RDQLUS CREATIVE: Dyana Valentine iD & branding

Last year, I met a gracious, in-your-face, dynamic personality in the form of mentor/speaker/teacher, Dyana Valentine. Frank, honest, candid… and yes that mane of untamed goodness… she was in full command of the room as she spoke to eagerly listening freelancers, at the HOW Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago, about finding our just who they were and what their focus was. Little did I know that our paths would cross and I would get the opportunity to do the same for her as a client.

Using my iD creative briefing process dubbed "Identity Therpy", I was able to take an assessment of who Dyana was at her core, her beliefs, and her message, which is that of passion for finishing what you start mixed with her own vibe quoted as "elegant utility". Wow was THAT tons to go on! And still again, there was that mane of untamed goodness…

So I steered directly into the obvious. Dyana Valentine is a sparkplug of a personality, but most people don't have an iconic and almost trademarked trait. She does, undeniably. She knows it, and she owns it, and anyone who comes within 100 feet of her can't forget it. But there had to be more to it, more substance—a back-story. So to create the silhouette of that iconic hair, the choice was made to create said silhouette from other icons that would represent aspects of her life and message that she brought to bare for hear audiences and clients. Each icon has specific meaning: big ideas, teaching, benevolence, searching for the details, hard working, yet regal and natural, raw energy. All of this that actually makes up Dyana Valentine comes together to make up the mark that represents her as a professional entity.





The full mark itself can be broken out into three phases: the "icon fro", the nameplate, and the icons themselves as useful tools for categorization and presentation of messaging and topics.















The new iD gave way to branding items that were necessary in the roll-out of her new professional suite.





Dyana is also known for her "Hello, I'm Really Good At…" stickers that are both teaching tools and ice breakers. So with a new iD, why not brand those also? A solid brand from top to bottom is a fine avenue for clear, consistent visibility messaging.






I'd like to say a big thank you to Friend of RDQLUS, Jeni Herberger, for the formal introduction to Ms. Valentine. I'd also like to thank Dyana Valentine herself for hbeing such a joy to work with and an exciting client. For more about Dyana Valentine and the amazing work she's always up to, visit www.dyanavalentine.com