Made By James Logo

Books

No Bullsh*t Branding

Stop selling pretty logos. Start building brands that work in the real world.

Do inflated processes, branding jargon, and performative “thought leadership” leave you feeling like creativity is not enough or that you must become a brand psychologist to be taken seriously? In No Bullsh*t Branding, James Martin (Made By James), partner at Lincoln Design Co, strips branding back to what it truly requires. No mystique. No posturing. No bloated decks. Just clear tools and creative confidence to build brands that succeed in the market, not only in portfolios.

You will learn to build brands from the inside out using the Five Idea Keys, the Minimum Viable Brand, and reputation-through-evidence frameworks. You will not be asked to reinvent yourself as a coach or consultant. You will learn to think, make, and ship brands with honesty, clarity, and conviction.

This is for designers who want to move beyond execution and operate as true creative partners. You will learn to shape ideas with intention, design identities with purpose, and build reputations that grow through proof, not performance.

You will also learn how to apply these tools to your own ideas. The goal is not only stronger client outcomes. It is to help you release your own concepts without perfectionism, build your creative voice publicly, and grow a career grounded in real-world evidence rather than noise.

You will discover:

  • Why real brands begin with truthful ideas, not tactics
  • How to use the Five Idea Keys to turn sparks into structured brand foundations
  • How to build a Minimum Viable Brand without unnecessary complexity
  • How to choose names, messaging, and visuals that serve the idea
  • How to attract aligned clients through proof, not persuasion
  • How to grow your reputation alongside your client work, without burnout
BUY HERE

Made By James

Design better logos and become a more successful, confident graphic designer with Made by James as your guide.

Winner of the 2021 American Graphic Design Award for Book Design from Graphic Design USA

UK-based graphic designer James Martin shares his wealth of experience, information, and advice with one goal in mind: to help designers of all levels create better work and enjoy the process. James has designed hundreds of logos for a variety of top brands, and shares his unique creative process, from concept to sketches to final design. Learn how to create outstanding logos, craft and refine your creative process, build great relationships with clients, and become prolific and consistent.

Discover how James creates innovative, clever, and memorable logos with his own hands-on, step-by-step process that includes word mapping, rapid prototyping, and sketching ideas on paper. Learn how to become a visual storyteller by understanding the key factors of working with clients and making them a valued part of the process.

In addition to the important “hows” of logo design—techniques, ideas, and examples of creating logos and building brands—you will benefit from learning aspects of the business rarely discussed: how to become more disciplined, how to see failures as valuable experiences, and ways to avoid burnout.

James shows that design isn’t just about creating images; it’s about building trusting relationships with clients, finding inspiration and using it effectively, and sharing ideas and becoming part of a community.

Made by James also includes:

  • Annotated case studies that follow designs from concept to completion
  • The advantages of a hands-on, human approach to design
  • The value of personal and career growth, and how to enjoy the journey of improvement
  • Effective work habits that can make you more efficient, productive, and satisfied
BUY HERE

About the Author

A Creative Punk - Made By James

James Martin is a British designer, author, and educator best known as Made By James. For more than 20 years, he has helped thousands of creatives, founders, and brands build recognizable reputations that create extraordinary opportunities. His books, Made by James and No Bullsh*t Branding, challenge the traditional view of branding as simply logos or visual identity, presenting it instead as the ongoing process of becoming the obvious choice through trust, behavior, and meaningful human connection.

James serves on Canva’s Design Advisory Board and is a creative partner to Lincoln Design Co. and Affinity. At the heart of his work is a simple belief: opportunity is not something you wait for, but something you can design. Through speaking, mentoring, writing, and partnerships with global brands, James helps people think differently about reputation, relationships, and the everyday behaviors that produce remarkable outcomes, championing craft, generosity, continuous learning, and the power of human creativity to shape the world.