Project Spotlight: Branding for Peyton Made
Peyton Curry, owner and maker behind the weavings + fiber creations at Peyton Made, was a design client match made in heaven for us as Chez Núñez. I (Anna) loved working with her so very much, it makes me all the more excited to share an in-depth look at the designs we created together for the Peyton Made brand this year!
Right from the get-go, Peyton came to us with point of view and a creative voice which was uniquely her own, and that really resonated with us. She had an enthusiasm about the design work Chez Núñez could offer, and an openness to fully trust to our branding process that was so motivating and inspiring. These aspects to our introduction quickly felt like the perfect stew of exciting ingredients that would lead us to designs which not only speak clearly on behalf of her brand and work, but that we’re also both incredibly proud and fond of to this day.
Within this spotlight, I’m honored to share about Peyton’s inspirations for our designs, process details and decisions that I worked through in order to bring them to life, some of Peyton’s testimonial responses (that she sent back after wrapping up our project), and lots of examples of our finished results, of course.
Peyton’s design deliverables were made under our second “Artist” package, which we offer as 1 of 3 branding options in our price and process guide. In addition to the tailored discovery phases, concept presentations and opportunities for edits that we work through, this package results in the finished creation of 2 custom logo designs and 4 illustrated icons.
*The additional graphics/images, and the Brand Guide that you see at the end were created for this post.
*The photos that you see in this post were taken by Peyton Curry, with the exception of the post’s cover - a styled flatlay image - that I (Anna) shot myself.
Thank you so much for being here! Enjoy!
As I do with all my clients, Peyton and I kicked things off with a discovery phase that really allowed me to learn about her story, influences, and the overall heartbeat/vision of her brand. Here’s a very brief overview of what I learned in the very beginnings of our project:
Peyton “creates functional, simple, everyday knitwear & thoughtfully handcrafted weavings for the home.” Her interests in crafts and weavings began at an early age of 8, and developed organically over the years in her life through holiday gifts or birthday presents - news of her talent kept spreading via word of mouth from there. Up until our partnership, she didn’t have any brand assets for Peyton Made to represent her work in fibers, so our project was backed by her motivation to establish a brand that looks + feels legitimate, while also appearing approachable and welcoming at the same time.
In these early phases of our branding process, I found that her primary sources of inspiration for her work are: 1.) the textures, colors, movement, and shapes found in the outdoors, 2.) the nostalgia of vintage styles, patterns, old films or old photographs, and 3.) the process of creating and sourcing her work in an environmentally conscious way.
I learned so much about her target clientele, her goals for the future, and that she really wanted her her designs to convey a sense of joy, happiness, comfort, invitation and simplicity to anyone who might come across her brand. She described her brand’s style as “earthy, natural, organic, clean, & vintage + place inspired”, and shared these things along with so many other insightful indicators on the directions we could run in for our designs. I made it my goal to channel all of what she shared and asked for into what I was about to draw!
After considering her responses, we moved onto the creation of a mood board that was reflective of our questionnaire - it was full of 30 or so design/mood examples that we could discuss and gather new ideas from together. Once we both were on the same page, I began sketching two sets of logo concepts for Peyton to choose from!! See below for the original sketches of the set that she chose.
From there, we finalized these sketches with pen + ink/color to arrive at our finished designs (see below)! We landed on a logo set that gives Peyton some variety in layout, and complexity - with one logo that’s detailed enough to stand as a piece of artwork on a tote, or grab attention in a large space, and one logo that provides a very simple and dainty alternative - making it super useful and legible under much smaller dimensions.
I illustrated a portrait of Peyton that offers personal touches like her curly red hair, beloved bandana and a sweater she knit herself, because we felt like this would help convey the really personal connection that she has to the things she creates, and the loving attention to detail that she pours into her work. We new that this, in combination with our warm color palette, would give us that sense of comfort and welcomeness that we were looking to channel from our questionnaire!
We both were excited about our color palette because we loved how it spoke directly to the natural, earth, vintages vibes that Peyton was looking for (see below as well).
After finishing her logo designs, next came the development of our illustrated icons through a similar series of steps. Illustrated icons are wonderful because they provide an opportunity to further expand upon a brand’s story and the visual message that we can send through design. Icons make thoughtful additions to website pages, business cards, price sheets, branded stationary, email footers, package design, and the list can go on.
Peyton and I landed on 4 images for our icons that highlight the tactile and loving process that her work goes through during creation. Yarn and scissors, knitting needles, birch, and a completed weaving on a loom (inspired by an image of one that she created)!
After finishing our work together, I sent Peyton a series of some testimonial feedback questions that she generously took the time to respond to. Read on to hear directly from Peyton about what she thought of our process and of our finished results!
Did the finished designs meet, exceed or fall short of your expectations? Why do you feel this way?
“Exceeded my expectations in every way! I never knew branding could encompass so much of “me” — I loved my entire experience with Anna, and am so giddy about every detail of my branding.”
What factor influenced you the most in your decision to hire Anna?
“Anna’s work is so timeless, original, fun, professional, & refreshing -- it brightens my mood to look at! It’s unlike any other work I’ve seen. I’ve been following Anna for a while now, & love everything about her brand + aesthetic. We have very similar tastes in shops, color palette, the little things, etc. so I knew she was the one from the start!”
What part of Anna’s design process did you enjoy the most? Why?
“I loved the whole process, but if I had to narrow it down, it would be seeing the first round of drafts come to life. We had a lot of preparation done before that, so seeing the ideas turn visual was surreal. I also loved how the whole process was an experience. I felt very involved + much a part of the process.”
a. Was there a part of Anna’s design process that you think could use improvement? If so, how?
“Anna’s entire workflow was perfect — she made me aware of the whole design process from the start; how long each step would take, when we would move forward with new steps, & an estimate on how long the entire project would take. Everything was perfectly timed, I wouldn’t have her change a thing. Her informational PDF that she sent over prior to booking was also gorgeous, & instantly had me sold! You can tell how much time, thought + attention to detail goes into everything Anna creates — & it’s very admirable + inspiring.”
Do you feel like the end product and experience was worth more, just right, or less than amount you paid?
“I would say worth more or just right! So much time + work goes into composing an entire brand, & it should be an investment.”
If you recommended Anna’s services to a friend, how would you describe the experience of working with her?
“Anna is so professional & kind — she understood deeply everything I was envisioning + dreaming & brought it to life in a way I didn’t think was possible. Her communication was also incredible — I loved being a part of the whole process, & also knowing where she was with everything. In past branding experiences, I felt very disconnected — I’d give my ideas to a designer, and then they would disappear + wouldn’t hear back for months, until they had the final product. This branding experience was the complete opposite in the best way — I felt so connected to Anna & what we were creating together. It very much felt like a team effort, & I loved that.”
To check out Peyton’s work, visit Peyton Made’s website or Instagram!
And to inquire about partnering together on your next design project (which would be so very fun), please say hello through a submission form HERE or with a message to admin@cheznunez.com.
Thank you so much for reading! Have a lovely day!
