A brand is a point of view, not a logo generator
AI can make a thousand logos in a minute. That's the problem. Without a point of view you get generic: polished, forgettable, the same as every other AI-branded startup. The scarce skill now isn't making things. It's direction, knowing what you're trying to say and having the taste to tell when the work is saying it.
If you ask the experts where AI falls down, it's on taste. So this cohort pairs a creative director's eye with an engineer's build depth. We start with the thinking, who you are, who you're for, what you stand for, and then bring in AI to move fast: naming, visual direction, logo, type, color, copy, and a brand system that holds together. You make real creative calls, defend them, and get critique from people who do this work every day.
You leave with a brand bible: a complete identity you can hand to any designer, developer, or AI tool and get consistent, on-brand work back. It's the difference between "here's my logo" and "here's my brand."
What you'll learn
Think like a creative director before you touch a tool
- Define your positioning, personality, and audience, the strategy that makes every later choice easy
- Develop a point of view and the words to articulate it
- Build a mood and reference board that sets direction, and rule out what isn't you
Direct AI to develop your visual identity
- Generate logo directions with AI, then apply real judgment to choose and refine
- Set your type system and color palette, and understand why they work
- Build one consistent visual language instead of a pile of one-off assets
Find your voice in words
- Develop copy and messaging that sounds like you, not like a model
- Write the lines that matter: tagline, value proposition, about, and voice guidelines
- Use AI as a drafting partner without letting it flatten your voice
Assemble a brand bible
- Pull everything into one document other people and AIs can actually follow
- Set direction for social and web so your brand holds up everywhere
- Leave with a system you extend, not a snapshot you outgrow
Who teaches this
Dylan, the engineer. Founder and AI strategist, currently leading AI adoption at a billion-dollar tech company. He handles the build and execution, turning creative direction into real, shipped assets.
Kelsey, the creative and brand mind. A creative director and designer with over a decade across experience design, event production, art direction, and brand development. She founded En Route Design, an experiential design studio in Los Angeles, after years as an interior designer, fashion designer, and trend forecaster working with brands like Guess, Kendall & Kylie, and We Are HAH. At MANA Labs she leads creative, design, and community, and co-teaches the creative cohorts.
Together they model how modern creative work actually runs: taste sets the direction, AI does the reps, and a human makes the call.
Who this is for
- You're launching a brand (startup, product, studio, or personal) and want it to look intentional
- You have a brand that's grown inconsistent and needs a system
- You're a creator or founder with taste but no design training, or design training but no AI workflow
- You want critique and direction, not tutorials
Not for you if you want a quick logo and you're done. This is about building an identity that holds together, which takes real decisions.
Prerequisites
- A brand to build or rebuild, real or a serious concept
- A personal Claude account, plus access to an AI image tool (we'll recommend options)
- Openness to critique. The value is in the feedback, so come ready to share work
- About 4 to 6 hours a week
No design or coding background needed. That's the point of the pairing.
What's included
- Live weeknight sessions co-taught by a builder and a creative director
- Live critique of your brand work each week
- Replays and lifetime access
- A brand-bible template and prompt library for each stage
- Weekly office hours
- A cohort of founders and creators building alongside you
- Certificate of completion
Course syllabus
Week 1 — Strategy and direction (no tools yet)
Decide who you are before you design anything.
- Cohort kickoff (Mon, 30 min): why direction beats generation, and what your brand bible will hold
- Live session: positioning and mood (Fri, 90 min): audience, personality, point of view; build your reference and mood board
- Homework: a one-page brand brief and a mood board
Week 2 — Visual identity
Logo, type, color, directed rather than random.
- Lab #1: logo and type with AI (Mon, 60 min): generate directions, then apply judgment live
- Optional: office hours (Mon)
- Live session: build your visual system (Fri, 90 min): color, type hierarchy, consistency; group critique
- Homework: a first-pass visual identity
Week 3 — Voice and copy
Say something only you would say.
- Lab #2: messaging with AI (Mon, 60 min): tagline, value prop, about, voice guidelines
- Optional: office hours (Mon)
- Live session: copy critique (Fri, 90 min): refine your words so they sound like you
- Homework: your core brand copy
Week 4 — The brand bible and launch direction
Assemble the system and set it loose.
- Lab #3: compile the brand bible (Mon, 60 min): pull identity, voice, and rules into one document
- Optional: office hours (Mon)
- Live session: social and web direction + showcase (Fri, 90 min): extend the brand to channels; everyone presents their identity
- Deliverable: a complete brand bible
Schedule
- Live sessions: about 2 hrs/week, plus optional office hours
- Creative work: 2 to 4 hrs/week
- Total: about 4 to 6 hrs/week over 4 weeks
FAQ
Do I need design experience? No. Kelsey guides the taste; you bring the decisions about your own brand.
Do I need to be able to build or code? No. Dylan handles the technical execution so you can focus on direction.
What exactly do I leave with? A brand bible: positioning, logo, type, color, voice, copy, and channel direction, coherent enough that any designer or AI tool can produce on-brand work from it.
What if I miss a session? Recorded and yours for life. Critique happens live, so come when you can.