FROM THE DESK | ISSUE 013

FIELD NOTES | Revisions that nail the vision.

There’s no secret sauce for building a great brand, but a dialled in process? That’s about as close as it gets, so we’ve leant into that hard over the last 6 months or so.

Once we’ve wrapped our Discovery process and the Blueprint is locked in, we move into a three-step review, designed to keep things collaborative, clear, and moving forward. It gives us room to explore, refine, and land on a final identity that actually feels like you. Here’s how it works:

Step 1, Identity Proposal: This is our big pitch. how we’d bring your brand to life if it were entirely up to us, using everything we’ve gathered up until now. We show it in real-world settings so you can get a feel for how it’ll actually live and breathe. Alongside that, we present the full brand system: logo variations, typography, colour palette, and supporting elements, all laid out and ready for review.

Step 2, Identity Development: You review. We refine. This is where we take your feedback and tighten things up. Maybe we explore a variation, shift a colour, or give the type some polish. Sometimes, the first concept hits the mark, but we always build in this round to make space for iteration and alignment.

Step 3, Identity Refinement: Now we bring it on home. Final tweaks and all the little details tightened up. This is where everything comes together to deliver a brand identity that feels intentional, aligned, and ready to launch.

This structure keeps the creative sharp and ensures you end up with a brand that’s not just pretty, but actually on point and functional. This is just one part of the bigger picture. Want the full step-by-step of how we build brand identities from the ground up? Check it out through the button below.

FRESH OFF THE DESK | How do you eat an Elephant?

There’s something pretty special about those first few clients when you start out in a business. And one of those special clients is Lauren from One Bite at a Time. While many of you know and love us for creating vintage, classic branding that creates a sense nostalgia and gives old school heritage feels, this one was a little different for us.

Back in the day Rory helped develop West Coast Feeding, an identity that felt a bit clinical and cold, to a brand that was warm, welcoming, full of heart and understanding. This was taken even further as we transitioned them to One Bite at a Time and turned the brand dialup a notch further. Illustrations, pops of colour, playful enough of kiddos, sophisticated enough to represent the expertise and knowledge behind it. The kind of identity that trades in white coat nerves for calm, connection, and genuine care.

It was a perfect match for who Lauren is, and the amazing team of clinicians behind the scenes. But the work didn’t stop at the visuals. We partnered on everything from brand naming to online course design, collateral, media creation to creative direction, and built a full website and online platform to help them reach families across North America. You can check out the project as well as their site, through the link below.

ON OUR RADAR | MERGE

Located in one of our favourite places in the world, is one of our favourite stores in the world. And not only is it a gorgeous physical space, with gorgeous things inside, Merge is also an incredible inspiration for a business that has used branding and brand storytelling to build beyond just a brick and mortar boutique store where locals and tourists shop.

Merge has been in business for 10 years, AND still only has one physical location in Tofino. But through digital storytelling, embracing their unique look and feel, they’ve been able to build a whole community stretching far beyond just that little surf town that feels like it’s at lands end.

They run a successful online store and have even launched their own product line that gives their customers that exact, warm beach, salty mist, fresh feeling right in their own home. So, even when they are not physically in their store or even in town, they have Merge as part of their lives every day. If you are ever in Tofino, you have to go check it out, and if you’re further afield than the West Coast of Canada, then go and virtually check it out through the link below.

Suz

That’s all for now folks. Whether you skimmed, scrolled on through, or took the time to read every word, we appreciate you making space for us in your inbox and brain.

We’ll catch you back here next Monday.

Rory & Suz