Graphic Design
Creating that 'wow' factor
There are 3 responses to any design: Yes, No, and Wow.
We always strive to deliver that wow factor. We have good instincts and taste in design, and we have high-standards, so if we like it, there’s a strong likelihood it will resonate with your audience.
CPG Package Design
Great package design can help you captivate consumers at first glance and win them over.
Elevate your brand with our expertise in creating clean, modern, and professional designs.
For more information about consumer package goods designs, please visit our CPG Package Design page.
A company approached me with a product that they needed turned into a brand.
They needed everything:
👉 Company name (I suggested AstroBites)
👉 Company logo (see what I came up with)
👉 Product name (I suggested PooFume)
👉 Brand identity (I suggested a space theme)
👉 Mascot (I used a cute dog in a space suit)
I suggested we think of this as one product in a product-line, an eco-system of products for other species (e.g. cats, horses, etc.).
So instead of calling the company PooFume, that’s just the name of one product. The actual company name can be something else.
I also suggested we add elements of humour into the taglines, and messaging, and advertising.
I went with a space theme because there’s no odour in space and this is kind of “space-age technology”.
I suggested the company AstroBites because it sounds futuristic and spacey, which is a nod to the technology and the Jetson’s space dog.
I came up with a simple logo, called the product PooFume, and came up with some fun taglines.
I created this concept packaging and artwork along with a spacey purple colour palette.
Social media
From static images to video, we are deeply passionate about creating on-brand graphic assets that communicate your message and make your audience stop scrolling.
Candidly, video tends to perform better on organic social so we recommend steering more in that direction.
For more information about social media strategy, please visit our social media page.
Effective paid ads can instantly grab attention and drive conversions.
Enhance your brand’s reach with our expertise in crafting compelling, high-performing ad campaigns.
For more information about consumer package goods designs, please visit our Advertising page.
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Continue Reading:
Building a Brand Series: Wudaya Nuts
Digital Banners
OOH Advertising
Advertising is a broad term that can encompass a lot of design elements from:
- print flyers / mailers
- brochures
- signage
- display ads
- video
- billboards
- business cards, etc.
For more information about advertising, please visit our Advertising page.
Here’s a concept poster we made for Lamborghini (they did not commission us for this). We used a clean, minimalist style with thin typography and dark tones to create a sense of elegance, sophistication, and mystique.
We went with the header ‘Worth the Wait’ for a few reasons:
- Short and concise
- The two ‘W’s sounds good
- ‘Worth the weight in gold’ is a common phrase connoting value
- ‘Worth’ is a word strongly associated with value
- Subconsciously, it implies that someone may have aspired for such an automobile their entire lives, now that they’ve reached a point in their finances where they can finally afford it, that dream can be realized. It was worth the wait.
- Could also imply this was a car enthusiasts were anticipating all year, and now that it has finally arrived, it creates a strong psychological release (aka demand)
Continue Reading: Building a Brand Series: Wudaya Nuts
Continue Reading: Building a Brand Series: Ever Beverage Co.
I found this OOH advertisement in my neighbourhood and thought I’d try my hand at redesigning it.
My approach was to tap into the emotions of adults who may have nostalgia for slushees.
In marketing, nostalgia is a powerful motivator. My room is filled with things I couldn’t afford growing up – sneakers, toys, comics, trading cards, clothes…
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My take on Timex’s copy is:
- It’s too wordy for a billboard
- The watch is too small
- The logo is too small
People are likely driving by 60-100 km per hour. There’s no way they will read all that small and wordy copy, nor see the watch and logo.
Now, to be fair, if this were to be placed in front of a café in a busy downtown core, then it may work.
I would suggest rewriting the copy as either:
- No More Annoying Notifications; or
- 100% fewer notifications
It gets the same message across with fewer words.
I would also blow everything up (the product shot, text, and logo).
I like using negatives in copy such as ‘no more’ or ‘fewer’. Studies show using negatives in copy is proven to be a lot more engaging.
My version is much more short and concise. It’s also less on the nose – it makes the audience have to work for it a bit, which will help it resonate.
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Redesigning an Esso carwash sign. Here are some of the issues we found with the original.
Off-centre text (Instructions and Thank You)
The tiger is off-brand
I get the tiger is shaking off water, but it adds to the clutter
Too many soap bubbles (adds unnecessary clutter)
The title ‘Instructions’ is unnecessary
Makes poor use of hierarchy
The ‘Thank you’ is unnecessary
The icons are misaligned with the accompanying text
There is one fewer icons than text
The icons are unnecessary (adds clutter without providing value)
One of the instructions could be broken up into two separate points
Enter wash code has a period, others do not
The spacing between instructions is inconsistent
Poor utilization of space
Version 1 is more consistent with their current sign, it’s lighter and more playful. Version 2 was inspired by their gift card and is darker and more ‘serious’.
Website Design & Development
We have a whole webpage dedicated to web design and development. To see more examples, click here.
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For more details about the Axe Body Spray redesign, please visit here.
Content Marketing Materials
From blog content, infographics, ebooks, white papers, podcast graphics, and case studies, we do it all.
Content and copywriting is one of our core specialties. For more information, please visit our Content & Copywriting page.
Logos & Branding
When it comes to logo design, the key is to create something that is simple, yet memorable. Think of logos from Nike, Apple, Amazon, Target, Twitter, Adidas, Louis Vuitton… none of these logos are complex or difficult to reproduce, but they are among the world’s best logos. You don’t even need to have the word ‘Nike’ next to the swoosh to know what the brand is and what it represents.
When designing logos, we strive to create something that is iconic, that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the swoosh or the apple.
It’s no easy task, but we’re up for the challenge!
For more information about branding, please visit our branding page.
In 1985, Steve Jobs left Apple and founded Next.
As Jobs was known for strong branding, he needed a visual identity for his new company.
He enlisted the help of famed logo designer, Paul Rand.
Jobs asked Rand to provide a few options for the logo.
Rand refused.
He said, “No, I will solve your problem for you, and you will pay me. You don’t have to use the solution. If you want options, go talk to other people.”
Jobs paid Rand $100,000 for one logo. Whether he used it or not, was up to him.
I thought it would be fun to take on this task. If I were a competing design firm, what logo would I present.
The arrow icon in the centre can also be used separately as a logo mark.
Book Covers
As mentioned in our about us section, our founder, Ewan is an author of 17 books under the pen name Edward Mullen.
We designed the cover art for all the books. For more information, please click here.
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The cover on the left is the original book cover for Always Looking, by John Updike, designed by legendary book cover designer, Chip Kidd (designer of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park cover among many others).
