VS.
So ya wanna to start a business, huh?
In launching my graphic design business I know the importance of having  a strong & cohesive brand identity. For this project I would like to solve the problem of my design brand identity while looking for a creative angle to draw an audience and set myself apart. In looking at the current landscape I have identified other designers I admire. Most of them choose to give back to their design community by providing recourses and encouragement to younger designers making their own way in the industry. This being in the form of free design assets, tutorials, courses, or encouraging messages on social media. This is something I would also like to include as a part of my practice, and explore in my capstone project. For my capstone project I would like focus on creating the brand identity for my graphic design business.

Included in the assets, I am going to create a series of branded inspirational posters as the start of my giving back to the design community (like those I admire). These posters will reflect certain milestones I have hit as a part of building my own brand identity. However, there is a twist. These posters will have a small animated monster living inside them, causing mischief and attempting to sabotage the message held within. The monster is named ‘Impo’ and he will be the embodiment of the “imposter syndrome” I feel as a new designer. His existence pokes fun at my own insecurities as a way to disarm them, and helps me (and hopefully others) to not take them so seriously. 

I find so much joy in design and being creative, and this project is meant to help me and others remember that when having moments of doubt along the way. 

If you have a problem, name it, draw it, & destroy it.

Turns out, this is actually a thing that's been done before.
In my initial research for my project, I didn't really do any. Since my project is based comes from a very personal and emotional idea, I thought drawing my impostor syndrome monster was just a way to get him out of my mind and onto paper. But it turns out having people suffering from anxiety and depression draw a personification of their stresses is a tool psychologists use. To my delight this solidified my decision to move foward with this project, and this might help others as well. Here are some of the research articles describing it:
Childhood & The Art of the Worry Monster
Conquering the Worry Monster
Externalizing with a Worry Monster
How it got here.
This project was planned to be built in two phases. Phase I was building my brand identify. After research of the current design landscape, and many iterations, I have landed on my finalized brand guidelines. These will serve not only as the brand identity for my graphic design business, but they will also serve as the inspiration for my motivational posters. Click below to scroll through the brand guidelines.
Phase II was developing Impo, my imposter syndrome monster. He is the representation of the inner voice in my head that doubts my abilities, says "you can't do that", or tells me I should not go for it. I know I am not the only one that feels this way as a new designer, so hopefully showing Impo to others we can talk about this and help to stop him.

Drawing inspiration from Yoda from "Star Wars", Ludo from "Labyrinth", and a little E.T., I wanted Impo to feel sinister, but still small and cute enough to be less intimidating. I believe the key to defeating him is finding humor in his existence and taking away his power. Click below to see sketches of how Impo came to life.
The Posters