Personal branding, great design, and a new masthead

I'm a huge believer in the power of personal branding on the Web. How cool is it that you can create interesting content that people want to read and share? Things like ebooks, blogs, YouTube videos and the like show the world your passions. And then interested people seek you out.

For nearly a decade, my favorite designer is a genius named Doug Eymer. I worked with Doug in my last corporate VP marketing job and continued using Doug to create killer designs for two of my book covers – Eyeball Wars and Cashing in with Content. Doug also designed my Web site and my two most popular ebooks The New Rules of PR and The New Rules of Viral Marketing.

I commissioned Doug to do a new masthead for my blog. The direction I gave Doug was that I wanted to convey through the masthead the ideas I talk about, particularly the concept that you can create great content on the Web and that you don't need to rely on expensive advertising or begging the media to get noticed.

I also wanted to carry consistency of my designs through my various publishing endeavors. The blog masthead was the one thing that had been a little "off" because the old design (which I liked very much) was done by a different person.

Here is the old masthead

My friend, the positioning guru Mark Levy, says of the new masthead: "Doug nailed it, David. It's perfect. It's energetic, passionate, and shows the power of the individual's mind and voice in action. Bravo."

I think Doug did a great job, don't you?

(Note – if you're reading this soon after I changed mastheads today and you're seeing my old masthead, you may need to hit refresh on your browser.)

Thanks Doug!

Comments

[Joe Pulizzi, Junta42]

Love it David. Doug did a nice job. Design is such an important element of the content process. We used to say in the magazine business that the purpose of the cover was to make someone turn the page. You can't do that without great design. Well done.

jp

[Lizzie Azzolino]

David -- I very recently began to create a "personal brand" online, via blogging, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. The masthead looks great, but I don't have anything to compare it to, as a new reader! I was in the audience in Dr. Russell's WOM class today, and you've definitely got a new follower in me. I'm looking forward to finishing "New Rules" and following your blog. I'm glad I could ask you a "tough" question -- "What organizations are most effectively making use of the new rules of marketing?" I've been exploring IBM's many blogs. Thanks for the advice and for your time today!

[Mike Sigers]

Great new design !

Doug's done a helluva job, just as he did with your books.

[Grant D. Griiffiths]

David -- Love the new banner for the blog. Good job.

[Nettie Hartsock]

I like the green!!!

[Krishna De]

David - I think the upgraded blog header is really energetic - I'll now have a mental picture of you typing furiously.

Here I was thinking that you put your feet up all day watching your Amazon sales $ rolling into your bank account and checking now and again your servers did not go down as a result of all the downloads of your free ebooks!

Bringing your personal brand to life through your visual identity online is always challenging. You and Doug have done a great job.

And carrying your personal brand visual identity through all places you are online is something of a challenge - I know as I am working through that with my designer at the moment.

You might want to think how this can be represented in your home page on Twitter too?

[Randy - 1429 Creative]

I enjoy it as well....I like the whimsical cartoon next to the bold typeface.

[Bill Gluth]

Excellent new masthead, David. It conveys energy, tells anyone who doesn't know you what you do and gives me an interesting feel for the name, Web Ink Now.

It conveys an excellent, new personal brand.

Bill Gluth

[Shama Hyder]

Hi David,

Honest opinion- Love the style of the banner. Not sure if I love the green and orange.

[Doug Eymer]

David ::
Thank you for the very kind words. As a designer, I have to credit great clients. I couldn't do what I do, if I didn't have fearless clients like you.

Thank you also for getting the word out. I am always on the prowl for fun and challenging projects.

Doug.

Shama ::
Green is the most difficult color to sell. Give yourself some time and it will grow on you -- but not like a moss.

[Philippa Kennealy]

I like the old-fashioned look, with the typewriter going crazy and the appropriate font spewing out - it's an interesting paradox that conveys the idea that old-school marketing (like writing "thought leadership" articles etc) should not be discarded, but instead be married to the new marketing tools that Web 2.0 has to offer.
Being of Irish origin, I like the green (lushness, money??), white (clarity??) and orange (RSS feed??) :-)
Philippa

[Mike Ashworth]

I think the guy at the typewriter really portrays your brand well and I feel the same as Philippa about the Organe. I thought RSS feed colour too.

Great work by Doug.

Mike Ashworth
Business Coaching and Consultancy
Brighton and Hove, Sussex, UK

[megan]

personally, i prefer the old masthead. I thought it was easier to read and the subheader/tagline was much more professional and legible.

[Cynthia Morris]

Love it! It's been awhile since I've been to the blog and my first thought was WOW! Great masthead. Very powerful visually!

[Sandra Mendoza-Daly]

Love it! But then again, I love anything vintage or retro.

But I think the little guy really represents the energy you bring to your blog. Although I'm not so sure you type that frantically. You seem like more of a zen knowledge worker ;P

[Mark R. Hinkle]

I like the new header, I love the fifties style carton on a new media blog there's an interesting theme there between the old and the new rules that's very clever.

[Rebekah Donaldson]

1. I am contacting Doug!

2. LinkedIn -- there doesn't seem to be any trace of you on their network. Are you waiting to see, or did you bail out of it?

I'm posting the Q here because this thread has an earlier comment @ personal branding.

Do tell me to butt out if you need to, but inquiring minds are, well... inquiring.