Brand Strategy & Creative Direction Template (Illustrator & Indesign)

Getting started in a brand design project can be overwhelming. This 30 page Brand Strategy & Creative Direction template (for Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Indesign) makes it easy to figure out the important stuff —who your client is, what they need, and where their brand is going — before you start designing.

With prompts to help you fill it in, This template is built to save you hours of work, revisions & those awkward “Am I doing this right?” moments down the line. By working through a strategy first and agreeing on a direction with your client, you’re setting yourself up to design an impactful identity for your their brand (and impresses them at the same time 😉 ).

What’s Inside:

• A 30-page template available in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign - (3:4 Landscape)
• Strategy Section including pages for the brand mission, vision, values, audience, competitor analysis, brand personality, customer journey, brand story and more
• Creative Direction Section with space for two mood boards.
• An example brand with a toggleable layer in Illustrator + an included PDF version.
• Promps to help you fill it in
• A “Read Me First” page with links to the Adobe Fonts you’ll need.

Why You’ll Love It:

• No Lorem Ipsum Here: Every section comes with prompts, tips, and instructions, so you’re less stuck on what to write.
• See It in Action: You get a fully written example brand (featuring a fun, fake passion project I had way too much fun creating) so you can see how I use this in a project
• Keep Your Client on Board: No more second-guessing your design decisions. Present two creative directions (with mood boards!) for your client to choose from. They become included in the process, while you stay in control of the project. Win win!

Where This Fits in the Process:
This is Step 1 in the 123 Method—Brand Strategy > Brand Presentation > Brand Guidelines. Use this template to get clear on your client’s brand before designing. This makes sure everyone’s on the same page.

Once you’ve nailed the strategy, move on to the Brand Presentation (Step 2) to present the new identity to your client, and the Brand Guidelines (Step 3) to deliver the rules of the final identity so they're never stuck on how to use it.

Have any questions? Feel free to reach out in instagram -- @brandsbyrobin