The Brand Diagnostic — by IKUBIX
A one-week strategic read of what your brand is actually doing.
Before you rebrand, redesign, or rebuild — find out where the system is leaking. A scoped, fixed-price audit from a 24-year design practitioner, for founders and teams who suspect the surface isn't the problem.
Who this is for
You probably feel one of these.
Most brands don't fail at execution. They fail at coherence — and the signs are subtle until they aren't.
- 01Your visuals look fine in isolation, but nothing holds together across channels.
- 02You've outgrown the identity you launched with, but you're not sure what to keep.
- 03AI tools have flooded your category with competent-looking work, and yours no longer reads as distinct.
- 04You're about to invest in a redesign, campaign, or product launch — and you want a strategic read before you commit.
- 05Your team keeps making one-off design decisions because there's no system telling them what's on-brand.
What you receive
A document, a verdict, a path forward.
The Diagnostic is a designed, written deliverable — not a workshop, not a deck of mood boards. It tells you what's working, what isn't, and what to do about it, in language you can act on the moment you receive it.
The Read
A structured assessment of your current brand system across identity, voice, visual language, and channel coherence.
The Frame
The three to five strategic gaps that matter — named, ranked, and explained in terms of what they cost you.
The Path
A prioritized set of next moves, scoped to your stage. Some you can do yourselves. Some you shouldn't.
The Call
A 60-minute walkthrough of the document together, so the findings translate into team alignment, not another PDF that sits.
How the week runs
Five working days, end to end.
Intake and inventory
A short kickoff call. You share access to your site, social channels, decks, and any existing brand materials. I gather the full surface area of what your brand currently emits.
The read
Quiet, focused analysis. I work through your touchpoints the way a careful new customer would, mapping where the system holds and where it breaks.
The frame
Findings become a designed document. Strategic gaps, ranked. Recommendations, scoped. Everything in plain language, nothing performative.
The walkthrough
A 60-minute working session. We go through the document together, surface questions, and align on what comes next.
Investment
Fixed scope, fixed price.
If you decide to move into the full Visual Systems Sprint within 30 days, the diagnostic fee is credited in full against the Sprint engagement.
Diagnostic or Sprint
Two different products, same standard.
The Diagnostic tells you what's true. The Sprint builds what's next. Most clients start with one.
Start here
Brand Diagnostic
- — Designed audit of your current system
- — Ranked strategic gaps
- — Prioritized next moves
- — 60-minute walkthrough call
When you're ready to build
Visual Systems Sprint
- — Read → Frame → Build methodology
- — Complete visual system + principles
- — Implementation-ready deliverables
- — Team integration support
Inquire
Tell me about your brand.
A short note is enough to get started. I respond personally within two business days, and I only take on diagnostics where I can do meaningful work.
Questions worth asking
Before you book.
Is the Diagnostic a cheaper version of the Sprint?
No. It's a different product. The Diagnostic produces a verdict — a written read of your current system and where it's failing. The Sprint produces a built system. Some clients only ever need the Diagnostic. Others use it to decide whether the Sprint is the right next step.
Why $3,800 for a five-day engagement?
Because what you're paying for isn't five days of time — it's 24 years of practice applied to your specific system. The Diagnostic compresses decades of pattern recognition into a single document you can act on. Comparable strategic audits from boutique studios run $5,000 to $15,000. The price reflects the value of the read, not the duration of the week.
What if I just want a logo critique?
This isn't that. The Diagnostic looks at your brand as a system — identity, voice, visual language, and how those hold together across the surfaces your audience actually encounters. A logo critique alone won't tell you what you need to know.
Can the Diagnostic credit toward the Sprint?
Yes. If you decide to move forward into a full Visual Systems Sprint within 30 days of receiving your Diagnostic, the full $3,800 fee is credited against the Sprint engagement.
Who is this not for?
Teams looking for surface-level deliverables — a logo, a color palette, a deck redesign — without addressing the system underneath. The Diagnostic is for people who suspect the problem is structural.
How many do you take on each month?
Two. The Diagnostic only works if I can give it real attention, and it sits alongside Sprint engagements and ongoing studio work.