June 2, 2025: Me, at the Chris Do conference in Singapore

Logo #4: The Mark of My Becoming

Seven years, four personal logos and one decision to stop waiting later…

I’ve designed my most evolved logo yet. Having poured years of design experience and creative thinking into this, it was born through early mornings, quiet moments in the car and a website overhaul to make sure everything made sense.

In the past, I made the mistake of tying my “brand” solely to a logo.

Now, I see it as the sum of everything: my website, socials, voice, and story. While working on client projects have sharpened my theory, it was through my journey online that made me realise how personal branding has its own rules. The first is that there doesn’t seem to be a way around the cringe. Only through.

Somewhere between waking up at dawn and daily commutes, I realised I’d outgrown the Impossible Triangle. Life wasn’t weighing down on me like it used to. Not that I ever wanted it to, but I believe challenges are crucial to building character.

The problem is that I had gotten comfortable… Too comfortable. So much so that it felt like betrayal to my future potential. That’s when I knew I had to start fresh.

This logo is the embodiment of my last 7 years, who I’m becoming and the road ahead.

I’m proud of the outcome, because I see growth – not just in my design, but the way I think and work.

Here’s what changed:

1. I asked better questions.

I used to design for short term goals and singular objectives. Honestly, it was a short-sighted approach.

Nowadays, I think about longevity and identity before the details.
Questions like:

- Who should this speak to?
- How long will it be relevant for?
- What important values must it communicate?
- Are there any elements that bring it all together?
- Where will it live in the real world?
- Is it future-proof? How so?

2. I refined my design process.

I’ve always been more of a practice over theory type of guy. Gotta make mistakes to get better.

Younger me dove headfirst into whichever idea hit fastest and hardest. Overtime, I became a lot more intentional.

Now, I explore wider options, filter ideas and seek feedback. After all, the logo isn’t just for me. It’s my personal flag in this world, and it should be adaptable to different shapes and sizes. Speaking of flags, check out this TEDTalk by Roman Mars on flags. I watch it once in awhile to remind myself that a flags and logos have similar principles.

Creating packaging designs for my creative services

3. I documented everything.

This one has been an absolute gamechanger.

I got this idea ever since I started recording myself in the gym. At first, I did it with the objective to improve my lifts by noting where and how I struggled during the session. Now that I’ve applied it into my design process as well, it’s become clear where I spend most effort, how I can utilise my time better, and share my workflow across different platforms.

One thing I’m still trying to figure out is how to organise my footage in an efficient way because it does take up a lot of storage.

4. I added storytelling.

I never thought logo design could hold much story, I used to see it as a technical task. Turns out I was just looking at it from the wrong angle, because storytelling through it has made it more insightful and relatable to others.

By talking about my previous logos, I’m able to share my personal experiences and decisions I made along the way to help others avoid the same mistakes. On top of that, it’s a liberating feeling to know that there’s more to me than I thought.

5. I made it real.

Before, I’d stop at the concept. I was addicted to the dream more than the reality – so I kept waiting for “the right time”.

This time, I didn’t wait. I printed business cards. A small move, but one that sets the stage on how to apply it in future.

Conclusion?

There are no perfect conditions.
If anything, imperfection is the prerequisite to starting.

While I may not be where I want to be yet, I now have proof that I’ve stopped waiting and started becoming.