What Inspires You Wednesday: K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple Stupid

In between the projects currently on my board, I've been stealing some moments for myself to consider, research and work on re-branding for Bates Mercantile Co.  It's part of our mission for the year. You see, when I began this little etsy shop a little over three years ago, it was really to fill my need for another creative outlet, where I could simply create for creating's sake.  Apparently the universe had other plans and in the past year, I started introducing my design services, something I've been doing with my offline business for nearly 20 years. Lo and behold, it's been receive very well and I've been working with people all over the world. Offering my design services has taken Bates Mercantile Co. in another direction and to another level.  As I opened my shop in a fairly spur-of-the-moment, unplanned, not-much-forward-thinking, shoot-from-the-hip manner, I've run into challenges with my own branding. Isn't it funny how at times, we're the last ones to benefit from our own expertise, talents and skills? But that is indeed the case.

This is what my logo currently looks like. It is simple. It is clean. It does an ok job of speaking to my market, but I don't think it truly reflects my sense of design, what the business has become - a sort of modern mercantile for home and business if you will, or the skill-set I employ on behalf of my clients on a daily basis.

 

It could be so much more and do so much more to reflect who I am and increase my bottom line.  Yes, people, don't say I never told you that owning a business is not just about how happy you are doing something, it's about the bottom line. We all have bills to pay and things we want to do in life that make our souls sing.  Guess what? That's OK.  And having a health bottom line certainly helps with all of that.

So I've gone back to the drawing board so to speak. I'm considering what I want my entire brand to say, what I want it to reflect, how I want it to feel, where I want it to go, and the story I want it to tell to my ideal market.  I'm working with myself the way I work with my clients (see here and here)- answering questions to create a creative brief which include where I see this business now and the future, my design likes and dislikes, how to build on the foundation already laid in branding Bates Mercantile Co., how to create a logo design and brand that can continue to evolve.  I've done some good groundwork on my re-branding and new design, but I still have a ways to go until it is complete. This time, I want to do things right so that I can maximize the impact of the re-brand.

Looking at all that goes into branding a business, is what keeps leading me back to the simple principle of K.I.S.S.: keep it simple stupid.  As I said, I want to focus on building on what is already present, and make changes that make sense for where I want to go. I want to do it in a way that keeps the design and branding simple, clean and classic.  All of which will help me to create a brand that can truly evolve.

I've been reading up on design (does one ever truly stop learning or craving more information about what they love to do?) and have been finding quotes that really speak to me.  

"A designer knows when he has achieved perfection, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."  - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This is something that really resonates with me at this point in my life.  There is so much going on the world around us that it is often mind boggling. If I can be more judicious in my re-branding design, I think it will serve me well now and in the future. 

When I'm working with clients, I often try to steer them in one direction or another because I think it will serve them the best, but in the end, the final design direction is their decision. The final decision is left to me this time- which of course, can be liberating as well as a little intimidating. I've no reason not to create something I really love, which isn't more complicated than it needs to be, and sets me up for growth and success. 

"Our opportunity, as designers, is to learn how to handle the complexity, rather than shy away from it, and to realize that the big art of design is to make complicated things simple." -Tim Parsey

A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/antoine_de_saintexupery.html#OBj8SzCPckUAFmQA.99

A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/antoine_de_saintexupery.html#OBj8SzCPckUAFmQA.99

I've also been searching for and discovering design, in all genres (art, packagin, architecture, photography, etc), that really speaks to me.  Of course I've been pinning some and have created a 'clean design board' on pinterest to gather some of the things that are inspiring me on this re-branding project.  

 source: best made company

 

 source: alte sage

 source: MARCH

 source: Pietro Russo

All of these things are helping me to find the direction and inspiration I need to create something that: #1. builds on the foundation already laid  #2.  I'm ultimately happy with/proud of  #. Can grow with Bates Mercantile Co. #4. speaks to the people who make up my dream market and helps move my business forward  

"The only important thing about design is how it relates to people." -Victor Papanek

What's inspiring you today?

Make it a great day. It's a great day to have. 

Ciao for now,

 

What Inspires You Wednesday

Denim/Honey

Over the last two weeks I've been working on a custom logo design for the rebranding of a boutique.  I'd mention the client's name, but where it's a rebranding, I don't want to dilute or diminish her big launch for the new branding. 

Let me state the obvious. The focus for this project is on denim and honey.

I pulled together some things that have been inspiring my design work on this project.

Lots to love on this logo/branding inspiration board. 

credits: top honeycomb picture & bottom honeycomb in jar via

 maya sunny honey, by Robin Hearfield; bee skep via

Colonial Williamsburg Marketplace,

blue honeycomb via National Geographic

 

Right now I'm in the midst of the first round of revisions and I love the direction it's taking. 

Have I told you I've been working with many lovely ladies lately thanks to my shop on esty, Bates Mercantile Co.? I love helping other women take the next step in branding and growing their businesses. That's not to say I don't work with men. I have worked with many over the years and am more than open to it.

For the most part though, I've found in my experience that women communicate in a more emotional (what they like/love), visual, creative and thoughtful manner (as in, they've given each piece of the puzzle quite a bit of consideration), while men seem to be more analytical, concise, and right to the point. Neither is better than the other, it's just different styles I've noticed in the past 19 years of owning my own business. How our gender affects the way we visualize, communicate, and plan growth for our businesses is interesting stuff to ponder, don't you think?

Although I offer premade logo designs via Bates Mercantile Co., what also really inspires me is working custom designs. It means getting to the nitty gritty of what someone wants their business to say, what the benefit of their business is, and how to get it all across visually. Always a challenge, and more often then not, a process between me and my clients to reach a design that speaks to them, their business and their market.

Hey, did you notice the blue honeycomb on my inspiration board? It's real. Cross my heart.  Farmers in an area of France noticed a couple of years ago that the bees were producing blue and green honeycombs and honey. It was discovered that the bee had started to feed off the leftovers from the local
M & M plant instead of flowers. Henceforth, the M & M plant kept their
by-products covered and indoors. Problem solved. Sure is pretty though.

What's inspiring you today? I'd love to know.

Have a great Wednesday. It's a great day to have.

Ciao for now,

Inspired Design: Mercantile Muse Blog Redesign

Beauty of Nature

You may have noticed (or maybe not if you're reading via email, etc.), but I'm in the midst of a redesign of Mercantile Muse. It's sssllllloooooowwwwwww going. I could get lost in it for hours, if I had them to get lost in. So I squeeze it in here and there and it's a long way from being done, but I thought I'd show you where I've been getting my design inspiration.

In case you haven't guess yet, by the picture above, it's the fig.

I think the range of colors contained in one little precious fig are rather remarkable. Amazing in fact. Nature....it sure does know what it's doing.

image sources: top left/via the kitchn and nancy mitchell, top right/via food blogga

bottom left/via bento bird, bottom right/via flavors of rome

See what I mean? Aren't figs something else?

Here are some of some of the components I'm incorporating.

So, if you wondering what the heck was going on..............just a little nature inspired redesign.

What do you think? Yay or nay? It's ok, you won't hurt my feelings.

Please pardon the appearance while I'm moving the furniture around.

Today is one fantastic Friday. We got great news that we've been praying for and I couldn't be happier.  Well, maybe just a little because we got double great news today. I hope your day is going just as well.

Freeform Friday

I had to share this. It's got to be one of the coolest dance routines ever.  Click here if you're reading by email.

Ciao for now,