The blog of M31Factory · new notes most weeks

The Whimsical Misfit.

For the whimsical misfits who don’t fit anywhere — and thrive anyway.

Design, marketing and life, told like letters from a friend — by me, Liza. Expect honest numbers, strong opinions about fonts, honest thoughts on life, and the occasional wobble. Join the Misfit Letter and I’ll save you a seat.

Casa Cacao brand identity designed by hand — packaging, business cards and paper bag in an earthy green, parchment and gold palette
Branding

Beyond the Brand Board

A brand kit makes you look the part — it cannot make you sound like yourself. On the last ten percent of branding: the biography, the rituals, the one detail no template will ever generate. Where templates end and you begin.

07 October 2026 · 6 min read · by Liza

Read the note
Warm minimal home office with a laptop on the desk Design·02 September Trends Are a Trap (Except When They’re a Doorway) How to borrow from this season’s looks without losing the plot — or your brand. Read the note → Handcrafted website design displayed on a dark grey MacBook Marketing·05 August Nobody Wants to Be ‘Valued Customer’ Hyper-personalisation the human way: memory, applied with love. Read the note → The White Garden wedding website on a silver laptop, soft ivory tones Design·01 July Green Does Not Mean Beige The eco-chic celebration, reimagined — sustainability with actual personality. Read the note → Editorial website design displayed on a tablet Marketing·03 June The Muse in the Machine What AI actually does for a creative business — and the one thing it can’t do for you. Read the note → Retro-inspired portfolio design on a laptop beside a coral velvet sofa Branding·06 May Chrome, Neon and a Little Bit of Magic Building a retro-futurism brand without turning it into a costume party. Read the note → Elegant wedding planner website on a laptop in a bright desk scene Design·08 April RSVP, Yes The quiet rise of the interactive invitation — and what it says about the guests we’ve become. Read the note → Warm minimal home office with a laptop, lamp and open magazine Marketing·11 March Beyond the PDF What an ebook actually does for your business. Spoiler: it was never about the reading. Read the note → A dark grey MacBook showing a website designed by hand Branding·25 February The Designer, the Template and You A small-business love triangle, resolved — when to hire, when to template, when to DIY on purpose. Read the note → A steaming coffee mug beside a laptop in a warm home office Design·11 February You Are Not Bad at Design You were just never handed the good tools. On the so-called design dilemma, and how it dissolves. Read the note → A journal and laptop on a white desk in soft morning light Mindset·28 January In Praise of the Beautiful Mess Junk journaling: why your most creative work might come from the paper you almost threw away. Read the note → A silver MacBook facing the camera, showing a website designed by hand Design·14 January The Un-Template Manifesto How to use a template and still look like the only one of your kind in the room. Read the note →

The Misfit Letter

One honest letter a week, for the ones who never quite fit the template.

What worked, what flopped, and the Canva tricks nobody puts on YouTube. Join the list and the beginner’s Canva guide lands in your inbox first. No noise — I write like I talk.