I can't effectively help you become a more strategic creative with a pre-recorded course. It requires a lot of skills, project experience, and above all – time.
And the best way for me to support you on that journey is through an ongoing relationship. A place where I can share what I've learned from 20 years in the industry, as well as what I'm learning right now, considering the changing landscape.
And even better – it's a space for us all to learn together in real time.
Startegists is a community group where members become higher-impact branders.
Community of creative, kind humans
Daily access to Ilya Lobanov via a private WhatsApp group
Weekly group calls, masterclasses and webinars
Monthly Hot Seat opportunity for 1:1 support
Practical learning, actionable insights and templates
And more, helping you grow
With so many ‘branding experts’, especially with the rise of Instagram and other social media platforms where a new copy/paste ‘expert’ pops up every time someone in the world sneezes, you’d be forgiven to feel skeptical.
I’ve had several creative ‘lives’. Almost two decades ago I worked as a lead designer at a web agency. They called me the interpreter, because I seemed to possess the uncanny ability to translate the requirements from visuals to functionality and vice versa when other designers on the team failed.
Later in my other creative ‘lives’, Creative Directors only wanted me to execute a strategy, and business owners wanted to work with me directly after seeing their brands come to life visually.
All of this considering I see myself as only an above-average designer.
After 20+ years into my journey within the creative industries, I’ve understood something. The ability to translate strategy into anything is my superpower.
Similarly, I could reverse-engineer visuals or a brand names back to strategic insights that might have influenced its creation.
So rest assured, you won't just get access to stuff I’d read in a blog or a social media post. I've applied what I preach to probably thousands of real-world projects.
What if I don't have time?
Every member of community is busy. I've designed it to be a resource, not another task. Of course, you will get the most out of it if you spend time leveraging the resources (masterclasses, hot seats, etc). But if you simply use it as a place to get inspiration, get through roadblocks, or get some feedback on a proposal you're putting together from the community, you're going to get a lot out of it.
Am I a good fit for this?
Our members include both in-house designers and independent creative business owners. But we're all driven to create more strategically, knowing that a solid foundation can help a brand endure. If you want to push yourself creatively, want to be inspired and challenged to enhance your creativity, and improve the work you’re already doing so it has more impact, more consistently and confidently, this community you could be a great fit for this community.
How does it work?
The Startegists community is where I'm investing the majority of my time and attention outside of client work. I'm extremely active in the forum and in direct messages. I host weekly live sessions each week including open Office Hours and 1:1 member Hot Seats. I also create and curate the best branding resources I can to help you grow as a branding professional.
Starfan (*billed annually)
Courses & Resources
Access to all courses ($600 value)
Access to digital products ($185 value)
Access to all past masterclasses ($600 value)
Community
Members-only community group chat
Monthly Hot Seats with Ilya
Weekly Masterclasses
Coaching
Quarterly 1:1 with Ilya ($1200 value)
Join
Star
Courses & Resources
Access to all courses after 3 months ($600 value)
Access to digital products after 3 months ($185 value)
Access to all past masterclasses ($600 value)
Community
Members-only community group chat
Monthly Hot Seats with Ilya
Weekly Masterclasses
Coaching
Quarterly 1:1 with Ilya ($1200 value)
Join
Superfan (*billed annually)
Courses & Resources
Access to all courses ($600 value)
Access to digital products ($185 value)
Access to all past masterclasses ($600 value)
Community
Members-only community group chat
Monthly Hot Seats with Ilya
Weekly Masterclasses
Coaching
Quarterly 1:1 with Ilya ($1200 value)
Join