The Kintsugi Way

Introduction:

• Client: Manish Raut

• Industry: Life Coaching

• Goal: To create a visual identity that captures the depth, empathy, and transformative journey at the heart of life coaching. A brand that not only feels visually appealing, but also emotionally resonates with people making them feel seen, understood, and safe. We aimed to connect beyond aesthetics, building a brand that represents healing, personal growth, and human resilience.

Challenge: As a newcomer to the life coaching industry, the client needed to establish trust and credibility right from the start. Without an existing reputation, the branding had to do the heavy lifting: building recognition, conveying empathy, and instantly communicating the brand’s deeper purpose. The challenge was to create an identity that felt genuine, distinctive, and emotionally inviting in a space where many brands feel generic.

Approach: I began with an in-depth research phase diving into the coaching industry to understand its emotional landscape, audience expectations, and visual patterns.

My research also focused on identifying overused visual elements, colours, and symbols to avoid clichés and carve out a unique space. Beyond competitor analysis, I explored philosophies and cultural concepts that resonated with the client’s brand values.

This led me to the art of Kintsugi, a powerful metaphor for healing and embracing imperfections, which became the foundation for building a deeply meaningful and visually distinctive identity.

Solution: During our brand strategy session, the client shared their brand story, target audience, and core values: centered around healing, empathy, and personal growth.

As I immersed myself into the coaching space, I discovered the ancient Japanese philosophy of Kintsugi- the art of mending broken pottery with gold, honoring the beauty of imperfections.

When I shared this concept with the client, it deeply resonated. Together, we built the brand identity around this powerful idea: healing, transformation, and the celebration of human resilience.

Typography: I paired a clean sans-serif font with a handwritten script to strike a balance between professionalism and personal touch. The sans-serif font ensures clarity, trustworthiness, and ease of reading. The handwritten style introduces warmth, approachability, and human connection, mirroring the empathy and intimacy that coaching provides.

Colour: The colour palette was carefully chosen to evoke feelings of depth, mystery, and healing. The deep blue/ purple background symbolizes trust, calm, and introspection, creating a safe emotional space. Subtle off-white tones represent purity and new beginnings, while golden accents within the icon highlight the beauty in healing and growth.

Symbol: The logo icon is rich with layered meaning.

• The broken yet golden figure represents the healing journey; honoring the scars rather than hiding them, inspired by Kintsugi.

• The stacked rocks symbolise balance and stability, inspired by another Japanese concept, Ishi no Tō, often seen as metaphors for mindfulness and grounding.

• The heart shape subtly formed by the legs represents empathy, the core of life coaching.

  
  

  This symbolic depth creates a logo that feels personal, memorable, and meaningful to the audience.

Result: The final visual identity goes beyond being just beautiful. It tells a story of healing, empathy, and transformation. It creates an immediate emotional resonance with the audience, setting the brand apart in a crowded coaching industry. From the colour palette to the typography to the symbol itself, every element works cohesively to express a deep, heartfelt brand essence that feels seen, understood, and inspired.

Conclusion: The Kintsugi Way’s branding reflects a deeper journey, not just coaching, but healing and transformation. It helps the client enter the coaching space with a unique, soulful identity that builds trust and emotional connection at first glance. If you’re looking for branding that captures the heart and soul of your story, I’d love to help you bring it to life. Feel free to reach out for a discovery call!