2026 Branding Tools: What To Use and What To Avoid.
- Zoe Sizemore
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Let’s be honest - branding can feel like a bit of a beast sometimes. You want your business to stand out, look sharp, and speak directly to your ideal customers. But where do you even start? Lucky for you, I’ve been diving deep into the world of branding tools and resources, and I’m here to share the cream of the crop. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up your design game, these tools will help you create a brand that’s not just pretty but powerful.
Why Branding Tools and Resources Matter
Branding isn’t just about slapping a logo on your website and calling it a day. It’s about crafting a consistent, memorable identity that tells your story and connects with your audience. And that’s where the right tools come in. They make the process smoother, more creative, and dare I say, even fun.
Think of branding tools as your creative sidekicks. They help you nail your colour palette, pick the perfect fonts, design eye-catching logos, and even manage your brand assets so everything stays consistent. Plus, they save you heaps of time and stress.
Here’s a quick peek at what you’ll get from the tools I’m about to share:
Easy-to-use design platforms
Colour palette generators
Logo makers with professional templates
Font pairing tools
Brand asset management systems
Ready to dive in? Let’s go!
Must-Have Branding Tools and Resources for Small Businesses
Canva - Your Design Best Friend
If you haven’t heard of Canva yet, where have you been? This tool is a lifesaver for small businesses and startups. It’s super user-friendly, packed with templates, and perfect for creating everything from social media posts to business cards.
What I love about Canva is how it balances simplicity with power. You don’t need to be a design whiz to make something that looks professional. Plus, it has a brand kit feature where you can upload your logo, set your brand colours, and fonts. This keeps your designs consistent across the board.
Pro tip: Use Canva’s templates as a starting point, then tweak colours and fonts to match your brand style. It’s a great way to keep your branding cohesive without starting from scratch every time.
Coolors - The Colour Palette Wizard
Choosing the right colours can be tricky. Coolors makes it easy by generating beautiful colour palettes with just a click. You can explore trending palettes or create your own by locking in colours you love and letting the tool suggest complementary shades.
Colours aren’t just about looking good - they evoke emotions and tell your brand’s story. For example, blue often feels trustworthy and calm, while orange is energetic and fun. Coolors helps you find the perfect vibe for your brand.
Actionable tip: Once you find your palette, use it consistently across your website, social media, and marketing materials. This builds recognition and trust with your audience.
Google Fonts - Typography That Speaks Volumes
Fonts are like the voice of your brand. They can be bold, playful, elegant, or serious. Google Fonts offers a huge library of typefaces that you can sync with your design software or website.
What’s great is that Google Fonts takes the guesswork out of pairing fonts. You can find combinations that work well together, ensuring your headings, body text, and accents all harmonise beautifully.
Quick win: Pick one font for headings and another for body text. Stick to these choices to keep your brand looking polished and professional. If you want to up-level your font game purchase from Adobe fonts, Creative Market, or My Fonts for a more unique identifier.
Should I Use AI Logo Design Tools Though?
Your logo is often the first thing people notice about your brand. It needs to be memorable, versatile, and reflect your business personality. Here are some things to consider before choosing quick and easy over thought out strategic, human- centred design.
AI Vrs Human Centered Design
AI logo builders like Looka promise instant results. Pop in your business name, choose a few styles, and within minutes you’re handed a stack of logo options. Fast, efficient, very 2025.
They’ll often bundle this with a “brand kit” too, colours, fonts, social templates, all neatly packaged to make your business look pulled together on day one. On the surface, it feels like a bargain.
Here’s the catch. Most of these platforms lock you into ongoing subscription costs if you want to actually use or update your logo long term. And more importantly, the designs themselves are built from the same recycled shapes, fonts, and layouts used by thousands of other businesses. In a crowded market, that kind of cookie-cutter branding doesn’t just blend in, it disappears.
AI can assemble a logo, but it can’t understand your business, your audience, or what makes you genuinely different. That’s where human-centred design still wins, every time.
Hatchful by Shopify – Quick, Free, and Very Basic
Hatchful is often recommended because it’s free and easy. Answer a few questions, pick a vibe, and it spits out logo options you can tweak yourself. For a side project or placeholder branding, it does the job.
The trade-off is depth. Hatchful logos are extremely generic, limited in flexibility, and not built with long-term brand growth in mind. There’s no strategy behind the design, no consideration for how your brand should evolve, and no protection from looking like every other startup using the same tool.
It’s fine for getting something on the page quickly. Just don’t mistake speed for strategy, or free for future-proof.
Organising Your Brand Assets Like a Pro
Once you’ve got your logo, colours, fonts, and designs sorted, (hopefully in a brand package that was established by strategy and not AI generic shapes and colours) the next step is keeping everything organised. Nothing kills brand consistency faster than losing track of your files or using outdated logos.
Google Drive - Simple and Effective
If you want to keep things low-key, Google Drive is a solid choice. Create folders for logos, images, templates, and documents. Share access with your team or designers easily.
Pair it with a simple brand guideline document, and you’re good to go.
Wrapping It Up - Your Branding Journey Starts Here
Branding is a journey, not a one-time task. The right tools and resources can make that journey smoother, more creative, and way less stressful. From designing logos to picking colours and organising your assets, these tools have got your back.
Remember, your brand is more than just a look - it’s the feeling you create for your customers. Use these tools to easily manage and build your brand that’s not only beautiful but also strategic and effective.
If you want to explore more about how to create powerful branding and websites that truly work to attract customers and grow your business, check out more about working with me here. I'm all about helping small businesses in New Zealand and Australia move beyond just pretty designs.
Happy branding!
Zoe