When Beauty Isn’t Enough – How I Learned to Design the Stories Behind the Brands

For over seven years, I’ve been designing brand identities- creating visuals that help businesses, big and small, stand out. While I’ve always enjoyed this work, I realized something was missing from my process: the deeper strategy and storytelling that truly bring a brand to life.

Beyond beautiful logos and color palettes, every brand needs a compelling story—one that informs every decision, from the choice of colors to how staff present themselves. I wasn’t sure how to develop this crucial aspect. Then I discovered the Nbari Brand Strategy & Experience (BSE) Incubator, and it felt like the perfect solution.

The three-week program was intense and transformative. I especially appreciated the build-up to the main program through the free classes, where Tunde Ogunkunle, the chief priest taught “how not to be creative” and broke down the Tiantia brand case study.

Interestingly, I missed the first class on brand essence, but I was able to catch up because recordings were available after every class, and I asked my questions in the next session. Each class offered a different experience with new knowledge gained. Tunde Ogunkunle took time to answer everyone’s questions, give constructive feedback, and share resources without gatekeeping.

I learned how to uncover a brand’s essence, vision, mission, values, positioning, archetype, tone of voice, and target audience—everything that forms the foundation of a powerful brand story. I also gained practical skills in preparing strategy documents and client presentations.

Even though it was a brand strategy and experience program, my key takeaway was how to tell stories. I quickly realized that understanding the strategy behind a brand is vital to telling its story and crafting a compelling experience—and this was evident in my final presentation.

My final presentation focused on a brand aiming to make fashion accessible to everyone. I defined the brand’s strategy and experience based on what I learned in class, but my major challenge was documenting and communicating these ideas as a story. After several revisions—and with the help of Tunde Ogunkunle, the Chief Priest—I not only developed a strong presentation but also delivered it in an engaging way.

I’m deeply grateful to the Nbari Chief Priest and every member of the team for this incredible opportunity. This experience has transformed the way I approach my work, and I’m excited to help brands tell their stories more intentionally than ever before.