direction before decoration

direction before decoration

Brand strategy, creative direction and identity systems for
founder-led brands.

North of Now works with founders who know their brand has more in it, but need sharper positioning, clearer messaging and a visual direction that actually holds.

Define → Decide → Build

Strategy first.
Direction next.
Then, we build.

Need
some help?

  • Let’s get on a call and see what’s going on with you and your brand. We can then see what’s going to be best for you and if we’re a good fit. A chance to ask and answer some questions.

  • A 60-minute brand diagnosis for founders who need a sharp outside read before they invest in bigger brand work.

    £350

  • A two-day brand strategy and creative direction sprint for new brands that want to enter the market with clarity, confidence and a point of view.

    £3,800

  • A two-day brand reset for existing brands that have grown, shifted or outpaced their current identity.

    £3,800

  • A full visual identity system built after the strategy is clear.

    £4,500

BOOK A CALL

STRATEGY + CREATIVE SERVICES

 

THE CLARITY CALL

| £350

A 60-minute brand diagnosis for founders who are too close to see what’s actually off.

Your brand doesn’t need more fiddling. It needs a sharper read.

In this focused session, I’ll review your brand before we meet, then walk you through what’s working, what’s confusing, what’s weakening trust and what needs to change first.

Good for you if:

  • Your brand feels flat, messy or hard to explain

  • Your website isn’t converting

  • Your Instagram doesn’t match the level of your offer

  • You keep tweaking but nothing feels solved

  • You’re about to invest in design and want to know what actually needs fixing

  • You want senior creative direction without committing to a full sprint yet

You’ll get:

  • A pre-call review of your brand

  • A 60-minute Zoom diagnosis

  • Clear creative and strategic feedback

  • Your top fixes and priorities

  • A short post-call action summary

What this gives you:
A sharp outside read on what your brand is really saying.

We’ll look at your messaging, visuals, website, social presence, offer and overall brand feel, then identify what’s working, what’s weakening trust and what needs fixing first.

What it’s not:
Not a full brand strategy.
Not a full rebrand.
Not design execution.

Let’s get things clear so you can get moving again.

BOOK A CALL
 

THE LAUNCH.

Two day new brand direction sprint.

A two-day focused session for new brands that want to get it right first time - not guess, patch, or redo later.

We work through the fundamentals that make everything else easier: positioning, audience clarity, messaging direction and
visual intent.

Day 01 - Strategic Foundation

We’re not “finding your vibe.”
We’re building a brand that can enter a market properly.

  • What space you’re actually entering (not just what you sell)

  • Who this is truly for - and why they’ll care

  • Where you can win - and where you won’t

  • What makes this worth launching at all

  • The stance you’re prepared to take from day one

By the end of Day 01, the foundation is clear. You know what this brand is and what it refuses to be.

Day 02 - Creative Direction

Now we give it form.

  • One idea strong enough to launch with a personality that feels intentional

  • A visual world that doesn’t look
    like everyone else in the category

  • A voice that sounds like it knows itself

  • A launch direction that holds together across touchpoints

This sprint sets the direction.

What this gives you:
A strong foundation - so everything you build next makes sense. Lets save you 6 months of frustration eh?

What it’s not:
A rushed logo job or a
half-formed identity.

BOOK A CALL

THE RESET.

Two day brand reset sprint.

A two-day focused session for existing brands that feel misaligned, muddled, or stuck - but don’t need another patch job.

We strip things back and get honest about what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s quietly holding the brand back. Positioning, audience clarity, messaging direction and visual intent are all reset - deliberately.

You'll come away knowing who you are, who you're for, what direction you're heading in and with what tools.

Day 01 - Strategic Clarity

We don’t run exercises. We interrogate the business.

  • What you say you want vs what you’re actually building

  • Where revenue hides (and where it leaks)

  • Whether your offer stack makes sense

  • If you’re positioned or just present

  • Who is really buying, not who you wish was

Day 02 - Creative Direction

Strategy becomes something visible.

  • One idea strong enough to hold the brand

  • A visual world that reflects it

  • A voice with intent

  • Structure across key touch-points

  • A direction your team can execute without second-guessing

What this gives you:
A clean reset and a framework that actually makes the next moves obvious. Lets save you years of ups and downs eh?

What it’s not:
Not a patch-up or surface-level colour change.

BOOK A CALL

identity system.

After the sprint, we build the brand properly.

This is where strategy turns into identity.

We create a distinctive identity suite and design a visual system that actually holds weight - logos, colour, typography, layout logic, brand devices and photographic direction all working as one, not as scattered parts.

You leave with a complete brand system, clearly structured, confidently applied, and ready to run - not something that falls apart the moment you open Canva.

This isn’t a quick logo drop.
It’s a structured, scalable identity built to last.

What It’s Not

  • Endless concept rounds

  • A Pinterest-style logo pack

  • A six-month design spiral

  • Strategy all over again

Most people leave with a brand and still don’t know what to do with it. You leave knowing exactly how to use it.

*Only available with The Reset or The Launch.

BOOK A CALL

North of Now works with LIMITED Sprint clients per month. Dates are typically booked 4–6 weeks ahead.

 FAQs

 

  • Collaborative. Always.

    You’re involved in the thinking, the decisions, and the direction - I just guide the process and cut through the fluff so we don’t spiral or overthink.

    You’ll leave knowing why decisions were made, not just what they are.

  • Reset and Launch Sprints deliver:

    • Position

    • Message

    • Visual direction

    • A clear plan

    If you want logos, type systems and brand guidelines, that’s the Identity System.

    Direction first.
    Build second.

    In that order.

  • Yes - but for different reasons.

    • The Launch → for new brands that want to start properly

    • The Reset → for brands that have grown but feel misaligned

    • The Drop → for campaigns that need to land clearly and cut through

    If you’re unsure which fits, we’ll work that out before booking.

  • You’ll complete a short but intentional prep - no busywork.

    This gives me context so we don’t waste time in the room, and means we can go deep, fast.

  • You leave with:

    • your sprint bible

    • a clear next-step action plan

    • confidence in what to do (and what to stop doing)

    No dangling threads. No “we’ll figure it out later”.

  • Not as part of the sprint.

    This keeps the work sharp, the thinking clean, and the cost fair.
    If you want support building or rolling things out after, that’s a separate conversation.

  • Click Tell Me More, fill in the form, and I’ll come back to you personally.

    No funnels. No pressure.
    Just a conversation to see if it’s the right fit.