I'm currently taking part in @thebrand_stylist ’s Elevate, a “six week mentoring programme for brand designers committed to excellence.” Wow - it is a rollercoaster! 

Every fortnight Fiona releases three design briefs to us and we have to choose the one brief that resonates the most and then create a brand identity that feels right. This week I chose a wellness retreat in Wales (brief below) - not your usual Spa and Prosecco thing - this is a full on wim-hof method challenge retreat with ice baths, hikes, waterfall dips and rock climbing for exhausted executives.

The schedule for the mentoring programme is that we receive the briefs on Monday morning and submit our initial designs by Sunday night. We then get feedback early in week two, giving us enough time to refine (or in my case chuck out and start again) the designs before final submission. No excuses, no late submissions - this is just like real life!

There are loads of training lessons and seminars along the way and video feedback personal to us … Now on the subject of feedback, there was a traffic light system of ‘how strong do you want your feedback to be?’ I was feeling pretty gung-ho last year when I booked the mentoring programme so I think I said ‘BRING IT ON’ And well ... Fiona did … in spades … in fact I got a proper beasting - ‘The naughties called and want their logo ideas back’. However after some proper brand feel analysis and research (and soul searching, imposter syndrome and nail biting), I resubmitted my developed branding idea and was mightily relieved to find out I’d nailed it!

There are around 20 of us experiencing this mentoring experience right now from all over the globe, so it is fascinating to see the range of projects chosen and everyone’s different design solutions. It is now Week 3, (Brief2/Week1) and I’ve chosen to brand a patisserie subscription box with an exciting twist! Fiona's strategic and emotional insight into brand design is blooming amazing, and we are learning loads - definitely a huge elevation!

Check out the brief and my branding design below and tell me what you think of it!

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