Say hello to the new Ashlyn Burke Events. Ashlyn is extremely talented event designer & coordinator and also happens to be a very thoughtful person and good friend of mine. We met back in November about her decision to take the leap and start her own company specializing in wedding and corporate events and I was super flattered when she asked me to design the look of her new business. She wanted a subtle coastal feel but balanced with a cool, colorful, modern edge. We worked together and created a hand drawn logo and complimentary submark that she can use on all her awesome branded swag. This is just the start of what is coming for AB Events and you can check out a snap shot of our process below. We are currently working on the website and can’t wait to show you her new home on the web in the next couple months.
As I navigate this lovely world of design, I have found a few things that seem to make my life easier and my clients happier. Hiring a designer and building a new brand is understandably a huge decision and a significant investment for any business owner. While us designers tend to think the design process is pretty straight forward { as we throw around our design lingo and talk about our turn times and such } it’s not always as easy for our clients to follow. Most of them do not live in our world and for some, the branding process is new territory. And even if this isn’t their first experience with a designer, all of us do things a little differently.
I strive to be as transparent and thorough as possible with my clients through my interviews, questionnaires, and proposals. And while I thought I ran a pretty tight ship with my branding process through email updates, phone calls, etc., I really wanted a detailed roadmap to give to them as we started our process together. I decided to design a one-sheeter pdf detailing my branding process to send to clients after their initial inquiry. I have found that keeping my clients informed of my process, explaining what each step entails, and showing them how we get to our final deliverable helps my clients feel at ease with their decision to hire me and leads to a smooth branding process. As my branding process grows and changes, as I’m sure it will, so to will my trusty little branding guide.
Designer side note: Not only does this make for a happier client, it also reigns in your focus. Establishing your own brand guide helps you zero-in on your own process, develop your own milestones, and most importantly forces you to stick to them yourself. We all know we could use a little more structure in our day to day lives and who better to establish that than you. And sure, not every client is the same nor every brand design, but this sets the stage for a beautiful end product.
The guide below is a screenshot of my process and the full pdf is available to view on my website. I hope this helps inform my lovely clients and inspire my fellow designers! { website design process pdf is in progress…stay tuned }
I’m lovin’ this new throwback look for Haendiges Corporation. I had the pleasure of working on a few print pieces for Lindsay’s kitchen & bath design company in Los Angeles about a year ago so I was flattered when she contacted me again this past December to help her create a new brand for their family business. She and her husband Billy knew they were looking for an industrial, masculine logo that would incorporate their “since 1937” tagline. We started with the inspiration board to establish the overall mood and color palette for their new brand. Next, I came up with 4 unique logo designs, each with two variations of that particular style. Lindsay and Billy were quick decision makers and super awesome clients to work with throughout this process. They went straight for concept #1 with an addition of the “1937” element from concept #4 to give them a perfect option for a stamp, pattern, and submark. Check out the highlights from this project below:
Credits: 