The Making of a Brand

If the picture doesn't give it away, we are SO excited to be launching our re-brand this month! But, to be honest, until we walked through this process, I really had no idea how it all worked. So today, we're pulling back the curtain a bit on what a rebrand looks like from start to finish with our brilliant designer, Riley of The Good Mood Design Co.

**Spoiler alert: It's WAY more than just a new logo!

Let's dive in to my recent conversation with Riley!

Q: Tell us a little about you and your background.

A: I grew up in east Texas and graduated from the University of Alabama in 2015 with a dual degree in Advertising and Graphic Design. After graduation, I moved to Charlotte and spent 6 years as a graphic designer for a wonderful nonprofit organization called Proverbs 31 Ministries. I’d always dreamed of starting my own design studio and getting to work with small businesses to help make their dreams become reality. Over the years, I took on many freelance projects outside of my 8-to-5, and this year, I decided it was time to take the big leap! I launched Good Mood Design Co. a few months ago and have absolutely loved working with passionate, smart clients who love what they do.

I also got married in early 2020 (just a few short weeks before we all started talking about this thing called “Covid”) to my wonderful husband, Will. We are both passionate college football fans and have found quite the friendly rivalry between his Clemson Tigers and my beloved Crimson Tide. We love our home and “our people” in Charlotte and are so grateful to continue to have the chance to invest in this city!

Q: Can you tell us about your process of walking a client through a visual brand refresh?

A: Good branding is so much more than a logo. The process starts with a deep knowledge and understanding of the brand. When I first meet with a client, we talk through their dream audience or target market, the personality they desire for their brand to convey, where their brand is headed, and what similar brands in the market are doing. From there, I work alongside the client to create a “mood board” (see ours below) that consists of images, colors, textures, and patterns that strategically capture those brand ideas and emotions. This part of the process serves as a checkpoint for the client and I to confidently say “we’re on the same page.” The mood board is also just a ton of fun!

After the mood board, I create 2-3 concepts for the main idea of the logo. The client weighs in and chooses one of those concepts. I then use that idea to flesh out a full visual identity, which includes a collection of marks that can be used across all platforms.

I also typically create some textures, patterns, and sometimes icons for the project. This sets up my clients well to have a cohesive look and feel everywhere someone comes across their brand, from their website to their business card and their social media platforms to their email footer.

Q: What can clients do to help you MOST on the front end of the process?

A: Know your brand and your target audience! Sometimes the goal of a rebrand is just to make the visuals fit in with your current strategy, and sometimes it’s an intentional decision to steer the whole ship in a new direction. Both options are great! But both require that you must know who that dream client is, what problem you can solve for them, and how your brand will speak to them. We work through a ton of that information together as we create an identity system, but the basic knowledge of who you’re going after is the foundation for everything else.

Q: How in the world do you come up with a color scheme for your clients with ALL of those hex codes to choose from? (See the colors Riley helped choose for us below)

A: Color is SO important for a brand. Even before someone has the chance to read a headline on your website or a caption on your Instagram post, they’re forming an idea of who you are based on the visuals you put out into the world. So, I work with my clients to intentionally choose colors that represent their brand’s personality. Do you want to tell the world that your company brings joy into their every day? Bright, bold colors will suit you well. Are you going for a high-end, exclusive feel? Richer, deeper colors may be the route to go.

Beyond the general emotion that the colors evoke, there is an importance of balance in the color palette as a whole. If you limit yourself to 3 pastel tones, you’re going to have a tough time creating a brand with longevity, as those colors alone will lack weight and contrast. Even a cheery, bright brand will need a neutral accent or, in the case of Knotts & Co., something like a classic deep navy to bring depth and breadth to the brand.

I am a huge fan of color, as well as versatility in a brand, so my palettes often have 6-8 colors in them. However, if that feels overwhelming, you can start with 2-3! Just be sure they compliment each other by balancing light with dark and neutral with bold.

Q: What's your favorite part of the process?

A: The best feeling is when I just know in my gut that the designs I’ve created authentically capture my client and their brand. A logo should absolutely appeal to your target market, but my goal is that it simultaneously feels deeply personal and genuine to you.

I also get a lot of joy in seeing my work out “in the wild.” In particular, when I get to work with local businesses, it’s such a delight to visit their storefronts and see their logo on the door, or when I get the chance to recommend their services to a friend.

Q: What keeps you feeling most creative throughout the process?

A: One of the best parts of my job is learning about people, their brand, and their industry. Emily, working with you is a perfect example of this! I am fascinated by interior design, but it is a world I have no experience in. While working on your brand, I got to learn about your process, to be inspired by your own creative style, and to enjoy the personality you bring to every client relationship. When I finish projects like this, I end up with new friends, new knowledge of an industry outside my own, and a new company to cheer on forever!

Q: What's the most important thing to consider when selecting fonts?

A: Fonts can so beautifully capture a brand’s personality, but it’s important that you find one that does so without being too trendy. Just like it’s easy to look at your mom’s wedding pictures and know that she got married in the 80’s based on that hair-do, fonts can make your brand feel totally on-trend today but completely dated in 2 years. A new brand and visual identity is a long term investment, and you want it to be based in a classic style that you won’t be “over” in a few months. I know I’m a bit biased, but I think this is a major asset that a professional designer can bring to the table. Anyone can create a quick logo in Canva, but if you want something that creates deep credibility with your audience for years to come, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the many talented designers around you!

Q: What are the logo marks that every brand should have?

A: My typical package starts with two “primary” logo marks: one

that is more vertical in shape and one more horizontal. Then I create a handful of “secondary” marks, which are slight variations of your primary logos. For example, they might include an option with your brand name but without the accompanying details like an icon or tagline.

After that, I love to play with smaller marks that are more simplified ways to represent your brand. An example might be a small circle with your icon in the middle and the year your brand was established around the outside of the shape. These simplified marks are a great place to add personality, and can be incredibly useful in small spaces, such as the profile picture for your social media accounts. Great branding gives attention even to those easily-overlooked parts of your company’s presence and communicates who you are at all entry points

Isn't Riley brilliant? I'm constantly fascinated by the different gifts God's given each of us! And Riley is such a testament to that. We're forever grateful for her help in creating a new look for Knotts & Co.

If you're interested in learning more about Riley's offerings, check out her website here:

GOOD MOOD DESIGN CO.

Thanks for following along and cheering us on during this re-branding process. We can't wait to serve you and your family in the future!

xo,