Branding for small businesses
Hi, I’m Colin (Col) and this is my company Lucid Brand.
I’m a brand strategist, creative director, writer, and illustrator.
I help startups launch and businesses grow.
Let’s create a great brand together.
I am a creative, I live in a world of dreams, possibilities and opportunities, I take ideas and squeeze them into reality, in doing so I help small businesses build brands that make people want to buy.
Whether you’re just starting out or trying to take things to the next level, I can help you work out what makes you different, how to talk about it, how to look and sound confident and credible, and who to talk to.
Proven. Practical. Profitable.
There are so many things that contribute to a company’s success. Branding, you might be surprised to hear, isn’t actually at the top of my list. First, make sure you’ve got something worth selling, then work out what it is you’re actually selling. Only then can we communicate its value. Branding isn’t just about how things look. It’s about what they do. And it’s difficult (and expensive) to sell a bad brand.
Over the years, we’ve helped clients grow, reposition, and thrive. Sometimes quietly behind the scenes. Sometimes with results that are hard to ignore.
We work with:
Small businesses
Startups
Solopreneurs
We offer:
Brand strategy
Naming and identity
Creative direction
Brand design and expression
Website and digital
Applications and implementation
Small business branding
From studio to online shop: We developed a distinctive brand and refined e-commerce platform that embodies the essence of Gill's ceramics, delivering clarity, consistency, and space for future growth.
Gill’s ceramics are priced between £25 and £125.
We helped Robert Gschiel turn exceptional service into a sustainable business in Property Management, we created a quietly competent brand that reflects his exacting standards and discreet approach,
Shortly after launch Robert took over the management of two other properties.
This was global rebrand for the world’s leading waterproof case maker refreshed identity, unifying packaging, and building strategic positioning to supported their revival,
The folks at Aquapac made a massive effort and turned their company round, 18 months later they won a Queens award for industry.
More Than Muscle had a thriving fitness business, but none of it came through their website. With a lot of hard work on both sides, we designed them a new strategic site.
In the first week of launch More Than Muscle signed 10 new clients, more than covering the cost of the design and build.
These folks are fantastic award winning trainers, they make hard work fun. If you live near Guildford, get them a shout.
SMB Clients
Our clients aren’t just names on a project list, they’re partners in a shared journey. We celebrate their wins as our own, and we’re driven by the challenge of helping them grow stronger, year after year. That’s why so many choose to stick with us not just for the results, but for the relationship we build along the way.
Below are some of the brands we have designed.
Colin and his team are excellent! They put in so much effort and attention to detail. Their thorough analysis of the competitors and the market drove the strategic and creative input, delivering a great return on our investment.
We love working with him and look forward to working with him again.
George Mikhaeil,
COO, More Than Muscle
Awards
Lucid is proud to have won both Gold and Silver at the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards for Excellence with the NHS ‘Clean Your Hands’ campaign. These awards are based on empirical evidence, making them one of the few design awards judged on commercial results rather than creative opinion. This serves as a clear example of how design can deliver fundamental change.
To add to this during his career Colin Goodhew has also three silver DBA awards and one gold he has also received four D&AD nominations and during his time in Singapore he was also awarded a coveted Singapore Design Award.
Teamwork
Our achievements start with teamwork.
We’ve been fortunate to collaborate with some truly exceptional people, clients who value partnership as much as we do. It’s this shared commitment that turns good ideas into lasting success, and this is where the magic happens, when creatives and clients work together toward a shared goal.
The best results emerge from open conversations, mutual trust, and a clear vision that everyone shares and believes in.
Corporate expertise,
small-business focus
There are two main ways we help.
Firstly, we bring the kind of insight you only get from 25 years working with world-class brands. We know what it takes to deliver precision, strategy, and results and we apply that same polish and expertise to help your business grow. The difference? We’re laser-focused on making it work for you in the real world, not just in a glossy presentations
Secondly, we make the process as easy as we can. Building a strong brand can be complex, even daunting, so we work with flexibility, empathy, and understanding. We listen, adapt, and keep things moving without losing sight of what matters.
Gill Balfour: Case study
Provenance
The NHS’s largest internal communications campaign
The CleanYourHands campaign was rolled out to 18,000 hospital wards with 100% voluntary adoption. A behaviour-changing campaign it saved over £140,000,000 and an estimated 250 lives in its first year, and became a global blueprint for success
Wimbledon; delivered flawlessly.
For over twelve years we supported the All English Tennis Club on 300 projects a year across a range of divisions, we delivered strategic thinking, seamless design and zero compromise and we never missed a deadline.
Modernising the institution behind UK payments
We clarified Bacs’ position as the trusted authority behind Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit. Our work defined their brand architecture, created a confident identity and helped strengthen stakeholder confidence ahead of industry-wide transformation.
Impact, consistency and increased efficiency
Lindt asked us to create the key visual for Lindt Gold Bunny. We went further — developing clever, cost-saving systems and best-in-class guidelines that led to a rollout across five UK brands, it contributed to 7% uplift in sales.
