LBdesigns

05/07/2026

Over the past few weeks, I shared how AI can support Brand Architecture, Strategy & Direction, and Systems & Flow in early-stage brands.

Today we are focusing on my final pillar in brand development: Ex*****on
This pillar is about what your audience actually sees, from your website and emails to your content and campaign assets. AI can help you move faster, but ex*****on still needs direction and refining.

Tools to use:
• Runway→ primarily used for video and motion, helping you turn ideas into visual content quickly
• Canva→ used to create and adapt branded assets quickly across formats

How to use them:
Content & Campaign Assets
Use Runway to quickly bring campaign ideas to life through motion and short-form content.

AI can help you:
• turn concepts into visual content
• create short-form videos without a full production setup
• test different creative directions quickly

Example Prompt:
“Create a short-form video concept for [type of product/service] that highlights its key benefit. Include a simple visual direction, scene ideas, and a short script that can be used for social content.”

Marketing Collateral & Social Content
Use Canva to create and adapt assets so your brand stays consistent across channels.

AI can help you:
• generate multiple variations of a design
• adapt content for different platforms
• maintain consistency across campaigns

Example Prompt:
“Create three variations of a social graphic for [type of product/service] promoting [specific message or offer]. Keep the branding consistent, but vary the layout, headline, and visual emphasis to test different approaches.”

AI helps you execute more efficiently so your brand shows up consistently across every touchpoint.

Looking to streamline your content and marketing ex*****on while staying consistent across platforms? Let’s connect.

*****on

04/30/2026

Last week, I shared how AI can support Strategy & Direction. When used well, it helps organize how you think and where you focus.

Today we are taking a look at my third pillar in brand development and ways AI can help with Systems & Flow. This pillar is about how your business operates behind the scenes so growth doesn’t become chaotic and overwhelming.

Tools to use:
• Notion AI → useful for building workflows, documenting processes, and organizing internal systems
• Zapier → connects tools when your systems don’t naturally integrate

How to use them:
Project Management
Use Notion to bring structure to how work gets done.

AI can help you:
• map workflows from idea to ex*****on
• define clear steps and responsibilities
• reduce bottlenecks

Example Prompt:
“Create a step-by-step workflow for launching a marketing campaign for [type of service/event/product] within my [type of business]. The goal of this campaign is [insert goal]. Include the key phases from planning through launch, outline roles for a small team, suggest timelines, and define the main deliverables at each stage. Keep it simple and practical for an early-stage business.”

CRM & Marketing Automation
Use your CRM for automation and Zapier to connect tools when needed. Zapier connects your systems so your CRM, website, and other platforms work together, especially if they are not fully integrated.

AI can help you:
• define tagging and segmentation logic
• map customer journeys and automated touchpoints
• identify gaps in your current systems

Looking to streamline your systems or make better use of AI in your operations? Let’s connect.

04/23/2026

Last week, I shared some AI tools to support Brand Architecture. If you are an early-stage brand, AI can be incredibly useful when applied in the right way.

Today we are focusing on: Strategy & Direction
This pillar is about understanding who you are targeting and how you grow.

Tool to use:
• Perplexity AI → useful for market research, trend analysis, and gathering real-time insights

How to use it:
Target Audience
Use to research your audience beyond surface-level demographics.

It can help you:
• understand behaviors and buying triggers
• identify motivations and objections
• uncover patterns across real sources

Example Prompt:
“Who is the target audience for [your product/category]? What are their main motivations, challenges, and buying triggers?”

Content Strategy & Campaign Development
Use to identify what your audience is already paying attention to and how brands are positioning themselves.

It can help you:
• surface trending topics and themes
• analyze how competitors communicate
• identify gaps in messaging

Example Prompt:
“What topics and trends are currently resonating in [your industry]? How are leading brands positioning their messaging?”

Perplexity can even help to understand how your category is currently positioned and where there is room to stand out.

Example Prompt:
“Analyze how top brands in [your category] position their messaging. What patterns exist, and where are there gaps or opportunities to differentiate?”

Looking to refine your strategy or better understand your audience and messaging? Let’s connect.

04/16/2026

AI isn’t going anywhere. And for early-stage brands, it can be incredibly useful when applied in the right way. If you are building a brand under $500K, here is how AI can actually help across the foundation. Over the next few weeks, I will be highlighting ways you can use AI across my four pillar-approach to brand development.

Today we are focusing on: Brand Architecture
This pillar covers your visual identity, your brand voice and tone, as well as your mission, vision, and values. AI can help with generating direction and organizing ideas, but it should not replace design thinking.

Visual Identity (logo, color, typography)
Tools to use:
• Adobe Firefly → built for commercial use, making it a safer option when creating brand visuals you may want to use publicly or in marketing
• Midjourney → best for generating creative concepts and mood, but less reliable for final brand assets where ownership matters

Brand Voice & Tone
ChatGPT → strongest all-around, best for structured outputs
Claude → better for nuanced, human-sounding language

1. Prompt to use:
“Based on the following brand description [insert], define a distinct brand voice.
Include tone, personality traits, writing style, and clear do’s and don’ts. Provide 3 example sentences that reflect the voice in action across marketing contexts.”

2. Then take it further:
“Rewrite this to sound more human, specific, and opinionated. Remove generic or overused marketing language.”

Remember as you are prompting: The quality of what AI gives you is directly tied to how specifically you guide it.

Looking to strengthen your brand foundation or refine how you are using AI in your business? Let’s connect.

03/24/2026

Natural Products Expo West 2026 made one thing clear: product functionality is evolving fast, and how a product looks, feels, and communicates purpose matters just as much as what it does. Brands are showing up with vibrant colors, layered textures, and storytelling that draw attention and reinforce their positioning.

This month, across more than 3,000 exhibitors, trends ranged from protein innovation and functional beverages to women’s health and simplified ingredient stories, all supported by design choices that signal value and lifestyle relevance to consumers.

Packaging and visual identity are increasingly strategic tools for standing out in crowded categories, especially when consumers make quick decisions in retail or online discovery.

Check out Expo West’s highlights, emerging brands, new packaging innovations, and the NEXTY Award winners: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/natural-products-expo-west-marks-45-years-defines-future-of-innovation-in-cpg-1035937970

If you are building a conscious product brand and planning for Expo East 2026 (now called Newtopia Now) this summer, this is the time to think about how your brand will stand out. I help brands strengthen their presence in a way that shapes how buyers, partners, and customers respond.

Message me if you want to start preparing.

ANAHEIM, Calif., March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Natural Products Expo West, produced by New Hope Network, the largest gathering for the natu...

03/10/2026

Do you wake up thinking:
Why aren’t sales consistent?
Why does our brand feel scattered?
Why aren’t ads working?
Why aren’t people converting?

Even strong brands struggle when the foundation isn’t aligned.

If you’re a mission-driven brand supporting healthier living and generating under $500K, this may sound familiar.

In 2–3 weeks, the Brand Foundation Intensive delivers a comprehensive evaluation across all four pillars of your brand:
• Brand Architecture (identity, voice, mission & values)
• Strategy & Direction (audience, content, campaigns, go-to-market)
• Systems & Flow (project management, CRM, automation)
• Ex*****on (website, email, social, campaigns, collateral)

Before you invest in ads, retail expansion, or major marketing spend, fix the foundation.

Message me for details.

02/19/2026

I can usually tell when copy hasn’t been edited after AI drafted it.

Not because it’s bad, but because it sounds like everyone else. Same structure. Same phrases.

One word I see constantly is clarity. At this point, I can spot it alongside other first-draft tells like the “It’s not X, it’s Y” sentence structure and the overuse of em dashes.

The reason clarity keeps appearing is simple. AI is trained on best-practice marketing language, so it defaults to safe, high-signal words that show up everywhere in brand positioning and messaging frameworks.

The word itself is not the problem. The overuse is.

When everyone uses the same language, your message stops sounding human and starts sounding generated.

The difference between good copy and memorable copy happens after the first draft. That is where your voice shows up, where opinions form, and where connection happens.

If you are using AI as a starting point but are not sure how to shape it into something that actually sounds like you, that is an ex*****on layer most brands skip.

That is a layer I help refine.

If you want your messaging to feel sharper, more distinct, and more human, send me a message.

*****on

02/03/2026

🎥 My wellness journey started long before I realized it could guide my career.

Over the years, through Ladyburd Designs, I took on health and wellness projects whenever I could, but my corporate roles often conflicted with what I believed in.

Today, I focus on helping Better-For-You and Purpose-Driven Brands—brands I can truly stand behind. I love supporting them in telling clear, impactful stories while building meaningful connections with their audiences.

This short video shares my personal journey: how I navigated IBS, found my path toward holistic health, and why I started Truform Wellness, a platform dedicated to digestive health that complements my creative marketing career. It’s all about aligning personal passions, lifestyle, and professional work.
➡️ Watch here: https://youtu.be/gHXaABp1hIY

💡 Whether you’re a brand looking for creative guidance or someone curious about holistic wellness:
• Message me to explore creative opportunities.
• Check out Truform Wellness to learn more about better gut health: truformwellness.com

Hello—I’m Laureen, a Certified Holistic Wellness Coach with a focus in digestive health. In this video, I share my personal journey with IBS and how I discov...

01/06/2026

We’re closing out my 2026 Wellness Design Forecast with the final trend. This series explores how wellness is evolving and how design will shape what comes next. Be sure to check out the earlier trends posted if you missed them.

Sustainability is going beyond “eco-friendly” this year. Wellness brands are shifting toward regenerative practices with choices that restore people, the planet, and the communities behind their products. Consumers want transparency, ethical sourcing, and products that honor nature rather than extract from it.

What’s emerging:
✨ Sustainable self-care
Low-waste rituals, refill systems, and products designed for long-term use.

✨ Plant-powered wellness
Functional foods, adaptogens, and gut-supportive blends made from regenerative agriculture.

✨ Environmental ethics
Brands prioritizing circularity, transparency, provenance, and community impact.

Design for this trend is especially visible in packaging, where values meet:
• Recycled, compostable, or bio-based materials with minimal waste
• Earthy textures, natural fibers, and uncoated papers that reflect nature’s rawness
• Clear, honest labeling with origin-forward storytelling and low-ink systems

💡 Design opportunities for Sustainable + Regenerative Wellness: packaging design
• Tactile, low-waste packaging using recycled fibers, molded pulp, mushroom materials, or plant-based plastics
• Refillable or modular systems (interlocking vessels, pods, concentrates) that reduce shipping weight and material use
• Minimal-ink design with earth pigments, embossing, debossing, or laser etching
• Packaging that doubles as decor or storage, encouraging reuse—a key pillar of 2026’s shift toward “slow design”

Supporting sustainable wellness in 2026 means designing products that are beautiful, ethical, and regenerative, reducing harm while restoring the connection between people and the planet.

12/30/2025

As part of my 2026 Wellness Design Forecast, I’m highlighting key shifts happening across the wellness space and the design trends supporting them. With two trends left, today’s focus is Trend 4: Whole-Person Health.

Wellness in 2026 is becoming truly holistic. People are no longer separating physical fitness from emotional wellbeing, hormonal health, or long-term vitality. Instead, they’re seeking support that considers the whole system: body, mind, nervous system, and lifestyle.

What’s emerging:
✨ Somatic + emotional health
Practices that calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and integrate mind and body, including somatic healing and trauma-informed wellness.

✨ Women’s health surge
Perimenopause and menopause support, cycle syncing, pelvic floor care, and femtech innovations that address hormonal balance across life stages.

✨ Longevity + functional nutrition
Food-as-medicine approaches, anti-inflammatory diets, protein and fiber optimization, mitochondrial health, age-supportive fitness, and sleep optimization are shaping how people eat, move, and recover.

Design for this trend is intentional with human-centered choices that:
• Simplify science into visuals people can understand
• Use warm, earthy palettes that feel grounding and restorative
• Incorporate rounded, humanist typography to create a sense of grounding and emotional ease
• Blend nature with modernity through organic illustration, tactile-inspired textures

💡 Design opportunities for Whole-Person Health: branding + graphic design
· Visual identities for brands that support women’s health, emotional wellness, and longevity
· Educational graphics and infographics that communicate science in approachable ways
· Content design toolkits for practitioners with templates for protocols, cycle-sync guides, habit trackers, or longevity plans

Supporting whole-person health in 2026 means creating brands and experiences that feel nurturing and restorative. With thoughtful design people can feel informed and empowered in their health.

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12/23/2025

If you’ve been following along with my 2026 Wellness Design Forecast, you’ve seen how experiential and communal shifts are shaping the health and wellness space. Today’s focus moves into a different, but equally important direction: Trend 3: Personalized & Data-Driven Wellness.

Wellness in 2026 is becoming deeply personal. People no longer want one-size-fits-all routines. They want experiences that adapt to their body, energy, and lifestyle in real time.

What’s emerging:
✨ Hyper-personalization powered by AI
Customized workouts, recovery plans, wellness rituals, and daily routines that evolve as the individual does.

✨ Biomarkers made accessible
Microbiome testing, sleep mapping, stress indicators, and longevity insights moving from clinics into everyday wellness experiences.

✨ Advanced wearables & sensors
Tracking HRV, glucose, sleep, and stress to help shape healthier habits and not just collect data.

As wellness becomes more data-driven, the experience must stay human, sensory, and embodied. This is where product design plays a critical role.

Design is responding by:
· Integrating smart technology seamlessly so products feel natural, warm, and non-clinical
· Using organic, biomorphic forms that soften advanced tech and connect it back to the body
· Translating complex data into calming, intuitive feedback through light, movement, texture, or temperature

💡 Design opportunities for Personalized & Data-Driven Wellness: product design
· Smart wellness products with adaptive features like lighting, airflow, sound, or temperature responding to biometric data
· Adaptive device ecosystems that use generative visual elements (patterns, color shifts, ambient displays) that respond to user data like sleep, stress, or heart rate
· Supplement + diagnostic systems that update guidance, dosing, or timing recommendations dynamically based on real-time biomarker data

Personalization is the future. With AI and biometrics shaping our routines, the next era of wellness tech feels feel supportive, intuitive, and deeply individual.