FROM THE DESK | ISSUE 019

FIELD NOTES | Brand Identity or Visual Identity?

These two terms get tossed around a lot, often interchangeably. Hell, when I first started I swapped them out whenever I felt like it. But here’s the truth: they’re not the same, and knowing the difference is what sets strong brands apart from just good-looking ones.

Let’s start with Brand Identity.

This is your foundation. It’s the deep stuff. Who you are. What you stand for. Why you exist. Who you’re here to serve. It’s the voice, values, purpose, and personality behind the visuals, and every single creative decision should pass through this filter.

Because you can have the best designed logo on the damn planet… but if it doesn’t line up with what you’re about, your audience is going to feel it. And that kind of disconnect doesn’t build trust, it breaks it.

Now enter the fun one, Visual Identity.

This is how your brand shows up in the world. The colours, the typography, the logo variations, the imagery. It’s the outward expression of everything your brand identity stands for.

We we work through our projects we see the brand identity as the blueprint, and the visual identity as the actual build.

They go hand in hand, but the order definitely matters. Start with a clear, aligned direction, then layer on the visuals. If a full visual system feels like too much right now, no stress. Start lean. Stay consistent. Build in layers.

Because when brand and visual identity are working together, magic happens.

You can check out how we hit on both of these using our identity questionnaire through the link below.

If you’re a business/brand owner trying to get things feeling cohesive, then use it and build that blueprint.

If you’re a designer who wants to pull more from your clients answers, then copy it.

And if you have any suggestions on how we could improve it, then let us know. We are always looking to develop our discovery process to really pull out the best information for our projects.

FRESH OFF THE DESK | Craftsman Field Guide

We love it when a great client circles back with something new, and that’s exactly what happened when Nick from Miramar reached out with his next venture, Craftsman Field Guide.

The vision? Bring a dose of good ol’ blue-collar grit, wrapped in a clean, professional finish. We pulled inspiration from vintage repair manuals, classic signage, and a serving honest nostalgia that hits just right.

CFG is all about helping small construction teams work smarter and build better. Their templates and systems are built from experience, not theory, and the brand had to reflect that. Practical, trustworthy, and proudly hands-on.

We’re looking forward to sharing all the goods when finally we get around to our portfolio update. For now we dropped a peek at some of the work on our IG, which you can show some love, or save as inspo for your next project, through the link below.

ON OUR RADAR | Stonewaters

We’ve ripped through the Canadian Rockies a handful of times over the last few years, and the first time we landed in Canmore, we found ourselves wandering down the main street when a shop window immediately caught our eye. Prints, totes, mugs, hats... basically all our favourite things in one spot.

That gem was Stonewaters, and inside, it just kept getting better. A curated mix of homewares, a top-tier pantry section (with only the best packaging design, obviously), shelves of beautifully designed books, apparel, art prints, stickers, cards, even records and vintage finds tucked into the back.

It was like someone opened a shop just for us. Since then, we’ve made it a mandatory stop anytime we’re in town, and we almost always come home with something we definitely didn’t need but absolutely wanted.

If you ever find yourself in Canmore, make the detour. Your wallet might not thank you, but your eyeballs (and your kitchen shelf) definitely will.

That’s a wrap on Issue 019. From breaking down brand vs. visual identity, to building blue-collar grit, and sharing one of our favourite Rocky Mountain pit stops, it’s been a good one.

Thanks for letting us steal a few minutes of your Monday.

Catch you next week,
Rory & Suz