PROJECT KICKOFF

As a brand design agency, we approach every project with strategy at the forefront. And in order to engage in strategy surrounding the development of a new brand identity, we’ve got to do some research. We started by kicking off the project with a creative questionnaire that would allow our client to transfer all pertinent information to our team. This includes the expectations for the project, as well as the target market, competition, services offered, and more. Based on the questionnaire and our follow-up conversations, we came to understand that this would be a one-man-band. Just one guy, and his machine, excavating land for residential homeowners in the Asheville area.

With this information in hand, we dove deep into our own research to understand the Asheville, North Carolina market for excavation and land clearing services. We looked at how competitors were positioned, and we worked to understand how our client could stand out from the rest.

NAME DEVELOPMENT

As we dug into the project, our first step was to come up with a name for co-owner, Ralph King’s new excavation company. Name development was an addition to our typical business branding project for small businesses, however it’s a process that has immense value to the business overall.

For this project, we wanted to develop name options that would highlight both the small business owner himself and also what he does. We utilized the co-owner’s last name in the logo to create a memorable mark. The name ties directly into what we want his brand to emphasize: that Ralph is the king of excavation in Asheville. 

The name, coupled with the CAT machinery that Ralph uses to clear and grade the land, and we had ourselves the perfect name: King + Cat.

LOGO DESIGN DIRECTION BRAINSTORM

With the name solidified, our logo design experts started tossing around concept ideas for the logo project. We wanted to incorporate the name into the brand mark in a neat and creative manner, while nodding to the industry. We decided that we would create options that portrayed the construction nature of the business, versions that made the Caterpillar excavator machine the star, and versions that used type to create a bold look.

FINALIZATION OF CONCEPTUALIZATION

Our logo designers then prepared their sketches to present to our Director of Design and Creative Director. The senior-most team at our brand design agency determined that we could move forward with the concepts, and our brand designers got to work creating the concepts digitally.

LOGO DESIGN

The King + Cat logo design project included three versions that would be presented to the client.

For the first option, our design team visually combined the letter “K” with the shape of the excavator icon into a neat little logo that perfectly represents the client’s name and his business. Next, we selected the color orange to convey a bold, outdoorsy vibe. Paired with black and white supplemental design elements, the orange truly demands attention. Finally, the font we chose for the logo is bold and modern, and really allows focus to be drawn visually to the icon.

The second option created was primarily type-based. We used a black and yellow color palette to convey the fact that the business was a construction company in nature. We incorporated bold, gritty fonts and graphics that portray the tire treads of the excavator machine.

The final option created implemented strong type as well, but included a crown graphic atop the business name. This conveys the concept that Ralph is the King of excavation. The crown is also comprised of shapes that indicate a mountainous terrain to further drive home the nature and location of the business.

PRESENTATION AND SELECTION

Upon presentation of the logo design options, our client selected the first option presented. He was instantly drawn to the energetic color palette of orange, white, and black, and loved the way in which the name and machine were incorporated into a seamless design.

LOGO FINALIZATION

With the logo selected, the design went back to our Director of Design for finalization. Here, she selected exact color codes in PMS, CMYK, RGB, and hex codes. All elements were inspected for perfection before moving back to our logo design team for logo files.

BUSINESS CARD

Once we had the logo in place, we moved on to the creation of a custom-designed business card. The business card we created for King + Cat is clean and bold, just like the rest of  the brand. We continued to focus the design around the icon in the brand colors. We included only the most important information to keep the card simple and impactful.

STATIONERY DESIGN

A suite of business collateral was created to align with the business card design. This stationery package included a letterhead, envelope, notecard, and digital letterhead template. This business system provided Ralph with the tools he needed to operate his business professionally and to keep in contact with his clients and potential clients.

WEBSITE SITEMAP PRESENTATION

We then moved into the creation of a custom WordPress website. The website for this project would be relatively simple. And this was an intentional decision. Here, we wanted to keep the focus on user experience and drive viewers to clear and concise calls to action that aligned with the business goals of the company. We presented a sitemap that included a homepage, a services page, and a contact page.

WEBSITE HOSTING

Additionally, as we started to work on the website, we presented our hosting package to our client. Our host is the best option for WordPress websites, and ensures fast page-load speeds, minimal downtime, and daily backups. Plus, our team does monthly maintenance to update the plugins and platform. King + Cat decided to host the website with us, which meant that we would be able to take the website live for him on launch day.

WEBSITE WIREFRAME

Based on the approved sitemap, we created a wireframe for the website that would serve as its blueprint. The wireframe sought to organize the content in a manner that would be engaging for the viewer, offering just the right amount of information on demand, and providing more details upon every scroll. Clear calls-to-action are presented upon every scroll urging the viewer to take the intended action.

WEBSITE DESIGN

When the wireframe was approved, we wove the brand look through the structure. We also created brand-aligned copy for all sections of the website that would clearly convey services and key messaging in a manner designed to draw the viewer in and create a connection. The website design was presented to our client via PDF and approved for development.

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Based on the existing website wireframe and website design, we created assets for development and outlined instructions for our developer. We then build the website from the ground up on a WordPress platform. WordPress is our Content Management System of choice, as it allows us the freedom of design, and it permits our clients to make easy updates to key content themselves once the site is live.

When the website development was complete, our team did a thorough check of both design and functionality. Then, we sent over a staged link to our client for review. This allowed him to scroll through the pages and interact with the site before it went live on his domain.

WEBSITE LAUNCH

With all of the pre-launch checks complete, we launched the website on the domain, www.kingandcat.com. We then completed a post-launch checklist that included the set up of Google Analytics, the installation of an SSL, and the submission of the site to the search engines.

PROJECT CLOSEOUT

At the close of the project, we sent our client a folder containing his logo files, website files, website training video, and stationery print files. Having all of this in one place helps to keep things in proper order, and allows us to mark off all deliverables as complete.

DO YOU NEED A NICE NEW BRAND?

Are you building a new brand from the ground up? At our brand design agency, we like to think that we’re the queens of business branding. And we’d love to chat with you about your project. Give us a call today.