JILLIAN BARNES PERSONAL BRAND WITH PROCESS BOOK:

From the beginning, I knew I wanted something minimal, black and white, and elevated- a mark that felt Parisian and design-forward for my logo. Getting there, however, required some detours. I explored color, illustrated matchbooks, and even a palm tree or two- none of which felt true to the aesthetic I was building toward. Each iteration taught me something (especially how to use Adobe products), but none of them actually felt like me. The breakthrough came when I landed on the leopard. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone. Incorporating an animal into a personal logo felt bold in a way that just my initials never could, but that was exactly what made it right. The leopard is sleek, instinctive, and quietly powerful. The leopard itself represents independence and power. Rendered in a spotted, almost fragmented illustration style beneath the spaced-out “BARNES” wordmark, it strikes the balance I was searching for: wild enough to have character, refined enough to feel luxurious. The result is a logo that feels like where I want to go- part Parisian fashion house, part personal signature.