Intake Brand Discovery

Brand Discovery Intake — My Branding Strategist

Auto-Saving Brand Discovery

Start

Business

III

Audience

Voice

Landscape

Visual

VII

Review

§ I

Let's begin.

First, a few basics so we know who you are and what we're working on together.

Your full name *

Email address *

Business name *

Website (if any)

Instagram handle (if any)

Which engagement are you starting? *

This determines which sections of this intake apply to you.

Brand Strategy only Positioning, messaging, voice — no visual identity work

Visual Identity only Logo system, colors, type — visual work (Startup tier has strategy included)

Both Strategy + Visual Identity Full brand engagement — strategy, voice, and complete visual system

The Signal ($750 Entry Engagement) 5-day strategic clarity engagement — shorter intake applies

Which tier is your engagement? *

§ II

The Business.

Tell us about what you've built. The facts first, then the feelings — both matter.

In one sentence — what does your business do? *

The short, plain-English version. As if explaining it to someone at dinner.

What does your business actually offer right now? *

List your services, products, or offerings. Current reality — not what you plan to offer later.

How long have you been in business?

Revenue range (current year)

What made you start this business? *

Your origin story — the why behind the work. Write as much or as little as feels right.

What's frustrating about your current brand? *

What's not working, what feels off, what you're tired of explaining. Be honest — this is where we find the real problem.

What does success look like 12 months from now? *

Not metrics — outcomes. What's different about your business, your day-to-day, your positioning?

§ III

The Audience.

Who you serve matters as much as what you offer. The sharper we can define them, the sharper the brand can speak to them.

Who is your ideal client or customer? *

Not demographics alone — describe them as a whole person. Their life, their values, what they care about.

What does your ideal client struggle with that you solve? *

The specific pain, problem, or longing they bring to you.

What do they value most? *

Quality? Convenience? Community? Status? Craft? Honesty? Aesthetics? The things that make them choose one brand over another.

What are they moving away from? *

What tired version of the category are they done with? What do they NOT want anymore?

Where do they spend their time online?

Platforms, publications, podcasts, communities. Helps us understand their context.

§ IV

The Voice.

How you sound is as much your brand as how you look. This is how we calibrate tone before a single word gets written.

Five words that DO describe your brand *

Not what you aspire to be — what your brand already is, at its best.

Five words that do NOT describe your brand *

What your brand is absolutely not. This is often more useful than the "yes" list.

Brands whose voice you admire *

3–5 brands (any industry) whose writing, tone, or communication feels aligned with where you're going. Why each?

Brands whose voice you actively don't want to sound like

Optional but powerful. Examples of what to avoid — tonally, energetically, positioning-wise.

§ V

The Landscape.

Where you sit in your category defines how you're positioned against it. Let's map what's around you.

Who do you consider your direct competitors? *

3–5 businesses that do what you do, for a similar audience, at a similar level. Include links if useful.

Who do you admire in your category? *

Not competitors — aspirational peers. Brands operating at the level you're moving toward.

What makes you different from everyone else in your category? *

The honest answer. Not "better quality" or "personal service" — specifically what's genuinely different about your approach, offering, or point of view.

What's something you believe that your category generally doesn't?

A point of view that sets you apart. A conviction. A refusal.

§ VI

The Visual Direction.

This section applies to Visual Identity engagements. Help us understand the aesthetic language your brand should speak in.

Colors you instinctively associate with your brand

Not final choices — gut reactions. Warm? Cool? Specific hues? Anything to avoid?

Typography mood

Serif (editorial, traditional) or sans-serif (modern, clean)? Or custom direction? What typography speaks to your audience?

Aesthetic anchors — brands whose visual identity you love *

3–5 brands whose visual identity feels aligned with your direction. Any category. Include Instagram handles or websites.

Mood board link (optional but helpful)

Pinterest, Figma, Google Drive, Milanote — any collection of visual references you've been gathering.

Things you visually HATE *

Specific aesthetic choices that make you cringe. Often the most useful direction we get — what not to do.

Existing brand assets you'd like preserved (if any)

Elements of your current brand that you want kept — a name, a mark, a color, a tagline.

§ VII

Almost there.

Review your answers below. You can go back to any section to edit, or submit when everything feels right.

Anything else we should know?

Context, constraints, special considerations, things that didn't fit the questions above.

When do you need this completed by?

✓

Intake Received

Thank you.

Your Brand Discovery intake is in. Jessica will review within 2 business days and respond with a kickoff schedule and any follow-up questions.

What happens next

You'll receive a confirmation email shortly. Within 2 business days, Jessica will follow up with a proposed kickoff timeline and share any clarifying questions. The engagement begins when the first deposit clears and the agreement is signed.

— MBS Studio