From what you see online it can sometimes feel like the branding process is easy. Mainly because as the viewer, you’re only experiencing the finishing touches. Part of what makes the branding process successful at Ashley & Malone is all of the individual components that go into the research, process and design stages of each project. I’m very excited to share the entire process of that went into branding wedding photographer Krista Fox. Because there are so many thoughtful steps throughout, I’ll be breaking it down into stages!
 

 
1) Discovery
With all our clients, Krista started out with our branding workbooks where we ask lots of questions about current clients, ideal clients, goals for your business, personal style and inspiration. It’s here, that we get to gain as much information as possible about our clients and where they want to take their business. My favourite part of this process is the hour long chat where we dive deeper, listen to our clients experiences, explore design ideas, collaborate on the direction and truly get to know our each other.
Following this call, Krista received a brand strategy guide. This is (in my opinion) the most essential piece of our branding experience, as it allows for myself and the client to get on the same page. I always tell them, this is your opportunity to be totally open and share unequivocally about each detail and making sure even the smallest item is 100% right. I’ll revise this as many times as needed until it’s perfection!
Included in our guide is the clients’ Ideal Client, Business Goals, Brand Words, Inspiration Direction and Mood Board Design. It’s the foundation of this piece that makes the rest of the project go smoothly, as EVERYTHING we design in their brand will be brought back to this very guide. It allows us to stay on track and always have a point of reference just in case feedback or elements veer from our original strategy.

2) Logo Design
Since we had a very clear direction from the brand strategy of the designs we’d explore for Krista’s brand, we decided on three unique concepts to challenge where the final logo would land.

We presented her with three concepts:

1. A clean, modern and Scandinavian infused custom sans serif font. The spaces in-between the letters give the design an airy feeling which is very reflective of Krista’s photography style.
2. An edgy and relaxed calligraphy logo where we connected the flourishes to create a logo that was intentional and distinct.
3. A classic design with an elegant serif font. The weight of the letters made this selection distinct and we incorporated a compass illustration to attract her destination clients.

In the end we landed on a few logo variations with the base of Logo 1. We reached out to local calligrapher Plume Calligraphy to make a custom monogram with her initials. We then modified the compass illustration from Logo 3 and landed on a more refined design. Within this logo suite Krista has three very strong, consistent and beautiful logos to use within her different business streams. The main logo will be used as her brand foundation when needed. The calligraphy variation will be used to attract local photography clientele. The compass logo will be used to attract Krista’s destination work and will be used for marketing outside of Ontario, Canada. Each version has purpose and acts as the overall brand strategy for her growing wedding photography business.
 
Stay tuned next week where I’ll dive into her brand board design, and then website!
 
xo Ashley