How do you automate and streamline your brand design workflows and processes using software?

Choose the right software

Choosing the right software to automate and streamline your brand design workflows and processes is the first step. There are many options, but you should consider factors such as functionality, usability, compatibility, scalability, and cost. Common types of software used by brand designers include graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign; brand management software such as Frontify, Brandfolder, and Bynder; web design software like WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix; and presentation software like PowerPoint, Keynote, and Prezi.

Set up templates and libraries

The second step to automate and streamline your brand design workflows and processes is to set up templates and libraries for your common tasks and projects. These pre-made and customizable files contain elements like layouts, colors, fonts, images, icons, and content, which can save you time and effort by allowing you to reuse them for different purposes and platforms. For instance, templates and libraries can be used to create a cohesive brand identity across various media, like business cards, flyers, social media posts, and newsletters. Furthermore, they can speed up your graphic design process with ready-made and editable graphics, such as logos, icons, illustrations, and photos. Moreover, they can simplify your web design process with responsive and flexible web pages like homepages, about pages, contact pages, and portfolios. Additionally, they can enhance your presentation process with engaging and professional slides like covers, titles, charts, and infographics.

Automate repetitive tasks

The third step to automate and streamline your brand design workflows and processes is to automate repetitive tasks that take up a lot of your time and energy. Automation is the use of software or technology to perform tasks that normally require human input or intervention, which can help you improve your productivity, accuracy, and quality. For instance, you can use automation to generate and optimize graphics, such as logos, icons, illustrations, and photos, using artificial intelligence or machine learning. Additionally, automation can be used to apply and update brand assets across different files and platforms using cloud-based or sync-based systems. Lastly, you can test and improve web design using online tools or plugins. Examples of these are Tailor Brands, Canva, Adobe Sensei, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, Google Analytics, Lighthouse, and Yoast.

Integrate different tools

Integrating different tools into your brand design workflows and processes is the fourth step to automate and streamline them. Integration is the connection or communication between different software or systems that allows them to work together seamlessly, thus enhancing workflow, collaboration, and communication by eliminating redundancies, gaps, and conflicts. To illustrate, you can use integration to transfer and convert files between different formats and platforms with online converters or plugins such as Zamzar, CloudConvert, and FileZigZag. You can also share and edit files with your team members or clients using online platforms or apps like Slack, Trello, and Google Docs. Finally, you can embed and display your brand design work on your website or portfolio using widgets or codes from Behance, Dribbble, and Instagram.

Learn and update your skills

The fifth step to automate and streamline your brand design workflows and processes is to keep up with the latest trends, features, and best practices in using software tools. Doing so can help you maximize the potential and benefits of software tools by enabling you to use them more effectively, efficiently, and creatively. To stay updated, you can take online courses or tutorials such as those offered by Skillshare, Udemy, and Lynda. You can also read blogs or articles from Smashing Magazine, Creative Bloq, and Design Shack for tips and tricks. Additionally, joining online communities or forums like Reddit, Quora, and Stack Exchange can help you exchange ideas on using software tools for brand design.

Evaluate and improve your results

The sixth step to automate and streamline your brand design workflows and processes is to evaluate and improve your results using software tools. Evaluation and improvement can help you enhance your brand design quality, performance, and satisfaction by identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. To achieve this, you can collect and review feedback from team members or clients via online surveys or forms such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Google Forms. You can also compare and benchmark your brand design work with competitors or industry standards using tools such as Brandwatch, SimilarWeb, or Alexa. Additionally, you can track and measure your brand design goals and objectives using online dashboards or reports such as Google Data Studio, Tableau, or Power BI.

Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?