One of the most rewarding parts of working freelance is being able to bring designs to life while working one on one with my clients. Be Present is a year round small cottage vacation rental in Cape Cod Massachusetts that needed a strong brand to market on rental sites. The goal was to create a brand that felt clean and professional and to have a logo that could work well on social and any large scale marketing materials they might create.

This client shared specifically what they wanted the feeling of the brand to emote and what they wanted to avoid, giving us specific parameters to work within. Constraints are a natural part of the design process and clearly communicating them early is essential. “Minimalism, modern, simple, beach, biking, hiking, outdoors” were suggested tones and I was asked to avoid “nautical/beach chic” to help it stand out among other rentals in their market.

round 1

My first round when creating a new brand is to layout a few options to the client to get a general understanding of their perspective. All the prep ahead of this step is essential but having a first sketch to look at together is key to making sure we are both communicating what has been ruminating in our heads. I think it is helpful to have at least three options for each deliverable at this stage. Casting a wide but thoughtful net at the start allows both me and the client to feel like we surveyed a strong selection of options allowing us be more confident as we narrow our choices from round to round.

round 3

During the next rounds it is important for me as the designer to ask very specific questions to get the right type of feedback. Understanding why a client feels a certain way towards something will help us be even more in sync as I bring to life and also push the images in their heads.

Round 4

Now that we had narrowed things down, it was time to explore the details. Even at this stage, I find having multiple options to present very helpful. I often will have my own favorite going into our meeting but hearing feedback on all the options is always helpful. Being able to explain my choices and my suggestions to the client is key. Speaking confidently about my designs goes a long way in push the client in a direction I think best serves the brand.

Final brand guide

Along with delivering the physical logo files for their use, I presented the client with a formal brand guide. This document now serves as their rulebook as they started their rental journey. From the rental websites to the welcome documents, they now have a central truth to follow to push brand awareness.

A few months later

It is always rewarding to see work come alive off screen! After delivering the final brand guide and assets you sometimes are not lucky enough to see the work being implemented. I was lucky enough to get a photo of the logo in use here at the cottage!