CASE STUDY
With the surge of home and garden improvement taking 2020 and 2021 by storm, Tyrone saw an opportunity to utilise his experience and expertise and set up his own business. Planning to specialise in supplying and installing artificial grass to begin with and looking to expand to landscaping in the future, he knew he needed design support which will both help him succeed right now and also provide a foundation to grow and expand down the line.
"He knew he needed design support which will both help him succeed right now and also provide a foundation to grow and expand down the line."
Initial Consultation
As this was a brand new venture for Tyrone, he was still in the early days of establishing his business. However, work was coming in thick and fast with clients booking him already. He didn't have as much time as most to spend diving deeply in to brand strategy. For him the priority was getting the essentials together so he can start trading whilst looking professional and distinguished. I was more than happy to accommodate his situation, discussing with him how to pair back the usual process whilst not compromising on strategy and quality.
Competitor Analysis & Market Positioning
I did some research for Tyrone, analysing his competitors; not only their logos and visual identities, but also their websites, social media, promotions and professionalism. This will not only help him get ahead of the competition, but also learn from their mistake and seizing where there is opportunity. I also discussed with him where he felt his business sat in the market so we could appropriately pitch his brand and identity to best engage his target audience.
Gathering inspiration & initial ideas.
What I really enjoyed about working with Tyrone was that he was totally willing to trust me and let me take the creative lead. He sent me a couple of images of logos he liked the look of, but made it clear that I could try any ideas I thought would be suitable for his business. I put together a mood bood that explored both similar industry identities as well as some abstract ideas and monograms with A & G.
Initial Ideas
After taking some time to sketch a couple of ideas, I transitioned into creating digital drafts which where then cleaned up into 3 concepts.
This concept is refined and minimalist, sticking closely to expectations for a landscaping/gardening based business. The shades of green is also a familiar colour palette.
The logo icon is three blades of grass, arranged to make an A. It can be used both stand alone as an icon or decorative element, as well as arranged in lots of different ways for versatility with the logo's layout.
By introducing contrasting accent colours, the logo looks much more distinguished and unique. While purple and ruby may at times seem like feminine colours, they are punchy and bold. Plus, the combination with green neutralises them and keeps it looking professional and original.
The ‘G’ is styled to be an abstract interpretation of a blade of grass, and the stepped gradient from light to dark is similar to that used in tech companies, give the logo an more advanced, high-tech feeling.
This concept combines ideas from the second concept by with an alternative look using a different style of blade of grass. I’ve also included an option with both the A & G, and the secondary logo borrows elements from the first concept.
This give an additional design to choose from that is even more unique to that of your competitor’s designs and remains forward thinking with the more abstract blades of grass.
Finalising the visual identity
Tyrone was brilliant at giving feedback - he knew exactly what he liked and was quick to provide constructive comments which meant the whole process kept really good pace. He loved the minimal design from the first concept, however wanted the bright punchy colours used in the second and third concept. I went back and refined the design based on his comments and finalised the brand identity for him.
Primary Logo
Secondary Logo
Horizontal Logo
Horizontal Logo with Tag Line
Submark
Icon / Favicon
Colour Palette
Brand Style Guide
Designing Assets
As mentioned before, Tyrone didn't need an extensive range of design assets. His goal was just to get his business up and running whilst looking professional. The main priority was getting business cards sorted, as well as polo shirts for his team and a van wrap to make sure arrives on scene looking legitimate and reliable.
After designing some concepts for him to review, he sent me the contacts of his printer and suppliers so I could liase directly with them to ensure the designs are supplied in the preferred format and printed correctly.
The business card design makes use of the front space to display the logo in full glory whilst the back has all the necessary contact details with the grass/drew drop photo that Tyrone loved - he felt it signified perfection and attention to detail.
I also offered to make some templates cards for his team members so they could pass business cards to potential clients as well.
After Tyrone bought the van for his business, I knew which make and model of van to design for. I sourced the right mockup and design template which enabled me to make sure the art work I supplied to the van wrap company was exactly what they needed for the correct fit and layout.
To help Tyrone decide which colour polo shirt would look best for his team, I was able to mock up a few different options and layouts. In the end he went with this dark green colour which contrasts nicely with the logo design on the front and the back of the shirt.
Tyrone didn't plan to set up a website just yet, but would be using social media to promote Art of Grass. To help his digital presence look consistent and professional, I created some digital assets which he could use, such as icons, lines, decorative elements and post templates.