Made By James

Made By James Author / Designer / Brand Re-thinker / Helping You Turn Raw Ideas Into Real Brands I see my role less as a “designer” and more as a liberator of ideas.
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I’ve spent the last two decades building brands, communities, and ideas — not just for clients, but for myself. Whether it’s a founder with a half-formed concept, or one of my own restless sparks, my obsession is taking something raw and turning it into something real. That curiosity has taken me into partnerships and advisory roles with some of the biggest players in design — as an advisor to Aff

inity, on the Design Advisory Board at Canva, and as a partner at Lincoln Design Co. Alongside that, I’ve built my own ventures: a design studio, bestselling books, courses, communities, SaaS tools, Live events and stages where I share what I’ve learned. Each one is a way of testing, shaping, and proving that ideas matter most when they’re given the chance to breathe. I don’t buy into complexity for the sake of it. Design and branding should empower, not gatekeep. My contrarian streak pushes me to strip away jargon, challenge the defaults, and make the creative world more accessible. Today, as well as all the above, I’m a builder of frameworks like the Five Idea Keys, and I am focused on helping people build their MVB - Minimum Viable Brand - to help people launch without panic. I work with creatives, founders, and anyone with a dream who shares the same mission: bringing ideas into the world with clarity, confidence, and no bullsh*t.

07/06/2026

Holding nothing back.

I am going billy big biscuits for everyone that comes to play in Super Duper® land.

Here is a little snippet of some stuff I have cooking with my mate (Trevor).

He is legit the best in the game so be sure to go say hi to him.

More & more coming.

James
- The Peoples Branding Mentor



Today feels like a long time coming.A while back, I said I wanted to bring a more intentional and positive impact to the...
02/06/2026

Today feels like a long time coming.

A while back, I said I wanted to bring a more intentional and positive impact to the creative education space… rather than it simply living as a passionate side-project on the edges of everything else I do.

Helping other people build confidence, opportunity and belief through creativity has been a huge mission of mine for years now… and I hope I’ve proved that through the work.

So, I’m incredibly excited to finally start sharing the dream I’ve been beaverishly building in the background.

It’s called Super Duper®.

And it’s The People’s Branding School.

I think of it as a land of opportunity.

A place where creativity gets pushed. Where people are encouraged to try things, test things, make things, share things and build reputations around action.

A place where human creativity gets nurtured, explored and embraced.

A place that reminds people they’re allowed to be whoever the f**k they want again.

I’m being purposely vague right now because there are some big things coming over the next few months that I cannot wait to share properly… but for now, just know this:

Super Duper is for creatives.
Super Duper is for humans.
Super Duper is for for the good of the colony.

More than anything though…

Super Duper is about asking questions like:

— What if I just made it?
— What if it all worked out?
— What if I stopped waiting?

I hope you’re ready to have some fun.

James
- The People’s Branding Mentor



Quick question…Have you ever had an idea in your head, and thought your way out of actually making it?Me too.In my new N...
31/05/2026

Quick question…

Have you ever had an idea in your head, and thought your way out of actually making it?

Me too.

In my new No Bullsh*t Branding book I have shared my secret sauce for getting those badboys into the world.

My Five Idea Keys framework which is part of the MVB build gives you all the tools you need to Move.

You will love it.

Head to the link in my bio .by.james to pre-order your copy of the book by TONIGHT, May 31st to get an extra bundle of freebie sizzle: the No BS Book Club, the new MVB Course, digital downloads, and limited edition MBJ merch.

LFG ⚡️




28/05/2026

This book was a proper team effort.

A while ago my pal .at.denik told me, “always make cool stuff with your friends”.

I felt unbelievably lucky to get the chance to write a second book, so I held absolutely nothing back.

My friends at .studio helped bring the layout and visual experience to life and were an absolute dream to collaborate with throughout the process.

The crew at supported me the whole way through too… as always. It’s an honour to be part of that team.

Huge thanks as well to for answering questions and sharing their perspective and experience within the book.

And massive love to for writing the foreword, and to for contributing such a beautiful letter to creative humans at the end of the book.

This thing is filled with the fingerprints of people I deeply love, respect and care about.

That makes it even more special to me.

——
Pre-order your copy of No Bullsh*t Branding by the end of May to get extra goodies for free - the Book Club, MVB Course, limited edition MBJ merch, and digital downloads. Link is in my bio .by.james my friends. ⚡️




26/05/2026

THIS IS DANGEROUSLY EASY

This is a handy trick for anyone building a logo.

Whether you are a newbie or a total amateur, this will help.

Remember you can also grab for free my friends… just hit the link in my bio.

I hope you enjoy it.

Loved this project for TeeShizzle ⚡️What started as a hobby in a garage with a few shirts and a bit of curiosity created...
24/05/2026

Loved this project for TeeShizzle ⚡️

What started as a hobby in a garage with a few shirts and a bit of curiosity created a moment that stuck.

is about craft, repetition, and learning what it takes to make something worth wearing. Because for founder Greg, that’s the bar. If he wouldn’t wear it, it doesn’t leave the shop.

As the work grew, the gap became clear. From small local runs to larger clients, the output was there, but the brand wasn’t carrying the same weight. And when your whole business is built on showing up properly, that matters. So we built something bold that feels like the shop itself.

It’s a visual identity designed to move across everything, from one-off tees to full-scale runs, without losing its edge. High contrast type, punchy colour, and a graphic language that feels fast, expressive, and full of energy… just like prints coming off the press.



If you’re a founder or business owner looking to scale and build your brand, hit the link in my bio .by.james to work with us at the MBJ Studio.




Meet your newest writer of words for  Which honestly feels slightly concerning considering my spelling ability sits some...
21/05/2026

Meet your newest writer of words for

Which honestly feels slightly concerning considering my spelling ability sits somewhere between “expressive” and “feral.”

But… anyone who has known me for a while knows how much writing means to me.

It’s probably my favourite creative outlet.

Which is quite funny really, because I tend to go around the houses, over-explain things, accidentally invent words and swear a little more than I probably should.

I’m fantabulously honoured (and very excited) to be writing for such a prestigious space.

I’ll be starting in June.

Watch this space.

Boomtown.

P.S. I worked out (with very average math) that I’ve written roughly 1.5 million words over the last five years to make this happen…

Give or take.

Worth it.





19/05/2026

Ready to build more opportunity for yourself as a creative?

We spend so much of our energy designing, creating and building for clients that our own ideas often get pushed to the back of the queue.

No Bullsh*t Branding puts you back in the driving seat.

It helps you use your creativity for yourself, not just everyone else.

Head to the link in my bio .by.james and pre-order your copy early before the end of May for extra goodies (for free!):

→ The No Bullsh*t Book Club where we read it together, unpack the ideas, and I’ll be around to help

→ The MVB Course - a brand new idea shaping, business building, road to first sale masterclass full of MBJ goodness

→ Limited MBJ Merch - book drop beauties that will land in your mailbox this fall

→ A set of digital downloads to help you actually take action

Thanks as always for your support, team.

James
The People’s Branding Mentor

Pre-order link is in my bio .by.james my friends 🖤




Brick Stop had just about everything I love in a project.A fun name, a unique business concept and a fun bunch of humans...
17/05/2026

Brick Stop had just about everything I love in a project.

A fun name, a unique business concept and a fun bunch of humans to build it with…. This was a proper team effort.

started from the belief that family spaces don’t have to be chaotic or designed just for kids.

Brick Stop is a LEGO café built for shared time… a place where children can build, imagine, and play freely, while adults genuinely want to be there too.

Working with the awesome founders James and Claire, we built a brand world that feels grown up and playful at the same time. A slightly restrained black and off-white palette keeps things timeless, and the supporting assets bring in energy and personality.

From the overall visual identity down to the illustration details, this one’s designed to support creativity, connection, and memorable family moments, built one brick at a time.

——

If you are a founder or business owner looking to build a brand that can scale, let’s chat. Head to the link in my bio .by.james to work with us at the MBJ Studio.




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