- Starts Oct 11
Tweaked your design a hundred times? Yeah, we should talk...
You're already creating your own graphics – but no matter how many versions you try, they still don't quite reflect the quality of your business.
Design Your Brand Academy (DBA) is a guided 6-week implementation programme where we stop the endless fiddling for good – building your brand foundations, Canva Pro Brand Kit and a simple template system together, so everything you create finally feels polished, consistent and recognisably yours.
Together we’ll follow my Discover → Define → Design framework to turn your DIY-looking visuals into a clear, professional brand. Instead of trying template after template or second-guessing every design decision, you’ll know exactly what to use and how to create polished graphics that support your business.
When you need a graphic, you’ll simply open Canva, use your on-brand templates and create it.
No design degree needed. No endless Canva chaos. Just a brand & simple system you can rely on.
Why designing your graphics feels harder than it should
If creating graphics for your business feels slow, frustrating or inconsistent… you’re not alone.
You may already have your colours, fonts, templates – even a Brand Kit – but if those pieces haven’t been properly thought through and set up to work together, every new graphic can still feel like starting from scratch.
😣 So you tweak templates
😬 Change the font again
😵 Try another colour
And still end up staring at the screen thinking: “Why does this still not look right?”
It’s not because you’re bad at design.
It’s because having the tools and brand elements isn’t the same as having a clear system for using them.
Professional designers don’t make every decision from scratch. We nail down the foundations first:
💬 The message
⭐️ The personality
🎨 The visual direction
Once those pieces are clear, designing becomes faster and easier.
But when you skip that step, every design decision feels like guesswork.
That’s exactly the problem Design Your Brand Academy was created to solve.
The Discover-Define-Design Framework
Inside DBA, I guide you through a simple three-step process to get your brand foundations properly set up.
DISCOVER
Decide how your brand should feel, who you’re speaking to and the impression you want to create.
DEFINE
Turn that direction into a clear visual style – your colours, fonts, logo, imagery and the rules for using them.
DESIGN
Put those decisions into practice. Learn enough designer judgement to know what works, what doesn't & what to fix.
Instead of endlessly tweaking templates, you’ll make the important decisions first – so your colours, fonts, images and layouts finally have a reason for being there.
By the end of the programme, you won’t just understand your brand.
You’ll have actually built it.
- Starts Oct 11
Join me for the next round!
If you’re ready to stop second-guessing your graphics and build a brand that finally reflects the quality of your business, I’ll guide you through the process step-by-step.
Design Your Brand Academy
6-week guided implementation programme
Kim Kruysman
"Her easy to follow advice, and step-by-step actionable instructions helped fast track the creative process, and all with newfound Canva confidence."
Kim Cramer
"Working with Miranda inside DBA was a game changer and time saver for my business. Now I design faster, my graphics look more put together, and I feel confident hitting publish!!!"
Johleen van Dyk
"I started DBA knowing absolutely nothing. Now I’m creating designs with all the bells and whistles. Miranda truly goes above & beyond, her support was exceptional."
All the nitty gritty details....
What you’ll build inside the 6-week programme
Over six weeks, we’ll work through the framework together so you build your brand step-by-step.
By the end of Design Your Brand Academy, you’ll walk away with:
A clear brand foundation
You’ll know exactly who your brand is for, how it should feel and how to communicate it visually – so your graphics create the right impression, speak to the right people and properly support your business.
A complete Canva Brand Kit
Your colours, fonts, logo variations and visual style will all be clearly defined and organised inside your Canva Brand Kit – ready to use whenever you create. Think paint-by-numbers for your brand.
A set of go-to brand templates
Instead of starting from scratch every time, you’ll have branded templates you can reuse again and again.
My simple, studio-proven design workflow
You’ll know exactly how to turn ideas into polished graphics – without endlessly tweaking layouts or second-guessing every design decision.
Confidence in your visuals
You’ll finally feel confident creating graphics that look polished, consistent and aligned with your brand.
Instead of wondering whether your graphics look “good enough”, you’ll have a clear system you can rely on – so you can create what your business needs without starting from scratch or second-guessing every decision.
And because I want you to have support while you build your brand, you won’t be doing this alone
Inside DBA, you’ll also get the guidance, feedback and practical support you need to keep moving forward...
👋🏻
Live expert training once a week
Each Monday at 7pm SAST we meet for a focused 45-minute live session where I guide you through the next step of the framework. You’ll see exactly how to apply the concepts and build the next part of your brand system with me.
💬
Live Q&A and Feedback
Each Thursday at 7pm SAST you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, get feedback on your brand and troubleshoot challenges as they come up. This is often where students have their biggest breakthroughs.
🚀
Step-by-step implementation
Every stage is designed to help you create something tangible for your brand – from your brand foundation and Brand Kit to your template system. This isn’t about watching fluffy lessons. It’s about taking clear, practical action step-by-step.
🛠️
Practical weekly guidance
Each week you’ll receive the next set of short lessons and action steps so you can focus on building one part of your brand at a time. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, you’ll always know exactly what to work on next for great results.
🔎
A clear roadmap and transformation
You’ll always know where you are in the journey and what the next step looks like. No confusion. No random lessons. Just a clear path from DIY-looking graphics to a polished brand and system you can confidently use.
👩🏻🤝👩🏾
Supportive online community
During the six weeks you’ll have access to a private community where you can ask questions, share progress and get support. Many students say this is the part that helps them stay motivated and actually finish the process.
Design Your Brand Academy is NOT another Canva course!
- Starts Oct 11
It’s a step-by-step system that helps you build a polished, professional brand and gives you a clear way to create the everyday graphics your business needs – without all the guessing, fiddling and starting from scratch.
⭐️ BONUS ⭐️
Your built-in AI thinking partner: The Brand Buddy
One of the biggest challenges when building a brand is simply knowing what to decide.
Which colours feel right?
What words describe your brand personality?
How do you explain your brand clearly?
That’s exactly why I created the Brand Buddy GPT.
Inside Design Your Brand Academy, the Brand Buddy acts as your AI thinking partner, helping you move through the Discover-Define-Design stages faster and with far more clarity.
You can use it to:
01
Clarify your brand foundation
02
Create simple brand guidelines
03
Explore ideas for your visual direction
04
Write stronger briefs and AI prompts
05
Make decisions without endless overthinking
Instead of staring at a blank page or going around in circles, the Brand Buddy helps you think things through, make focused decisions and keep moving forward.
And the best part?
You’ll keep lifetime access to the Brand Buddy, so you can return to it whenever your brand evolves or you need help briefing AI, planning new visuals or making brand decisions in the future.
Is Design Your Brand Academy right for you?
Design Your Brand Academy is designed for capable, hands-on business owners who are already creating their own graphics – but know their brand still looks a little too DIY, inconsistent or not quite as professional as the business behind it.
It’s not for everyone – and that’s a good thing.
DBA is perfect for you if:
✅ You’re already in business and have paying customers
✅ You already create and edit your own business graphics
✅ Your visuals still don’t reflect the quality of your work
✅ You want your brand to look more polished, credible and recognisably yours
✅ You may already have a logo, colours or Brand Kit – but something still feels off
✅ You want a clear brand system you can confidently use yourself
✅ You’re ready to follow the process and get the foundations properly in place
DBA probably isn’t the right fit if:
❌ You’re still figuring out what your business actually is, who it serves or what you offer
❌ You’re a complete Canva beginner and need step-by-step help with the basics
❌ You want a quick template pack or magic shortcut without doing the foundational work
❌ You don’t care how your business looks and would rather outsource everything
❌ You’re a professional designer looking for advanced design training
❌ You want to learn every Canva feature, AI trick or graphic design technique
❌ You’re not willing to spend a little time making the decisions and building the foundations properly
DBA works best when you already know your business – but the way it looks hasn’t quite caught up yet.
And the good news?
You don’t need to be wildly creative or become a graphic designer. You just need the right foundations, a clear process and an experienced eye helping you spot what you can’t always see yourself.
If that sounds like you, DBA will give you the structure, feedback and practical system to build a brand that finally looks as professional as the work you do.
Imagine six weeks from now…
Your brand finally feels clear. Your colours, fonts, logo and visual style are organised and ready to use inside Canva. You’ve built your own set of templates that actually look and feel like your brand.
And when you need a graphic, you don’t stare at a blank screen wondering what to do...
You open Canva, use your on-brand templates and know exactly where to start.
No more guessing, tweaking templates for hours, or second-guessing every decision.
Just a polished, professional brand you’re proud of – and a clear system for creating the everyday graphics your business needs.
That’s the shift Design Your Brand Academy is designed to create.
Angel Sedran
"Working with Miranda Capellino on my branding journey has been a game-changer – it's like having a branding guru by my side, showing me the ropes in a way that actually makes sense."
Wim & Alison Kuit
"Miranda has utterly transformed our brand, she has guided us in setting up our Brand Kit, streamlining the process of creating an impressive online presence."
Hannah Gill
"She explains design concepts in a way that is easy to understand, can help you take your designs from good to AMAZING, and will equip you with the skills needed to make that transformation on your own."
Go from DIY-looking visuals to a brand that looks the part
- Starts Oct 11
FAQ section
Frequently asked questions
You've got questions. I've got answers.
How much time will I need each week?
Most students spend around 2–3 hours outside the live sessions, watching the lessons and applying what they learn.
The goal isn’t to rush – it’s to move through the Discover → Define → Design steps and build your brand properly.
You’ll have lifetime access to the core training, so you can revisit the material whenever you need.
Do I need to be good at design for this to work?
Not at all. You don’t need any formal design training or artistic talent.
You do need to be reasonably comfortable creating and editing graphics in Canva already – DBA isn’t a Canva basics course.
What I’ll give you is the clear brand system and visual guidance that helps you make better decisions with the skills you already have.
Do I need Canva Pro?
Yes – you’ll need Canva Pro to set up your Brand Kit inside Canva.
The Brand Kit is where your colours, fonts and logos are stored, so every time you create a graphic everything is ready and consistent. It’s one of the features that makes designing much faster and easier.
To make it simple, grab my 30-day Canva Pro trial link here (instead of Canva’s standard 7-day trial) so you can explore the features while building your brand inside the programme.
Many students decide to keep Canva Pro afterwards because it becomes an incredibly useful tool for creating graphics quickly and consistently in their business.
What if I already have a logo?
Many students join DBA with an existing logo. During the programme, you’ll look at whether it still fits your brand and whether you need additional variations or a simple refinement.
If you don’t yet have a usable logo, I’ll help you create something simple to get you started.
Either way, the goal is to build your complete visual brand – not obsess over the logo alone.
What happens after the 6 weeks?
You’ll keep lifetime access to the core DBA training material and the Brand Buddy GPT.
If you’d like ongoing support, feedback and fresh guidance after the programme, you’ll also have the option to join The Design Den membership.
Can I get a refund if it’s not for me?
Because Design Your Brand Academy is a live cohort programme with limited spaces, enrolments are final and refunds are not available.
Please read the page carefully and only join if you’re ready to commit to building your brand during the programme.
- Starts Oct 11
Inside DBA you’ll receive:
The Discover → Define → Design Framework
6 weeks of structured brand-building guidance
Weekly live training sessions (Mondays 7pm SAST)
Weekly live Q&A and design feedback (Thursdays 7pm SAST)
Step-by-step implementation lessons
Lifetime access to the core DBA training
Lifetime access to the Brand Buddy GPT
The 5-point Designer’s Eye Checklist
Support inside the private online community
To keep the programme interactive and ensure everyone receives feedback, each round is limited to a small number of students.
Hi there
I'm Miranda
After 30+ years working as a professional graphic designer and helping businesses build strong, recognisable brands, I’ve learned something important…
Great design isn’t about fancy tools or complicated jargon. It starts with making the right decisions and setting yourself up properly before you begin.
Inside this programme, I guide you step-by-step to build the pieces your business actually needs – from your brand foundations to your Brand Kit and template system – so creating your graphics becomes faster, easier and far less stressful.
Along the way, you’ll learn what to look for, what works for your brand and how to spot when something feels off – so your visuals become more polished, consistent and unmistakably you.
Imagine sitting down to create a graphic and knowing exactly what to do. Your brand feels clear, your decisions are easier and the graphics you create finally reflect the quality of the business behind them.