Art & design in Midcoast Maine

Mexicali Blues
2020 • BRAND GUIDELINES
Conduct a thorough analysis of company culture & values to set standards, elevate brand optics, and streamline training processes through the use of a Guidelines Booklet.
1. Define Needs & Goals
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Strategically updated look & feel for company's 30 year anniversary
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Clear brand guidelines for shop employees & contract designer reference
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Website update
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Brand Guideline Booklet deliverable to include:
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Logos & Their Usage
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Typography
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Color Palette
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Brand Voice
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Improved standards for Product & Lifestyle photography
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Product Packaging

2. Research
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Balancing Owner & CEO visions
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Budgeting & Prioritization
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Demographic research
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Analyzing competitors
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Aspirational marketing techniques
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Training requirements
No previous documentation of brand standards to reference meant pulling everything together from scratch... searching through old emails, unorganized image databases, and compiling lots of spreadsheets, all while juggling contradicting schedules.



3. Meetings, Meetings, Meetings...
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Branding team consisting many different voices: Owners, CEO, Designers, Marketers & Content Creators
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Research data not always aligning with Owner's vision creates interesting challenges to overcome regarding best practices versus personal preferences
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​Defining brand values proves key to decision making
4. Deliverables
Defined Mission Statement,
Brand Voice & Values
This design process brought to light some employee misunderstandings, due to a lack of proper training documents! The penultimate value of the written word: CLARITY.
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Logo Usage Guidelines
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Visual Design
Over this company's 30 years in business, many visual design choices were made
and altered—and many variations were still visible in marketing collateral. Our team unified and modernized while keeping the playful themes.


Minimalist Packaging Design
Prioritizing the company's eco-friendly values, packaging designs were brought down to the bare minimum, boasting clarity and efficient use of both 2d and 3d space.
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Brand Guidelines Booket
Each of the decisions made during this extensive redesign process were thoroughly explained in a comprehensive document and made accessible for both training purposes and future contract design communications.
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