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We are very pleased to introduce the new brand and identity for theWAIREHOUSE, a new and exciting business venture for Baltimore-based, lifestyle photographer John Waire. TheWAIREHOUSE is a dream of connecting with people in a meaningful way, by creating and delivering what matters. It’s not so much poses and planned events as it is the every day moments that take your breath away and stay in your heart forever.
Within the past couple of months we have worked with theWAIREHOUSE to get to the heart of their business, so that we could build a brand around it. We are excited to watch theWAIREHOUSE grow and thrive and we welcome the first steps to what lies ahead for this company. JWatson Creative developed the logo, brand, business cards, marketing materials, and website (see below for examples). We are looking forward to a continued professional relationship with theWAIREHOUSE and can’t wait to see all phases of this dream become a reality.
Website: http://www.thewairehouse.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thewairehouse
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thewairehouse
Recently we had the opportunity to create a media kit for GospelTix.com. GospelTix.com, LLC is a ministry that aspires to become the No.1 electronic ticketing sales and marketing resource for the Christian community. Their mission is to enhance the promotional efforts of Christian ministries across the country. As they were gearing up to make their presence known in the industry, this also put them in the market for finding an effective way to sell and market their services to potential clients.
When it came to developing a media kit for Gospeltix.com, we truly believe that image is everything. With that said, we wanted to create a feeling with the visual elements of this project. After much thought and research, we decided upon a photograph of defocused lights. To us, the lights were symbolic of being out at an important event or gathering, bringing forth a feeling of warmth and excitement. Bringing the thought of “I want to be there,” or ”how can I get there?” Did we mention the tagline for GospelTix.com is “Your Ticket In”? Now you see where we are going!
The inside pages detail what makes GospelTix.com unique, complimented with custom graphics and inspiring images. In addition to providing GospelTix.com with a downloadable PDF, we also had this piece professionally printed on a satin finish, with saddle stitch binding. It is magnificent.
You can connect with GospelTix.com through these options below:
Website: http://gospeltix.com
Facebook: GospelTix.com Facebook
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GospelTixcom
We recently had the opportunity to work with Kenton Dunson on his debut CD, The Kenton Dunson Progressions. Kenton’s music is very fresh, with unique beats and intriguing lyrics. His style of music blends R&B, with a side of hip hop and a taste of jazz. When you hear his music you can instantly tell that he has a plethora of influences to create the unique sound that is his own. For his CD, we agreed that a clean, straight forward design was the best approach, where his personality and character could really shine through.
Our first consultation with Kenton was at the Sound Garden, Baltimore’s best new and used CD store. CD designs are very visual, so we both thought it was best to go somewhere where we could walk the isles and get a sense for the types of designs that he liked. Kenton had a vision of how he wanted his CD to look, and we were happy about that. After that meeting we got to work on producing a CD design for The Kenton Dunson Progressions.
A professional photographer was hired to visually capture his style. Then we cropped those dynamic images in a way that would be most impactful. Our favorite part of this CD is when you open the case (pictured below) and you see the smooth warm colors of the guitar mixed with the disposition of cool grays and blues in the wall, complimented by a high contrast, weathered wood background on the opposing panel and a minimalist CD label design in jet black. It was poetic. When we presented the final design to Kenton, he was blown away.
Kenton also wanted to spread the word about his new CD and his unique style of music. When you are a new anything (artist, business, etc) breaking into a new scene or industry, it’s important to get that first impression just right. We thought it was also important to make people look twice at Kenton Dunson and inquire more about what he does. So, we immediately asked him to give us his signature. We scanned it in, and created a business card that makes you instantly say “oh wow, what’s that?” Keep it clean. Keep it simple. Keep it classy, and then see what develops.
Kenton Dunson will be performing at the 8×10 in Baltimore (Federal Hill) on June 3rd for his release party. You can learn more about Kenton Dunson and listen to his CD by visiting his website, http://www.kentondunson.com. You might also be wondering about the amazing photography used throughout this project. The photos were taken by photographer Sean Scheidt, and you can check out his work here: http://www.seanscheidt.com.
We recently worked on the branding for A Day in the Life Baltimore Design Conference, taking place on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Maryland Institute College of Art. In fact, we are a proud sponsor (check out our nifty badge to the left of this post) because this conference is about changing the way people think about design in Baltimore. First we started off with a website that was simple and easy to navigate through, so it looks very clean on your computer screen and is also compatible with mobile devices so someone can pull it up on the go.
When you are designing for an event, you are not just designing a website. You are literally designing a brand! So the elements have to transfer over into web and print advertisements, social media, and printed materials for the day of the event. Since this is an eco-friendly design conference, we created a scene with simple elements that has a natural park feel merging into the Baltimore skyline, with a bicycle (something common used in both environments) bringing them together. Then we chose icons to illustrate a day in the life of a designer. This concept is fun, edgy and creative.
Online Social Presence: A Day in the Life Conference is on Twitter, Facebook and WordPress as a way to promote their event and interact with the attendees, as well as the speakers and the sponsors. When you have a Twitter page or a Facebook page, it is super important for it to have some similarities to your website or the brand you’ve already established. Leave no viewer guessing. See the Twitter page below and notice its similarities in color and design to the website above.
Printed Materials: A Day in the Life Baltimore Design Conference wanted to run a print ad in Urbanite, Baltimore’s premiere chic magazine. We thought it would be a good idea to keep the add simple. One of their icons is the bicycle with the swirls coming off the backside. People can relate to that image even if they don’t ride a bike, they understand what it means to get around and how they move throughout the day. Then we also decided to keep it simple with the copy too. No need for paragraphs! You have to catch your audience’s attention as they flip through the magazine! See the bicycle first, then we sum up in 5 sentences what this event is about, with the words we really want you to see highlighted in a different color.
The committee for this event stretched across the Baltimore region and beyond. Each member interacts within a different realm of professionals and a social scene. And they all have several opportunities to promote the event. When you are out and about, let’s say, at a networking happy hour enjoying a drink with a side of good conversation (or buffalo wings…whatever), do you really want someone to hand you a Save the Date postcard? Where on earth are you going to put that? And you’ll get your saucy fingers all over it! Instead we opted for a Save the Date that is about the size of a business card. Easy to transport, easy to carry around, and easy to tuck into a back pocket or purse for viewing later.
Web Advertisements: To help promote the event, the committee wanted to have some pre-sized branded advertisements that they could offer for interested parties to place on their websites. This was easy and fun.
And this is what we’ve been up to. We can create the same design elements for your next event, or for your company. Feel free to visit our website JWatson Creative, for more information about who we are and what we do.
Special Note: Icons were created by Marnay Harris.
Recently we were asked by Back to Nature Heath and Wellness Center to revamp their logo and to provide a new business card design for them. Their logo is not featured on their website, but it was a green silhouette of a palm tree and that was it. The owner of the company is especially fond of palm trees and all things tropical.
Back to Nature Health and Wellness Center, located in the cozy water-town of Annapolis, Maryland, is a privately owned, community-based holistic health practice. They provide awareness and preventative therapies including colon therapy, REIKI, foot reflexology, ear candling, and lecture/seminars. We knew instantly that we wanted to build upon that palm tree but also give it a bit of dimension.
The free flowing three-quarter length circle was actually inspired by the coffee rim stain that is often left on a napkin or counter when one lifts up their mug (ha! let this be proof that the possibilities of coffee are endless!). The inner circle is symbolic of the warm rays of the sun, and really it was a clever way for us to add some additional color into the logo. The sun also provides a perfect backdrop for the silhouette palm tree, which we decided should have a slight curve to it instead of going straight up and down. After viewing several different fonts, we decided that the words “Back To Nature” would look best if the letters were free flowing, similar to the style of the “coffee” circle. The finished result is something we all agreed was very natural, simple and straight forward.
Back to Nature Health and Wellness Center had a lot of information for their business cards! We instantly agreed that a double sided card would be best. And who does not like rounded corners? The back of the card has a matte finish that allows for writing down a client’s next appointment, and it also features a favorite palm tree picture of the client. Through the division of space, we were able to get the client’s logo (in a nice size) on the front of the card, plus all of the client’s contact information as well as services that they provide. The front of the card has an aqueous coating allowing for a semi-gloss finish.
We hope to have the opportunity to expand the design concept and style of their new logo into several print and online pieces for them in the near future.
Despite the snow that has covered the east coast we’ve been plenty busy here at JWatson Creative. We have a couple BIG projects we’ve been working on steadily. One smaller job we were able to complete is a front and back brochure for our client Footprints at 50.
Who is Footprints at 50?
Footprints at 50 is the business of Christina Watson (just a coincidence on the last name, we promise), Fifties Life Coach. Many people reach this milestone, 50 years old, and wonder “What’s it all about,” and “Is this all there is?” Whether you’ve been taking care of others, educating yourself, or working in a career these last 30 years, you want your life to make a difference. Now is the time most of us ask, “What is my footprint going to be?” If the answer to this question is not readily clear to you, Christina’s program can help.
What They Needed:
We’ve been working with Footprints at 50 for a couple months now, to design and coordinate the look of their online presence. It is very important to us to help our clients maintain brand integrity and be consistent across both their print and web promotional campaigns. More recently, Christina has been making public appearances to promote her business. She wanted something that she could hand out to those who were interested in her services. After a brief consultation we decided to go with a vertical front back one page brochure (measures about 1/2 of a regular sheet of paper, folded in half long ways).
What We Created:
Christina had a lot of text that she wanted on the brochure. We still wanted to make sure to get a picture of her on the front for that personal touch! Then, on the back, we knew the testimonials would be text heavy too. So, we used simple graphic elements to separate them (notice the color boxes?). Then, to entice the receiver to read the testimonials, we took pull quotes from each testimonial and made those words larger to draw you in. If you check out their web presence (see the links below) you’ll discover that this brochure nicely compliments the personality of their business.
How Can You Find Out More About Footprints at 50?
Well that’s really easy! Here’s their info:
Website | http://www.footprintsat50.com
Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/footprintsat50
Facebook | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footprints-at-Fifty/153992022431
Blog | http://footprintsat50.wordpress.com/
Need a brochure design or any other printed materials to promote your business? Feel free to use our contact form and get in touch for a free consultation. Check out our full website here. Remember, if you can dream it, we can build it.
