How to build your brand without the confusion, chaos, or Canva spirals
DIY branding can be empowering. You’re in the driver’s seat, calling the shots, and shaping a brand that reflects who you are and what you believe in. But when you’re juggling all the moving parts of a business—and trying to make things look beautiful, strategic, and cohesive—it’s easy to get stuck.
Maybe you’ve downloaded every free Canva template. Maybe your desktop is cluttered with three versions of the same logo. Maybe your colour palette changes with your mood. If you’ve been there, you’re not alone.
Here are the most common DIY branding mistakes I see (and exactly how to sidestep them).
1. Creating a Brand Without a Clear Foundation
The mistake: Jumping straight into logos, colours, and fonts without first defining what your brand actually stands for.
Why it matters: A brand built only on aesthetics won’t last. Your visuals need something deeper to anchor them—your values, your voice, your story.
What to do instead:
👉 Before you open Canva, ask: What do I want to be known for? What matters to me? How do I want people to feel when they interact with my brand?
👉 Map out your tone of voice, audience, purpose, and brand mood first. These are the ingredients that make your brand yours.
2. Using Too Many Fonts, Colours, or Design Elements
The mistake: Thinking more options = more personality. Instead, it creates a confusing, inconsistent experience.
Why it matters: Branding is about recognition. If you’re using six fonts and every colour under the sun, your audience won’t know what to associate with you.
What to do instead:
👉 Choose 2–3 fonts: a main heading font, a body font, and maybe one accent.
👉 Limit your colour palette to 2–4 key shades that reflect your brand’s mood.
👉 Keep it consistent across platforms—your Instagram, website, and emails should all feel like the same “you.”
3. Copy-Pasting Pinterest Trends
The mistake: Building a brand entirely out of inspiration boards and what’s trending online—without checking in on whether it feels like you.
Why it matters: A trendy brand might look good… for now. But if it doesn’t feel aligned, you’ll outgrow it fast (and find yourself rebranding again in six months).
What to do instead:
👉 Look beyond Pinterest. Check your wardrobe, your home decor, your creative instincts. What do you naturally gravitate toward?
👉 Build from your personal style—not someone else’s mood board.
👉 Don’t aim for trendy. Aim for timeless for you.
4. Constantly Tweaking Without Finishing
The mistake: Endlessly adjusting your brand kit, changing your fonts weekly, and second-guessing every design decision.
Why it matters: This creates decision fatigue and keeps you from actually launching, showing up, or building momentum.
What to do instead:
👉 Set a time frame. Give yourself one to two weeks to DIY your brand, then commit.
👉 Remind yourself: Done is better than perfect. You can refine later, but you need a solid starting point.
👉 Use a plug-and-play template (like a DIY Brand Kit) to save time, build confidence, and remove the guesswork.
5. Ignoring Strategy in Visual Design
The mistake: Choosing colours or layouts just because they’re “pretty,” without thinking about how they support your message.
Why it matters: Good branding isn’t just about looking good—it’s about making people feel something. Every visual element should support your overall story.
What to do instead:
👉 Think about the emotional tone you want your visuals to carry. Warm and nurturing? Bold and energetic?
👉 Choose colours, fonts, and imagery that reflect that tone.
👉 Every choice should answer: Does this feel like the experience I want to create?
The Bottom Line
DIY branding doesn’t have to be overwhelming, scattered, or second-guessed.
When you start with clarity, keep things simple, and stay true to your style (not the algorithm’s), your brand becomes something you’re proud to show up in.
So if you’ve been stuck in Canva spiral mode, tweaking instead of launching, or wondering why your brand still doesn’t feel right… take a breath.
Start from your story. Simplify your choices. Then build something that feels like you.
Want to skip the overwhelm? My ready-to-go DIY Brand Kits are designed to give you everything you need—templates, colours, fonts, and guidance—so you can create a brand that looks good and feels right, without doing it alone.
