Case Study: Re-branding a blog

Who doesn't love a great "Before and After"? We recently had the pleasure of re-designing the popular blog "The Mrs," where Suzy Homemaker meets Anne Taintor. Readers enjoy cheeky and well-written articles on housewifery, frugality, and much more. Not only is the author a dear friend, but she's also a great creative mind to collaborate with!

With that said, we're trying something new by sharing a breakdown of this fun blog re-design... enjoy!

~L

Hello, 2012!

We can't help but look back at 2011 with gratitude. It's been a year of great change, of personal and professional growth, of new members being added to our team, of clients who have become friends, of inspiring projects, new brands being born, and old brands being given a revitalizing lift.

With that said, we are excited about what's in store for 2012. We resolve to serve our clients even better, to embrace their goals as our own, to create even more inspiring work, and to use design to fulfill purposes greater than ourselves. You'll see some changes this coming year, but we promise you that they'll all be for the better!

What about you? What are your resolutions for 2012?

2012 Christmas Cards

Christmas is approaching, and we've been busy working on our holiday client / vendor thank-you gifts. Now that they're in the mail, we thought we'd share a few snapshots of our creations. This year, we included a few little gift tag / wine bottle hangers for fun.

Every year in lieu of a gift, we give a donation on all of our clients' behalf to a worthy cause. For the past few years, this has been Detroit's Highland Park Community Outreach (HPCO). We're honored to be a small part of the great things they're doing in Detroit's inner city.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Lindsay and Mark

P.S. To see our 2010 cards, click here.

D Show win in Detroit!

Last Wednesday, I attended my first D Show at the Max Fisher Center in Detroit.

The D Show is an event hosted by the Adcraft Club of Detroit where the creative community comes together and submits their best work in categories ranging from integrated branding to TV and radio advertising spots. The submissions are culled and curated, with the winners announced at the D Show in a format similar to the Academy Awards for the creative community.

A few projects I (Lindsay) was privileged to be a part of in collaboration with Team Detroit were finalists in a number of categories. At the end of the night, the branding work we did for WDET took home a D award in the Stationery category. :)

Below is a closer look at the WDET identity and brand book. WDET 101.9 has been Metro Detroit's premier public radio station for over 60 years. In an attempt to refresh their presence in the community and more effectively portray the station's vibrance and significance, we underwent an extensive re-branding initiative which began with a re-design of their logo and extended to the creation of an entire visual language for the station. From there, we created their entire corporate identity system, newsletter publications, signage systems, and website. Some of the things we drew inspiration from were bluenote album covers (a tribute to the city's rich musical heritage), as well as photography of the city itself (taken by talented local photographer Linda Hamlin).

I also want to credit my fellow designer Tim McCaffrey, producer Carrie Rickman, Design Director Michele Silvestri, and Chief Creative Officer Toby Barlow. All work was created in collaboration with Team Detroit.

It was a great evening. Creativity truly is alive in Detroit.

-L

 

We're excited to share a hot-off-the-press project recently done for The Shoe Shine Guys, a new business that a long-time client is launching! The Shoe Shine Guys are a full-service, mobile shoe-shine shop that will soon be bringing their personal services to office buildings in Southeastern Michigan.


As design consultants, we help our clients build strong, memorable brands. We've worked with some fabulous companies, churches and non-profits organizations. With that said, it's not everyday that a start-up comes to you with the complete package: a great concept, phenomenal business sense, and an understanding of how branding and strategic design are perhaps the most essential tools to invest in as you're starting a company.

The Shoe Shine Guys were that kind of client, and approached us to help them build their brand from the ground up. After learning more about their business and target clientele, we realized that there was a great opportunity to tap into the rich heritage of the shoe shine business. There is a certain vintage charm that is found in shoe shine tins, packaging, and turn-of-the-century signage that has proven to be a great source of design inspiration during the course of this project! John Early and his team truly are a delight to work with, and we are proud to share some of the progress made so far.

Their final logo, business cards, and sweet 5" square postcards feature an eclectic use of type and pattern that are both nostalgic and contemporary. A spot UV varnish brings an extra richness to their printed materials (not to mention shiny shoes and a custom pattern we created for them), making each piece feel special and premium. If you're looking for a way to make your printed communications pop, try working with your designer to experiment with spot UV varnish. This special process places the varnish over a specific area in your design, causing it to catch the light and shine.

Look out for the Shoe Shine Guys near you as their truck makes their scheduled stops at office buildings in the Metro Detroit area this spring! You won't be able to miss their jet black truck, nostalgic graphics, and smiling faces as they work to make the Detroit area shine!

~L

It's no secret that we have a love affair with typography. So when the opportunity arose to work with a talented team of designers from The Park to create a 12' x 12' x 12' Dining Installation for the DIFFA (Design Industries For Fighting AIDS) Dining By Design event, we were delighted to join in their efforts. Having been hosted in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco in the past, this event made its way to Detroit for the first time on Thursday, August 12th. To describe it as "Design Star" meets "Top Chef" for a good cause would be an understatement. Designers team up with corporate sponsors to create a space for eight to dine. With typography as our hero, a budget of $0, and just three weeks from start to finish (many of the other installations had over six months of plans and preparation under their belts), we decked the walls with glorious type and some of our favorite quotes on design. Credit must also be given to the fabulous Richard Gage of Hazel Park's Richard Gage Design Studio for the construction of the table and metal pergola, as well as Marisa Gaggino of Royal Oak's Heritage Co2 for many of the fabulous letters used in our type "sculpture." Linda Hamlin and Christine Jones of The Park should also be credited as the remarkable individuals who rolled up their sleeves and put the installation together. We celebrated by attending the DIFFA Cocktail evening this past Thursday, where all of the installations were revealed. It was an unforgettably inspiring evening filled with delicious morsels (25 top chefs from the city competed by preparing their best appetizer for all), great company, and inspiring art and design. While the installation is no longer available to see, we will post any photography or press links as they become available. Thanks goes out to Team Detroit for their sponsorship of the space, and for the opportunity to showcase our creativity for a good cause!

Website Launch Party

Our website's been live for a little while, but we were looking for a good reason to get our clients, vendors and friends together. Thanks to Hantz Group for the incredible facility, and to all who attended. 

Live music by Brion Riborn (http://www.brionriborn.com/)

Seated massages... the perfect way to unwind!

Catering by the phenomenal Yacobelli/Henry team.

Our venue was Hantz Group's "Bowling IQ" in Sterling Heights.

Chocolate-covered srawberries. Need we say more?