The Digital Decor Edit: Refining Your Online Personal Brand Presence

A curated checklist to elevate your digital touchpoints. From inbox to desktop,  ensure your online space reflects clarity, confidence, and credibility.

I’ve always been infatuated with interior design. Despite working in fashion for over a decade alongside my marketing career, I’d still pick a purchase in homewares over a new handbag any day. Your decor tells a story. It leaves an impression. It can make others feel welcome, at home and at ease. Or, it can make your guests uneasy or uncomfortable. For you, your outer order can create inner calm. So, what atmosphere is your online personal brand creating?

In architecture, "atmospherics" refers to the intentional creation of a mood, feeling, and sensory experience within a space, going beyond just function or form. It’s about how a space feels to be in, not just how it looks. Because tiny details make a big difference to how people experience something. 

What is your digital decor saying about your personal brand?

When it comes to your personal brand, could your digital decor use an audit? 

Grab your cup of tea and let’s talk digital decor…

▢ 1. Elevate your LinkedIn profile photo 

Your LinkedIn profile photo is your online digital handshake. Is it light, bright and inviting?

Before: A dim, cropped, or dated headshot that fades into the background.

After: A light-filled, approachable portrait that is a confident representation of your personal brand with purpose and poise.

▢ 2. Set your LinkedIn profile banner with intention

Your LinkedIn banner is the background to your professional personal brand online. It’s your digital canvas or your feature wall. Do you divert to the default option, or do you express personality and potential?

Before: The default LinkedIn image is a missed visual personal branding opportunity.

After: A custom banner that acts as your professional motif, setting the tone and creating context for your personal brand.

▢ 3. Polish your LinkedIn URL for personal brand cohesion

Design is in the details. Update your LinkedIn URL from the default settings to a customised URL design at no additional cost. Opt for your full name or close variations. Or, add your expertise to your profile, e.g.linkedin.com/in/annasmithaccounting.

Before: A cluttered string of letters and numbers is impersonal and easily overlooked.

After: A streamlined, custom URL reinforcing your personal brand name, plus possibly your niche.

▢ 4. Project a professional email address

Your email address is like your letterhead. It is often the first thing a professional contact will see. Avoid using the fun email you’ve had since high school in a professional context. Whether you’re building relationships outside of your work email or applying for jobs, your email address should project your professionalism. I prefer a full name if it’s available or a close variation. 

Before: A casual or outdated email that undermines credibility at first glance and dilutes one of the most powerful parts of your personal brand - your name. 

After: A clear, professional address is like digital stationery for your personal brand.

▢ 5. Check your video call usernames

If you’re using a personal Zoom or Teams account when meeting for business or potential new jobs, ensure your username is polished and professional. Again, I prefer a full name. If you want a hiring manager or a potential contact to remember you, you may as well use the opportunity to put your full name in the spotlight. 

Before: A nickname or vague ID that blurs your identity.
After: A polished full-name presence that signals poise and professional intent - a subtle calling card for your personal brand.

▢ 6. Curate video call backgrounds for personal brand personality

The backdrop of your video calls is a wonderful way to express your personal brand. At the very least, make sure it’s professional, neat and tidy. Use the background blur options if you need to. I personally tend to prefer seeing them to the digital backdrops, which can be glitchy with movements and distracting. 

Before: Distracting clutter or artificial backdrops creating visual noise.
After: A composed, curated space with a natural aura for your personal brand, like walking into your virtual atelier.

▢ 7. Clear the visual clutter of your desktop

In a world where sharing your screen is so common, what is your desktop saying about you? Clearing your desktop is like tidying up before your guests arrive. Your desktop background can also tell a story. Like artwork for your personal brand. For example, I used to display a picture I personally took of pink peonies my husband bought me on the day he proposed. I often got comments about it, and it was a warm conversation starter. 

Before: A scatter of desktop icons that feel chaotic and unconsidered.

After: A minimalist visual space that projects calm for your personal brand.

▢ 8. Create an inviting personal brand website

Your personal brand website is your digital home. Like with your LinkedIn, make sure your personal brand or business website, if you have one, is considered and inviting. Does your profile photo need a refresh, or does your page overall need some design finesse to make it a more engaging experience for your visitors? Like a fixture in your home, the small details can make a big difference. 

Before: An outdated site that doesn’t reflect your current personal brand presence or polish.
After: A modern, intentional destination with attention to nuance and confident storytelling for your personal brand.

▢ 9. Establish a rhythm with your signature personal brand colour

Chromatics or colour design is the study of colours, their properties, relationships, and effects on perception and emotion. In design, the use of a signature colour or consistent colour palette creates rhythm through a space. When you adopt this approach for your personal brand, it creates a cohesion that projects clarity, intention and poise. 

Before: A mishmash of hues with no visual cohesion for your personal brand. 

After: A curated palette that gives your personal brand a recognisable silhouette and mood.

▢ 10. Redesign your LinkedIn profile as a signature brochure

The default for your LinkedIn profile is to show your latest posts. Depending on your activity on LinkedIn, this might be a missed opportunity. For example, if you regularly publish articles or videos on LinkedIn, with engaging thumbnails, set your Activity section to one of these options instead. It’s like giving your page a fresh coat of paint or more engaging wallpaper. Use your Feature section to do the same. What adds personality to your LinkedIn page? What tells a story or shows your credibility? Pin these posts like you're putting up your favourite photo or artwork on your walls.

Before: An unedited stream of updates and reposts without strategic focus for your personal brand.

After: A thoughtfully styled feed - your curated brochure of personal brand proof and presence.

The atmosphere you curate is the brand you communicate.

Your digital decor is more than aesthetics - it’s atmosphere. Just like a well-styled home, your online presence should feel like you: thoughtful, confident, and considered. Whether it’s your Zoom background or your LinkedIn banner, these subtle details shape how others perceive you. More importantly, how you feel in your professional space.

So take the time to audit and elevate. Refresh what feels outdated. Refine what feels off. And remember, your digital spaces are not just where you work, they’re where your brand lives. Let them reflect your clarity, your creativity, and your quiet confidence - with intention, and a touch of finesse.