Design to Grow
Writing a blog post about ending my full-time status here at Seedhouse is not an easy task. There’s SO much that it’s difficult to put into a nice succinct post. My nearly four years is a constant accumulation of experience, thoughts, victories, and frustrations. If I have to distill it down to one word, it would be growth, both personally and as a designer. And also, importantly, Seedhouse’s growth too.
Design Coming to Life
Executed properly, a good logo allows for broad application and helps start a conversation. Because of this, we start every branding project by clearly defining the brand to help ensure that what we design is aligned to strategy, works to telegraph the right meaning and helps to spark an emotional connection or interest. (When developing a new logo, never review it simply on a white piece of paper or just on a white screen, as that’s not how they actually live or are viewed by others).
Design & Video Games
Design reflects its culture. Whether we’re talking about tomato sauce labels or computer packaging, the best design work is an echo of its particular moment in time. Apart from its original commercial and persuasive goals, every piece we create at Seedhouse is...
Design & The Anatomy of a Butterfly
Design covers a variety of media—and we’re going past typography and grids to take you into an entirely different and archaic world—butterflies.
Signs & Symbols – The Hex Sign
Visual inspiration is everywhere, and some of our favorite designs can be found along rural Pennsylvania roads.
Signs & Symbols – Pineapple, The Princess of Fruit
The simple pineapple, exotic in appearance and vibrant in taste, has enchanted people for centuries and has grown into a rich symbol of hospitality.
Brands Should Fear Helvetica
Eventually it was going to happen. Another big agency was going to rebrand themselves, using Helvetica. Global branding agency Interbrand did it. And just like that, creativity dies another small death. More Helvetica? Is that what creativity looks like in 2016?
Are you ready to engage a design firm?
You’ve got a company started. You’re well on your way towards securing your suppliers. You think it’s time to get your logo and packaging designed. How do you find the right design firm? And when do you know you’re ready to hire them.
Getting a handle on Dovetail Brewery
In honor of Chicago Craft Beer Week, we’d like to give a sneak peek into some of our work with amazing local brewers, Dovetail Brewery.
How to Write a Brand Story – Part 2
In order to demonstrate the alchemy that is turning a brand strategy into a brand story, I have constructed a mini-case study. Our gracious and awesome clients at Westminster Bakers Co. have agreed to pull back the curtain on the work we did for them a few years ago.
How to write a brand story – Part 1
Let’s start at the beginning. Why do you need a Brand Story? The simple answer is – because this is how we as humans connect to our world. Creating a story around your brand allows your users or customers (or humans) to connect to what your brand has to offer.
Whose Brand is it, anyway? 6 traps to avoid
It started a few years ago. Brand owners and marketers finally shifted from “we’ll make it and they’ll buy it” to a more nuanced appreciation of the implicit contract between consumers and brands.
Brand as Experience
We believe that each brand is a story. That story can and should be brought to life in an experiential way for your customer.
Taking the road less traveled in 2015
The Squat’nGobble. The name of this roadside classic near, Bluffton, South Carolina, says it all. Even if you haven’t eaten here, you know what the brand promise is. This would be a place to squat…and gobble.
Choosing a brand name: 7 steps to bringing objectivity to the subjective process
Naming a product, service or company can be a tricky process. We all traffic in words – writing emails, presentations – even naming our children. But finding a strategically appropriate and ownable brand name is a whole new world.
Why sketch – 100 sketches over 5 years
Here at Seedhouse we believe in expressive and extensive creative thinking, and so we sketch.
What is Branding? 5 Keys to Unlock the Mystery
Branding is one of those terms that gets thrown around as if everyone knows what it’s all about. But people talk about branding in many different ways. Here are 5 ideas that will help you guide your efforts in branding.
Signs & Symbols – Halloween Edition
We move through the world and history looking for signs and symbols to use in our identity, logo and package designs.
Shopping For Learnings – Eataly
A trip to Eataly in Chicago reminded us of the strength of color blocking and the billboard potential of packaging.
Freedom Within Limitations
Learning from pros in other fields – we turn to director Anne Bogart for inspiration.
EpiscoPickles & Social Responsibility
Branding churches and what we can learn for other non-profit projects.
Inspiration Is Everywhere
Bryan’s shirt just happens to match the project in progress.
Apple Watch or iWatch – Tomato or Tom-ah-to
A quick look at Apple naming.
Shopping with Something Shiny Syndrome
Grocery Shopping is work.