What do you do if your career change in Product Design requires a strong personal brand?

I am exploring brand identity to mentor our new Certified Animal Hospice Practitioner grads. This is a new field that isn't well defined yet so they are essentially pioneers who forge the way. Building a brand identity can be as easy as three things: 1) with a clear mind, choose clear, descriptive words that identify what you are DOING and what you love to do. Those lie at the intersection of your innate talent and your passions. 2) identify who you are doing it for, who do you serve, AKA your core customer, and 3) what do you do for them to transform their problem into a solution? If any of these tests do not work, they will not be a good fit.

Participating in design forums, attending webinars, and contributing to discussions on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter can elevate your visibility and establish you as a thought leader in product design. Content Creation: Share your design process, project case studies, and insights through a blog, LinkedIn articles, or even Instagram. This showcases your expertise and your journey into product design. Networking: Connect with both seasoned professionals and fellow career changers. Networking can lead to mentorship, collaboration opportunities, and insights into the industry.

Choose your favorite customers/clients, and use their words. voice of customer research. If you don't have any clients (yet), ask them to tell their story and what was missing, or what especially helped them navigate their personal journey.

Content creation can be a potent vehicle to demonstrate expertise and to cultivate a strong brand presence. Consistently producing insightful content not only attracts a following but also solidifies my position as a valuable voice in the industry. Embracing content creation is not only about self-promotion; it's about sharing professional knowledge and making valuable contributions to the collective growth of the design community.

Visual identity can be the lynchpin of your online presence, since visual artists have to make a good and lasting first impression upon the first glance. Developing a strong visual identity aids in making your brand consistent and memorable, showcasing your work and staying uniform when it comes to your style.

Start with what you have! Most product designers want to build the perfect portfolio before they reach out and even network. But just like design, your personal brand is an iterative process - it's always evolving.