the brand

branding resources

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branding resources *

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://www.canva.com/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A simple, drag-and-drop website builder built right inside Canva. You can design and publish single-page or multi-page sites that feel branded and visual โ€” no coding or extra tools needed.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s perfect for creatives who live inside Canva already. You can turn existing designs (like pitch decks, link pages, or event invites) into live, shareable websites in minutes โ€” all while keeping your fonts, colors, and brand visuals consistent.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Free to start; Pro plan with custom domains and brand controls starts at $12.99/month.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Use Canva Websites for quick launches โ€” think digital resumes, campaign recaps, or link-in-bio pages. You can even embed video, forms, and buttons directly from your design canvas.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://cargo.site/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A minimalist site builder made for visual artists, designers, and studios. Focused on beautiful grids and clean typography.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s effortlessly cool โ€” the go-to for creatives who want a quiet, editorial-style portfolio.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Free basic plan; premium around $14โ€“$19/month.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Explore their Members Showcase โ€” you can see how others design their Cargo sites and borrow layout inspiration.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://contra.com/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it? A freelancer-first platform where you can showcase your portfolio, connect with clients, and get paid commission-free.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it: It makes freelancing feel empowering, not transactional. You can link case studies, show off your projects beautifully, and get discovered by brands looking for creatives like you.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range: Free to join โ€” paid upgrades start around $9โ€“$29/month for premium features like custom domains and analytics.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip: You can take your domain name and use it to replace your portfolio name on Contra (only works with paid accounts).

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://www.framer.com/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A sleek, code-optional site builder for designers who want their portfolio to feel like a digital experience.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s crisp, fast, and beautifully minimal. You can build animated layouts that make your portfolio stand out instantly.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Free plan available; paid plans start around $10โ€“$20/month.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Use Framerโ€™s pre-built templates to save time โ€” theyโ€™re designed by top creatives and easy to customize for your brand.

  • ๐Ÿ”— www.journoportfolio.com

    ๐Ÿค” What is it? A minimalist online portfolio builder designed for writers, journalists, and copy-based creatives. It lets you showcase your articles, case studies, or blog posts with ease.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it: Itโ€™s quick, professional, and distraction-free โ€” the best option when you need a link-ready portfolio without design overwhelm.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range: Free basic plan; premium plans around $5โ€“$10/month for custom domains and advanced customization.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip: Use the โ€œimport articleโ€ feature โ€” it automatically pulls the headline, image, and snippet straight from your published work.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://mixo.io/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    An AI-powered website builder that helps you launch landing pages or product ideas in minutes.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s fast, simple, and great for creative testing โ€” think idea validation without the tech headache.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Free basic plan; paid plans start around $9โ€“$15/month.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Use it for quick MVPs (like a waitlist or beta signup) before committing to a full website build.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://www.notion.com/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A workspace for organizing your creative projects, clients, content ideas, and templates โ€” all in one clean dashboard.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s both practical and aesthetic. You can build project hubs, content calendars, and even your own mini creative library.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Free plan available; Pro plans around $10/month.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Use gallery view or embed your PDFs and visuals โ€” it instantly makes your Notion dashboards feel like creative portfolios.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://readymag.com/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A creative storytelling platform for building interactive presentations, lookbooks, or digital magazines.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s built for designers who think in narrative โ€” perfect for passion projects, campaign case studies, and brand storytelling.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Free to start; paid plans around $20โ€“$40/month.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Use keyboard navigation (arrows or spacebar) to make your Readymag projects feel like immersive experiences.

  • ๐Ÿ”— www.linkedin.com/in/sstruan/


    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A career strategist and creative recruiter who shares transparent, actionable advice on building strong portfolios, resumes, and personal brands on LinkedIn.

    ๐Ÿ’ก What they do for creatives:
    Sam breaks down what hiring managers actually look for โ€” from crafting creative case studies to structuring portfolios that sell your value.

    Perfect for creatives who want to present their work strategically and confidently.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://showit.co/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A fully visual site builder with drag-and-drop freedom โ€” perfect for designers, photographers, and studios who want total creative control.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s like designing a website inside Canva โ€” every element is movable, editable, and flexible.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    $19โ€“$34/month, depending on hosting and blog options.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Pair Showit with a WordPress blog for the best of both worlds โ€” design freedom + blog SEO power.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://www.squarespace.com/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A design-driven website builder that offers stunning templates, built-in analytics, and e-commerce tools โ€” all in one place.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s the most polished option for building a personal brand site or portfolio. You can drag, drop, and publish without ever touching code.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    $16โ€“$36/month, depending on plan and domain setup.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Use the โ€œIndex Pagesโ€ or โ€œSectionsโ€ feature to turn your site into a scrolling visual story โ€” great for portfolio storytelling.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://www.wix.com

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A flexible drag-and-drop site builder perfect for beginners who want creative freedom and quick setup.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s easy to use and surprisingly powerful โ€” you can design freely, add animation, or test different layouts fast.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Free basic plan; premium starts at $17โ€“$32/month.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Turn on โ€œDev Modeโ€ to customize advanced layouts or interactions (even if you donโ€™t code much).

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://creativemarket.com/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    An online marketplace for digital design assets โ€” from website templates and fonts to mockups, stock photos, and social media kits.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s like a treasure chest for creatives. You can find high-quality templates made by designers for designers, and everything is ready to customize for your next project, pitch, or client deliverable.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Pay per item (most templates range $10โ€“$60) or subscribe to the Pro plan starting at $15/month for unlimited downloads.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Search by niche (e.g. โ€œwellness brand templatesโ€ or โ€œagency portfolio kitโ€) โ€” Creative Marketโ€™s filters help you find exactly what fits your aesthetic or industry.

  • ๐Ÿ”— https://www.etsy.com/

    ๐Ÿค” What is it?
    A global marketplace where independent designers sell digital downloads โ€” including Canva templates, Notion dashboards, planners, resumes, and brand kits.

    ๐Ÿ’• Why we love it:
    Itโ€™s full of personality and variety. You can discover hidden-gem creators who make beautifully branded, ready-to-edit templates that save hours of design time.

    ๐Ÿ’ธ Price range:
    Most templates cost between $5โ€“$30, depending on complexity and license type.

    ๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip:
    Filter by โ€œInstant Downloadโ€ and โ€œCanva Templateโ€ to find editable files that you can start using immediately โ€” great for quick refreshes or client deliverables.