I build brands that founders stop apologising for.
I'm Michael Barlow, a brand strategist, identity designer, and the only person you'll work with at Braeface. For over 20 years I've been helping businesses look as good as they actually are.
Braeface is a one-person brand strategy and identity design studio based in Scotland, founded by Michael Barlow.
With over 20 years of experience in strategic brand identity design, Michael works directly with scaling founders, typically at the £500K–£3M revenue stage, who've outgrown their early branding and need the clarity, positioning, and visual system to match where the business is going.
I know what it feels like when your work doesn't reflect what you're capable of. When the thing that represents you to the world isn't good enough. That frustration is exactly what pushed me to start Braeface, and it's exactly what my clients feel about their brands when they come to me.
I've worked with fintech startups, fashion labels, SaaS platforms, B2B companies and everything in between. But the clients I do my best work for are always the same type: founders who've built something that works, but whose brand hasn't kept up.
They've outgrown the Canva logo. They're embarrassed by their own website. They hesitate before sharing a pitch deck. The business is strong, the brand just isn't telling that story yet.
I fix the gap between what they've built and how it looks.
When you hire Braeface, you get me, my thinking, my strategy, my hands on the design. I handle brand strategy, identity design, and web design in Webflow myself. When a project needs specialist skill beyond that: motion, development, copywriting, I bring in trusted collaborators. But you always work with me. I'm the thinking, the strategy, and the creative direction.
After two decades, the thing that still excites me is the same thing that got me on day one, building something from nothing and watching it grow.
Named after the climb.
Braeface is the name of a road in Scotland. I was cycling up it, grinding, honestly, when I decided to stop designing for other people's businesses and start my own.
The name stuck. Partly because it's distinctly Scottish. Partly because it's memorable. But mostly because the meaning felt right for what I was building.
How i work.
Not values on a wall. These are the things that actually shape every project I take on.
01
Strategy before aesthetics.
A brand that looks good but says nothing is just decoration. I start with why, your positioning, your audience, your difference, all before I touch a single pixel.
02
Founder-direct.
I work with the person who built the business. Not their marketing team. Not a middleman. The best brands come from conversations with people who have real skin in the game.
03
Precision over trend.
I design with intention, every element considered, every decision justified. Trends fade. Brands built on clear thinking and careful craft outlast the style that was popular when they were made.
04
Built to scale.
Your brand isn't just a logo. It's a system that needs to work across every touchpoint as your business grows, from pitch deck to job ad to product packaging. I design for where you're going, not where you are.
05
Partnership, not a transaction.
My longest client relationship is four years and counting. I don't hand over files and disappear. When the business evolves, the brand should evolve with it, and I'm here for that.
06
Honest by default.
If something isn't working, I'll say so. If a project isn't right for me, I'll tell you. You're hiring me for my judgement, not just my tools. Straight talk saves everyone time.
Years in design
Years independent
Longest client relationship
Person you'll work with
Industries I've worked in.
What clients say...
Alastair
CEO, flinder
