comprehensive visual identity
Full Branding Solutions
Branding isn't just about graphics -- it's about developing an identity and a story. It's about knowing who you are and then communicating that in a memorable way.
Good branding involves the development and consistent application of key verbal and visual elements that customers will come to associate with you, cultivating familiarity and helping to build your reputation. That said, consistency doesn't have to mean rigidity! A cohesive brand strategy allows for variation and visual interest while preserving the things that keep your brand recognizable and your message consistent across a range of applications.
Visual
brand elements include:
- logo
- color palette
- typography
- imagery
- visual style
Verbal
brand elements include:
- slogans
- taglines
- key words
- brand voice
Conceptual
brand elements include:
- backstory
- personality
- values
- mission
Visual and verbal elements make up the lion's share of your design and copy, and are what your customers and viewers most often perceive --but they are informed by a brand's conceptual elements, which are foundational to core of your strategy.
Case Study: Kandi Koated Cosmetics
As the sole designer on Kandi Koated Cosmetics, I worked on developing the brand from the ground up, from initial logo sketches and color palettes to the creation of brand guidelines for consistent usage.
As the brand grew, designs and mediums varied, ranging from printed packing to Amazon listings to a digital billboard in Times Square.
Logo Creation
The Kandi Koated logo was designed typographically with juxaposed line-weights between the two words, creating visual contrast while also representing the combination of boldness and elegance achievable with the brand's cosmetics.
Variations were developed with black, white, or rose gold, in a long form or vertically stacked, in order to facilitate use in a variety of contexts and formats, and against different backgrounds. Black, white, and rose gold are also the key colors of the brand.
Packaging Design
Kandi Koated's product packaging was designed to be in line with the aesthetic and feel of the brand, cultivating a specific customer experience when opening the product. The goal was a hint of luxury with the embossed metallic foil and streamlined design of the boxes, but with a bold playfulness with the large font and layouts that was modern and hip.
Consistency was maintained across the primary packaging (tubes, compacts) and secondary packaging with metallic coloration and logo placement, for a unified product experience.
Web Design
The design of the Kandi Koated website involved a marriage of form and function, with accessibility-friendly e-commerce pairing with the colors, typography, and coyly decadent feel of the brand.
Crisp blacks and whites are accented with varying shades of peachy-rose, glamour photography, and the texture of rose marble. Simple, geometric blocks contrast with more graphically intricate hero banners on the homepage, while shopping pages focus on an informative and easily-navigated user experience.
Print Design
The Kandi Koated brand's themes carry over into the design of print materials such as the company's product catalog, event flyers, shipping postcards, and more.