Recently, I worked on a branding, website, and social strategy project with a close friend and former colleague who is starting her own business venture. A Maine-raised and Aspen-based artist, Margaret McLain sought to create her personal brand and grow as an artist, creative marketer, and jeweler.
We started with the logo and branding project, where we took colors that made her feel close to home and styles that wove together the coast of Maine and the Rocky Mountains. We wanted her logo to be playful and artistic but with a professional edge, as she wanted to use her marketing skills as a business leverage.
We chose a logo mark that was somewhat inspired by a sailor’s knot but emulated both her initials (MM) and her bracelet designs. The wordmark is a softer serif font that is professional yet bold. The slanted, connected “m” allows the wordmark to be a distinguishing feature of the overall logo.
From there, we solidified brand fonts and colors before moving on to the website. I designed the site on WordPress, designed the assets in Illustrator & Photoshop, and wrote all of the content. I used a lot of Margaret’s art and illustrations for imagery and texture, and she helped design some of the patterns and illustrations seen on the site.
During this time, I also helped create a social strategy for Margaret to reference when posting on Instagram. We referenced other artists and creators who had a similar vibe and formulated a plan that is meant to be comfortable and easy to maintain. Starting a business from scratch and selling yourself is a vulnerable experience, and when posting about yourself, you don’t want to come across in a way you’re not comfortable with.
I’m super excited about how this project came together, and I would love to hear your feedback!
