← the writing brand & design · 6 essays

Brand & Design

Brand identity systems, logo design, trademark workflows, and the gap between freelance Fiverr work and a six-month studio engagement. Practical for founders.

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19 sept 2026 14 Fun Domain Extensions, and the Registries Behind Them .com is crowded. .boo, .lol, .dad, .ing and .new are not. Here are 14 fun domain extensions, the registry behind each one, and three ways to use them that are more than a joke.
3 aug 2026 Trademark or Domain First? The Right Order for Naming a Business Check trademark risk before you commit to the domain. Domain availability matters, but owning a URL does not clear the name for use. Here is the right sequence by country and business type.
2 may 2026 Coffee Shop Branding Budgets: What Each Tier Buys in 2026 The US branded coffee shop market just hit $58.5bn across 45,200 outlets. Standing out costs money. But how much, and on what? Here's what each branding budget tier actually buys you in 2026.
1 may 2026 Brand Asset Management vs Digital Asset Management: Why You Need Both Most marketing teams conflate brand asset management with digital asset management and end up with a system that does neither job properly. Here's how they actually differ, and why getting this wrong costs real money.
1 may 2026 What Is a Brand Strategist? A Working Guide for 2026 Brand strategist is one of those titles that sounds important but stays blurry until you've actually worked with one. Here's what the role genuinely involves, who's good at it, and whether it's worth hiring or becoming one in 2026.
28 apr 2026 Brand Name & Colours: How to Get Both Right Picking a brand name and colours isn't a creative exercise, it's a strategic one. Here's how I approach both after 9 years and 12,000+ sites, with no fluff.