Design With Kristin

Hey Reader, Most people think branding is choosing your fonts, picking a color palette, and designing a logo. I get it. That’s the fun, visible part. But that’s not where branding actually begins... It's just the expression of it. The real work happens before all of the fun visual stuff. Branding is the meaning behind those visual decisions. It’s who you are and what makes you unlike anybody else. It’s who you’re here to serve. It’s what you stand for. It’s why your work matters. It’s the...

Hey Reader, Branding can feel weirdly heavy when it’s your own business. (Don't ask me how I know...) Like… this isn’t just a graphic. This is your thing. Your ideas. Your future. Your reputation. No pressure, right? 😅 You want your brand to feel aligned and polished and completely YOU. And because it feels important, every tiny decision somehow feels GINORMOUS! So you tweak the colors. Try out some different fonts. Convince yourself that maybe it just needs a different vibe. Then you’re...

Hey Reader, AI is powerful. We all know that by now. It has a TON of potential, especially when it comes to branding (which, obviously, is my jam). It can brainstorm directions, surface themes and remix ideas in seconds. As a thinking partner? Incredible. When I first started exploring ChatGPT for branding support, the results were ...fine. Not terrible. Not wrong. Just broad. A little trend-adjacent. A lot of “this could belong to anyone.” It felt like asking a very smart intern to figure...

Hey Reader, Do you remember the moment you first started exploring the idea of building something online? Maybe it was late at night, scrolling and realizing that other people were creating businesses from their laptops. Maybe it was during a season when you wanted more flexibility, more creativity, more ownership over your time. Or maybe it was just a ginormous idea you couldn’t ignore… something that felt exciting and full of possibility. The optimism was magical. Your ideas were flowing....

Hey Reader, I had a conversation last week that really got me thinking. (Like, I thought about it allll weekend!) It centered around AI-generated imagery, and whether using it in brand design is “stealing.” That word hit hard. STEALING? Eek. Let me say this: I am not here to convince you. I’m simply offering my perspective as a designer who’s been in the game long before AI came on the scene. This is how I think, and if it resonates with you, you're in the right place. I’ve always believed...

Hey Reader, Sometimes you pick a font or a color and think, “Yep! That’s it.” It feels fun. It feels like you. Until you step back and realize... it’s kind of sending the wrong message. That happened this week while I was working through brand visuals with a student inside the AI Branding Experience, and the lesson was too good not to share. That reminded me just how powerful the small stuff can be, especially when you understand why it works (or doesn’t). And honestly? That’s why I’ve been...

Hey, Reader, Poppin' into your inbox today to talk about one of my biggest design crushes... My all-time favorite type of graphic to design... And the single graphic that threw me into the online business space and led me to teaching all things branding, design and Canva. Drumroll please... ❤️Pinterest Pins❤️ You know when you're designing a pin and everything's flowing… until you get to the logo and you're like: "Do I just... toss it somewhere on my pin design and hope for the best?" One of...

Hey, Reader, For the past couple of months, I've been busy BTS cracking the AI code for branding - and oh my... I can't wait to share EVERYTHING with you soon! But first, let’s rewind... I fell in love with design when I was just 9 years old. (Shoutout to Printmaster Gold Deluxe for giving me my very first design playground!) Fast-forward to today and... AI?! Never in a million years did I think this is where branding and design would go. Moodboards, color palette options, and fonts inspo in...

Hey, Reader, Have you ever been halfway through a Canva design and thought.... “Something’s missing… but what?” (Like your graphic got dressed up for the party but forgot its earrings? Yeah, that vibe.😉) I get it. You want your stuff to look polished and pro... but not like you copied the same template as everyone else. And when you’re in a design slump? Your creative energy disappears fast. Have no fear - your designer bestie is here! Today I'm handing you 5 quick, totally-doable tricks to...

Hey, Reader, Welcome to the grand finale of the 3-part series featuring some of my favorite eye-catching design trends that are not only fun to look at—but super easy to recreate in Canva. 🙌🎉 If you’ve been following along the past couple of weeks, I’ve been dropping in with some of the easiest, eye-catching trends to recreate in Canva—straight from a recent training I hosted inside The Brand Boss Design Club. (Consider this your backstage pass to the cliff-notes.) Want to catch up? ✨Click...