People Who Aren’t Brand Designers Need to Stop Rebranding People

This is a conversation I should’ve had with the internet a long time ago.
But this week I’ve seen the same thing so many times I’m on the edge of ripping my hair out — so here we are.

We’ve got to stop normalising non-designers offering rebrands.

Because you wouldn’t go to your hairdresser for a wax. You wouldn’t go to the chippy to get your nails done.

So why on earth are we trusting marketers, coaches, VAs, and social media managers to…redesign our brands?

And before the keyboard warriors wind up their typing fingers, no, this isn’t gatekeeping. I will never tell people not to explore design.

But there’s a difference between playing with Canva and selling “professional rebrands” when you’re not a professional designer.

Branding ≠ Design ≠ “Just Make It Pretty”

Anyone can do design. Branding, though?
Branding is a whole different kettle of fish — strategy, psychology, systems, communication, consistency, equity. It’s not just vibes and a Pinterest board.

And in a moment where we are living through a trust recession online, people are clinging to familiarity.

They’re hiring the people they already trust — their coach, their VA, their SMM — to do things those people were never trained to do.

It’s cheaper.
It’s quicker.
It feels “safe.”

But at what cost?

When Everyone Becomes a “Branding Person” Quality Suffers

In corporate, designers are expected to wear every hat:
Copywriter, web designer, marketing strategist.

Now the online business world is doing the same thing — but worse.
Here? The barriers are lower. The opportunity looks easy.
And suddenly everyone and their dog is offering “branding.”

Quantity has drowned quality. And it’s getting real messy.

This isn’t about stopping people from designing.
This is about calling out a very real problem:

If someone isn’t trained in brand, you’re not paying for strategy, you’re paying for vibes.

And vibes don’t grow businesses.

Some people won’t like this… and that’s fine

I know there are people who will disagree.
I know some will feel called out.
That’s not my intention — but it is my responsibility to say something.

Because your brand is not a low-stakes purchase.
It’s not a “might as well” add-on.
It’s the most valuable, leveraged asset in your entire business.

So yeah…
If someone isn’t a brand designer?
They shouldn’t be rebranding people.

I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts — even if they’re wildly different from mine.
Drop them below👇🏻