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A Bohemian Logo & Brand For a New Business

by Natalia Sylvester

May 19, 2016
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Sarah Yasukochi is a successful franchise owner and marketer with more than 20 years of experience, so when it came time to start her new online business, she was prepared to do what it takes to help her brand grow. Starting from scratch, however, presents a surprising set of challenges (coincidentally, the kind of challenges we LOVE taking on)—and so Sarah recruited us for assistance in developing the brand from day one: for its name, tagline, logo, identity, style guide and beyond.

From the beginning, we were inspired by Sarah’s vision for a boho boutique of thoughtfully curated styles and handcrafted clothing and accessories made especially for kids. Integral to the brand was its spirit of community and adventure, its emphasis on artisan stories, and its mission to support projects for social good. It is essential to have a strong understanding of your unique selling proposition when creating a brand for a new business.

We began by brainstorming names for her new business. Though her line would cater to kids, Sarah wanted a name that could potentially branch out in the future. Initial concepts explored variations on Sarah’s grandmothers’ names, plays on elements of nature, and names that were inspired by summery things. Also in our first round of concepts were names that included the word “wander,” tied to the idea of exploration and discovery.

With the first seedling of her brand identity planted, we moved on to the logo design phase, which is where the visual aspects begin to bloom. True to her new name, Sarah had her sights set on a logo that would take her business far. “I want to start off on the right foot and step out into the world knowing I’ve done my research and developed the best—something that not only represents the company but allows for timeless recognition, appeal, and long-term success.”

Blaze + Wander emerged as the winner. Paired with the tagline we created—Found Along the Fringes—it’s a call to be bold, wild, free and expressive. It ties in perfectly with one of Sarah’s core values, that “we can do more together – have more fun, do more good, experience more adventures,” as a group.

With the first seedling of her brand identity planted, we moved on to the logo design phase, which is where the visual aspects begin to bloom. True to her new name, Sarah had her sights set on a logo that would take her business far. “I want to start off on the right foot and step out into the world knowing I’ve done my research and developed the best—something that not only represents the company but allows for timeless recognition, appeal, and long-term success.”

Christine set out focused on creating a mark that would achieve Sarah’s goals: cater to the cool and carefree kid in search of adventure, appeal to adults that share a love of the boho lifestyle, and stand the test of time. Her first concepts reflected a variety of approaches, from a simple, elegant landscape illustration to a vintage-inspired sun and typography pairing. But it was a play on constellation drawings that most stood out.

“I imagined your carefree kids gazing upward, charting their adventures via the stars in the sky. The B+W constellation is paired with a fun, retro script.”

Further iterations of this design involved refining the hand-drawn feel of the constellations and marrying the adventure-inspired icons of a previous concept with this one. Christine shared her vision for how these elements could come together: “the icons can work in a constellation graphic and the tree+sun+moon pattern make fantastic packaging tape. The Aztec pattern is a fun contrast that can be used in print or on the web.”

blaze-wander-logo

Branding results

It is still early days for Blaze + Wander, and we are glad to have provided a solid foundation for Sarah’s brand. Having her business cards, packing tapes, pins, and stickers all ready and on-brand makes it so easy for her to wow her customers. Sarah told us:

“When we first started our journey, we searched high and low for the right partner to help bring our ideas to life. Aeolidia captured the spirit behind our brand and gave us even more than we dreamed of! I’m SO happy with everything. I love it all!

I’ve always appreciated Aeolidia’s attention to detail and the thoughtfulness and care that you put into every project. I hoped for the same for my brand – and your team did not disappoint.

I can’t wait to share these goodies with our friends online. And I can’t wait to check in with all of you from time to time – to share our Blaze + Wander milestones.”

blaze-and-wander-business-cards

We couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Working with Sarah was a dream—her deep marketing knowledge helped us understand her vision from the beginning so we could take it to exciting new heights. We can’t wait to see what’s in the stars for Blaze + Wander next!

See more projects in our portfolio.

Ready to discover your brand’s true identity? We love helping to set new businesses on the path to success—contact us to get started!

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