Category: publication

BYC brand guide

Posted on by Rhea Diehl

BYC brand guide

brand redevelopment | copywriting | publication design

Challenge:

Using an extended logo design, create a set of brand guidelines for the company of the client in the form of an electronic book to illustrate the brand’s story, customers, and aesthetic.

Design Solution:

In April of 2021, Backyard Creations (an outdoor living design and build company) reached out to seek my help in a complete brand redesign. Unsatisfied with their current logo and brand, BYC wanted to elevate their aesthetic to relate more with their business relationships and knowledgeable clientele. After participating in several design consultations with the team and their own designer, a logo was designed that brought a sophisticated, modern touch to the otherwise industrialized style of this trade.  A company bases its entire brand off of its logo, and now that it was complete, I would be taking over the project. My big task was to create the brand guidelines that would ensure a seamless aesthetic company-wide.

Building this brand guide was essentially starting from scratch. They wanted to do away with their old style completely, save for a couple of colors and fonts. Starting with the guidelines themselves, I did some heavy research into brand guide documents and storytelling for this project. Not only would I be writing about this company’s brand, but I’d be writing about who they are, and telling the story of their success.

Hours and days of research and brainstorming led to the design decisions you see on these pages today. From the big, important components that you see in all brand guides (target audience, logos, typography, blah blah blah) to the small details, like making the color palette out of paint swatches.

The BYC team and I also had this great idea of creating an emblem for their products. We conceptualized a wood-burning iron of sorts that gives their product a permanent “seal of approval”. They really liked the look of the vector leaves used in the brand guide design; so much that they chose that graphic as the main component of the seal. Something simple yet sleek.

Self-Reflection:

I really loved how this project came out. I think a lot of strong design decisions were made here, and that they really elevate BYC over their competitors. Their new brand aesthetic communicates that they mean business, and they’re the experts, on the up-and-up in outdoor living. Follow-ups will be made at a later date to see how the rebrand is working out.

View the Digital Publication

Click the button below to be redirected to Issuu.com, where I’ve created a digital brand book to read through in more detail.

Brand Book

Interested in learning more about BYC and their products?

Visit their company website to read all about their experience, quality products, and the expert services that they offer.

Learn More

academic programs promotional campaign

Posted on by Rhea Diehl

academic programs promotional campaign

direct marketing | web design | print design

Challenge:

Develop various direct marketing materials to promote the addition of new academic programs introduced by the company for the upcoming year. 

Design Solution:

When my client reached out to do some updated marketing in the Spring of 2021, I was so excited to hit the ground running with this one. Expanding on the aesthetic that I created for the InfinityED brand previously, this project gave me the opportunity to create new graphics in the signature style (and have a lot of fun creating them!) If you look at some of the marketing materials for the Summer Grow Program, you’ll see some familiar faces from the last project we did… only this time, some of them have been transformed into plants! This idea was crafted to further promote the natural, agricultural basis of the program, while staying true to the roots (heh) of the program (i.e academics, mathematics etc).

The masks were designed with comfortability in mind, as they would be worn primarily by staff during in-center learning sessions. Bearing this in mind, the design can’t be too over-the-top…you don’t want to distract your students! We achieved a happy-medium with these by keeping these materials on-brand through the graphics and color palette used, but still tried to stay relatively subtle, and not be too “in your face”.

Quite possibly the most important part of the project was the academic brochure created to showcase all of the coming year’s programs. Previously, the Client didn’t have a central information hub on all of the programs offered, which can be very helpful to interested customers. Now, instead of calling the company to hear more about the programs, they are able to offer this convenient brochure outlining all the basic information needed for the consumer to make an informed decision.

Self-Reflection:

I always have a lot of fun with these projects with InfinityED. Having been working with them since the beginnings of the company (as it is now), it’s been incredibly rewarding to be a part of the process of building this brand up to what it is now, and having it take off. With so many other projects in the works with this Client, I’m so excited to see the great ideas and creativity within this brand grow. 

catalog publication design

Posted on by Rhea Diehl

catalog publication design

branding | publication | digital media

Challenge:

Develop a catalog based on a product of your choosing, complete with branding elements.

Design Solution:

For Digital Media Studio I, I created a brand centered around fresh, artisan preserves. Growing up, I always helped my Grandma (Fijak) pick fruits from her gardens, and tried my best, as a five year old with mediocre cooking knowledge, to help her create her fruit preserves. To this day, I drool over the thought of her jams in my Christmas baskets ever year. I took inspiration from these cherished family moments to develop the company Fijak Gardens. Since my inspiration came from the concept of homemade, preserved memories, I chose to go a rather “kitcshy” tone for the brand aesthetic. Fijak Gardens is all about farm to table, fresh ingredients and cooking with care. When these aspects come to mind, the first thing that always comes to mind is a “homemade-grandma” vibe, so I honed in on this tone in my packaging methods, logo design, and even photo composition. 

We are set out amongst the rest of our competitors, and I wanted the catalog to shout this from the rooftops, using high-end and kitschy elements to create an all-around successful farm-to-table brand.

Self-Reflection:

The passion I put into this project is definitely more than usual, but then again, not all of my projects have a personal connection behind them. Due to this, I feel like I could really pour my heart and soul into the copy, photos, packaging, and logo. I was even able to take this project above and beyond, creating real labels with my Cricut. Crafting my own labels and taking my own photos, rather than using jar mockups, really took this project to the next level.