ela
THE ASK
Ela approached me with a quick turnaround time [YES, I take rush clients from time to time!] to create a new visual identity system and ig post templates to shape the branding for her new small business. Did I mention how much I love helping with launch projects!?! It’s like Christmas morning.
MY SOLUTION:
the basic branding package
with an ig post templates add-on
Ela is a Chronic Wellness Expert, personal trainer, and life coach who views fitness and wellness as a journey. She posts tons of fitness and nutrition-oriented content on Instagram and has a welcoming and friendly vibe and nature. All of these characteristics aided my approach to building her visual identity system.
THE MOODBOARD
THE FONT SYSTEM
This is probably one of my favorite parts of the entire design process. I’m a huge font type nerd. I think fonts can really change the entire feeling behind a brand and are a great way to infuse personality and character into a visual identity system. For Ela, I wanted fonts that felt friendly, but also professional and knowledgeable. Vintage and Brandy Bay play off of each other beautifully and really brought everything together. I balance out every font system with one of my favorite body paragraph fonts and I usually let my clients choose. For this project, we went with poppins! A very friendly and bubbly sans serif font!
THE VISUAL IDENTITY SYSTEM
I start the logo creation process with hand-drawn sketches that no one other than me will ever see. I do not consider myself to be skilled with the pen, but physically drawing my ideas on paper improves my final mockups exponentially. I like to choose small brand marks to use consistently throughout my designs to really drive home the emphasis on consistency and brand recognition. For Ela, I used the sunrise and natural scenes as inspiration for the brand marks I would incorporate in the logo suite.
primary logo
logo variations
icon
submarks
THE ADD-ONS
I offer to add ons for my basic branding package if the all-in-one is too exhaustive or over budget! I find that my clients love the opportunity to experiment with my other design services; dipping their toes before diving all the way in. Ela chose Instagram post templates as her add on. I deliver Instagram templates via Canva (an easy-to-use online design software that’s free)! I usually offer 3-6 template layout options built for my client’s needs. We can add a mix of text, images, and graphic elements to create cohesive brand visuals!
instagram post templates
THE WRAP-UP
Wrapping up projects is probably one of my favorite parts of the process. I’ve implemented a Final Design Call where I walkthrough the visual identity system and design best practices so that my clients can interact with their new branding in a meaningful way. I-N-D-E-P-E-D-E-N-T, do you know what that means? It means my clients can create beautiful branded designs without my help. ACES.
Here’s what Ela had to say about the process:
“Working with Gabby was wonderful start to finish. This was my first time working with a graphic designer and I appreciated how she listened to my needs and walked me through exactly what I could expect from the experience. She checked in every step of the way to make sure we were on the same page, and, if we weren’t, Gabby was incredibly prompt, compassionate, and professional in making changes to create a logo & brand identity I am truly in love with. Her process and final creation exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait to refer others to her! ”
until next time,