Author: builder

• Logo Design
• Business Cards
• Website
• Photography
• Press Release
• Stickers

What is a Branding Package

A branding package is a collection of digital or physical assets for a business. In the case for Ruby’s Groove, her branding package consisted of a logo design including colors and font(s), business card design, website design, product photography, stickers, and a press release. Each branding package can vary, however most consist of a logo, website, stationery, and website graphics.

Logo Design

I feel a branding package should start with one’s logo, as did Ruby’s Groove’s branding package. When I’m designing a business’ logo, the business and I are discussing what they want their logo to convey, what feeling or emotion they want their logo to express, what their business is, etc. From there, we work on colors, fonts, shapes, and more. I feel a logo is a company’s foundation – what everything else is based upon.

In the case of Ruby’s Groove, the owner handcrafts jewelry from natural materials, such as stones and gems, metal and leather. She wanted her logo to convey creativity and fun, and hint at what she makes, so we incorporated a necklace into her new logo. She wanted the color red in the logo since rubys are often various shades of red. I felt green was a natural complementary color, and she agreed. After just a couple design ideas, she selected her favorite.

Business Card Design

Another key element for Ruby’s Groove’s branding package was her business cards. As with all businesses, she wants to include a business card in orders, and hand them out at shows and festivals. I feel a business card design should match the logo design. After a few business card designs, she picked her favorite. We feel her new business cards are just as fun as her logo. Printed by Business Card Factory in Fort Collins, CO.

Website

Once the logo is designed, I can start thinking about building their website. This includes the website design, search engine optimization, user experience, and much more. I don’t just build a website. Nor do I just design a website. I build websites to rank and convert. Website designs often include, for example, a hero image at the top with a call-to-action. They also include text for search engines to find, and for people to read and engage with, a contact form, possible shopping cart, and more.

Ruby’s Groove’s branding package included a website design with a custom hero image I arranged and photographed. The hero image included a necklace, bracelet, and earrings, designed by her. Because her jewelry often include natural stones or gems, we felt it necessary to include other natural items, such as a wood branch and succulent plant.

Product Photography

Not all branding packages include product photography. However, Ruby’s Groove’s does. Most business owners don’t have professional photography equipment, nor the expertise on how to use it. The owner of Ruby’s Groove initially used her smartphone to take pictures of her jewelry, but decided it wasn’t producing the quality she wanted. I took a few photos with my camera equipment, and there was no turning back. For her handcrafted jewelry, we decided to use natural light and a reflective board. In some cases I used my macro lens, while in others, I used my standard 50mm lens.

Press Release

No new business should go without a press release announcing their new business. News or press releases are a great way to attract attention to your website or get the phone to ring, so I’m always looking for a reason to send one, and a new business launch is good one. For new businesses, a press release should be part of their branding package.

Stickers

Ruby’s Groove’s branding package also includes stickers. More and more businesses are including stickers as part of their branding package. The owner of Ruby’s Groove plans on handing her stickers out at events and shows, as well as including them when she mails her jewelry to her customers. Her stickers are simply her logo on white. Printed by Leapin Lizard Labels in Fort Collins, CO.

I recently completed this new logo design for Derek of Precision Diesel Repair. He already had a good idea of what he wanted in the logo – a gear and a wrench, and of course the name of his business. Since his business is a masculine one, I had decided to use thick, bold fonts. Font styles like this imply stability, strength, and power, which is essential for a business that repairs large equipment and diesel engines.

Derek also said he wanted blue and black in his new logo design. I’m a big fan of color meanings. Dark blue symbolized stability, power, authority, trust, confidence, etc. So, naturally, using a dark blue color in his logo design made perfect sense.

His idea of using a gear and wrench in this logo also made sense, since a wrench is a common and recognizable tool used in repairing machinery. And gears also also very common in machinery. Derek knew what he wanted in his new logo design, and I agreed with those elements and colors. He just needed someone with illustrative skills to make his logo design come true. That’s when he called me.

There are many different ways to draw a gear and a wrench. Being somewhat familiar with them, and gears, I decided to go with a combination wrench. It’s probably a minor detail, but still something to consider. For the gear, I decided a thick gear with fewer teeth would be best. This way, it’s identifiable from a distance.

Because Derek works from his truck, and most of his work is done on trucks, which move, I decided to give the whole logo design some movement by tilting the type and gear to the right. I presented Derek with 3 variations of his gear and wrench logo idea and he picked his favorite. I was thrilled Derek really liked one of the logo designs I came-up with for his new company Precision Diesel Repair.

If you have an idea for a logo design you’d like created for your small business, feel free to contact me to see if we’d be a good match to work together.