Not Just Pretty | Building An Effective Small Business Brand

Mariposa Leadership: One-sheet design

Mariposa Leadership needed a flexible sales sheet design. This was created to allow them to customize the design with their own text, so that they can make changes to their pitches and marketing materials as needed, while still looking very professional.

UpLevel Strategies: Newsletter design

I redesigned the UpLevel Strategies HTML newsletter template to match their new website and updated look. Then I coded the revised design into Email Brain for email list management and to make it easy for the client to create and send their own weekly newsletters.

 

This template is designed to be flexible for many types of content.

 

UpLevel Strategies Website Design

I recently updated the design of the UpLevel Strategies website to present a modern, up-to-date look for this small business coach and marketing strategist. We also created this design to emphasize social networking and to drive more mailing list sign-ups.

Breast cancer benefit logo

This is the logo that I designed for a breast cancer benefit cocktail party. The signature drink was the appletini - thus, the green in the color palette. And the breast cancer ribbon seemed like a perfect substitute for a "twist".

New Design Project: Connecticut Mediation Center

I recently completed the design and launch of this new website for a family law and divorce mediator in Connecticut, Angela Green.

We did a Mapquest integration, Paypal button integration, and a YouTube video streaming on one of the pages.

The full site can be viewed at http://www.ctmediationcenter.com

Nina Price Logo: Brand Story

Nina Price Logo

Nina Price helps High-Tech Professionals stay professionally competitive by using a wide variety of tools — massage, acupuncture, Business and Wellness Coaching, Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbal foot soaks, and even Detox treatments.

This logo is a good example of the three elements that a small business's logo uses to communicate the business's personality to their best clients. Here's how it does that:

1. The Icon. The icon in this logo uses icons of the different senses and parts of the body that Nina works with in her business to impact the energy level (shown by the star) and the soul (shown by the heart icon) of her clients. The hand drawn look and swirls in the icons denote the energy and sense of humor that she approaches her work with.

2. The Font. This font, with its' sharp edges, adds a bit of the computer-industry flair to the logo without overpowering the hand-drawn icons.

3. The Color Palette. Though I don't often recommend using the entire rainbow in your logo, in this case, the broad-spectrum treatment is appropriate. It visually speaks of the range of services that she provides and the range of problems that she can help her clients through.

I also designed her stationery, website (http://www.ninaprice.com) and business card.

Thrivin' Edibles Brand Story

Logo, Stationery Kit, Website and Brochure

Thrivin' Edibles is a raw cuisine company, and I designed their logo to work for their many different offerings - from catering, to meal delivery, to packaged snacks available in the stores, to their dessert line.

The icon of the logo is a leafy branch, with a sense of flow and ease to it. The branch has 3 leaves because having three visual elements with a sense of movement helps the viewer's eye move around the logo.

The font in the logo continues the easy flow of the icon with it's slight tilt.

And, of course, to make the leaves look healthy and vibrant, the color palette is a bright, clear green.

The rest of the marketing kit has visual consistency through the horizontal wave and consistent photography.

Pig pirate flag

Some friends asked me about designing a pirate flag that involved bacon in some way.

If pigs had a pirate flag, then it would have bacon strips instead of cross bones.

And I'd call it the Jolly Porker.

Right?

Physician Family Financial Advisors Logo

Physician Family Financial Advisors works with physicians who are concerned about taking care of their families, futures, and being active in their business practices.

This logo takes advantage of the three-part harmony that a small business's logo uses to communicate with their clients. Here's how:

1. The Icon. The icon here is designed as an abstract icon, with simple symbols that work together to tell the business's story. The three checkmark shapes in the center go with the business's focus of making sure that their clients can "Be certain™" that their finances are taken care of at all times. The checkmarks visually mean that this important task is "done". The outer shape of the circle denotes wholeness, fullness and trust.

2. The Font. I chose a font that is a clear sans-serif font, which makes it easy to read and scalable. However, this font (which is called Optima) also has a bit of serif at the ends of the letters — which gives it a more traditional, established feel. I've stacked the words of this business name so that the logo will be compact on the business materials and also to give balance to the long name.

3. The Color Palette. Here, we focused on what the target audience (physicians) want from their money. They want to be able to spend more time relaxing with their families, taking vacation and spending time with them. The teal and brown color palette is reminiscent of the beach, a popular vacation destination. The colors are also soothing together, and they aren't the same old navy-blue or green-based color palettes that are popular in the financial planning industry, so the color palette helps this client to stand out.

I also designed his website, at http://www.physicianfamilyfinancialadvisors.com/ and his blog, at http://www.physicianfamilyfinancialadvisorsblog.com/

Susan Borkin Logo

I designed this logo for a writer, coach, teacher and psychotherapist. 

We designed the pen icon, which is a modernized fountain pen. The pen also forms the centerline of the "psi" symbol - the symbol for psychology. Together they form the psi-pen - clever, huh?

We used a cursive font that resembles a signature because of the personal nature of her writing and teaching. 

The purple and silver color palette is symbolic of psychology and the mind.

The positioning of the icon after the name makes it appear as if the pen has just written the signature. It also makes the logo more eye-catching and unconventional to position the icon on the right side rather than on the left.