Prepare Your Brand for the New Year (Before Everyone Else Does)

Business Tips
Written By Lucianne Uwins

Strategic design planning starts now, not after your first mince pie.

We think November is the unofficial “blink and it’s Christmas” month…your inbox is full of last-minute launches. Your Instagram feed is a tinsel-covered blur. And your to-do list? Aggressively festive.

But here’s the thing:

If you wait until January to start thinking about your brand refresh, your competitors will already be five steps ahead.

So instead of scrambling in the New Year, let’s do the clever thing: start preparing now. Strategically, calmly, with clarity.

Here’s your Soley Creative guide to prepping your brand for 2026 – before the baubles distract you.

Got a project in mind and want to get in touch?

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1. Review What’s Working (and What’s Just...There)

Before you design anything new, take stock. Go through your current:

  • Website

  • Email templates

  • Social media assets

  • Print materials

  • Brand guidelines

Ask yourself:

  • Does this reflect where we are now?

  • Does it speak to where we’re going?

  • Have we evolved, and is our visual identity keeping up?

Spoiler: if you’re cringing at your About page, your fonts feel off, or your emails still look like 2022…take this as a sign…it’s time.

 

2. Set Creative Goals (That Align With Business Ones)

We love a vision board moment, but we love a strategy more.

Now’s the time to map out:

  • Launches or campaigns coming up in Q1

  • Content gaps or bottlenecks from this year

  • What you want to outsource (hi 👋)

  • What design investments will support growth (think: brand refresh, updated email flows, packaging glow-up)

Don’t just think about what’s cute – think about what will convert.

 

3. Get Your Design Wishlist in Place

Avoid January panic with a list of:

  • What you want to redesign

  • What’s missing altogether

  • What’s just not working

Think of it like a design audit meets a moodboard. It’ll keep you focused and help your team (or studio 👀) support you properly when the New Year chaos hits.

 

4. Automate Now, Breathe Later

If you haven’t already set up your key email flows in Klaviyo, now is the time. Your welcome flow, abandoned cart, and post-purchase series should be on brand and ready to run – so you can actually relax over the holidays without ghosting your customers.

Also: now is a great time to refresh any tired email templates or broken Squarespace or Shopify elements that you’ve been side-eyeing since April.

 

5. Get Help Before the January Rush

Most studios (including us) get busy in January. If you know you’ll need support – for a brand refresh, email design, a site overhaul or something more subtle – book it now, not in 2026.

We’re big fans of a proactive founder. Especially one who plans with purpose and protects their energy.

 

Final Thoughts

Strategic founders don’t wait for January – they design it.

Prepping your creative assets now isn’t about being overachieving. It’s about freeing up space so that when January hits, you’re not reacting… you’re ready.

👉 Book a discovery call and let’s start your 2026 design roadmap now – so you can enter the new year with clarity, confidence and an on-brand bang.

GET IN TOUCH
 
Lucianne Uwins

I’m Lucianne, a creative designer specialising in website design, branding, marketing collateral for businesses large and small particularly within the retail sector. I also love to work with brides and grooms-to-be on their wedding branding, websites, invitations and more.


I help businesses grow using a personalised, hands-on approach to your brand identity and design requirements.

https://www.soleycreative.com
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