with more demanding apps, which was frustrating when I tried to do a lot at once. The lack of a headphone jack was also a pain. The only workaround for this was to use Bluetooth headphones.

Even with those drawbacks, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE was a solid choice for my Cricut projects. Its big, beautiful screen, long battery life, and handy S Pen are hard to ignore.

PROS	CONS
Super portable, easy to take everywhere	Processor lagged with heavy apps
Big, clear screen made designing a pleasure	No headphone jack for wired audio
S Pen felt like drawing on paper, great for detailed work
Durable against water and dust
Long battery life kept me going