Project Spotlight: East + West Designs
I had the honor of partnering with Samantha and Lauren of East + West Designs on their rebrand this year and am so proud of the work that we were able to create together to represent their custom-made wedding stationery business.
When we got started on our project, I learned quickly that the two of them are thoughtful, detail-oriented people who really channeled these qualities into their creative work and brand.
I was able to grasp right away that they were running a business and creating products which feel intentional, creative, open-minded, inviting, one-of-a-kind, and super purposeful.
As I got to know more about their vision for the future of their business, their individual personalities and design preferences, and the clientele that Sam and Lauren both serve with East + West Designs, I also came to understand two key goals which they had for the process of rebranding with me.
1. They wanted a fresh set of designs that would better reflect who they are and the handmade, customized nature of the work they offer.
(All of East + West Designs’ products are handmade by Lauren and Samantha, and customized to the couples that they’re created for, so we set out to communicate and infuse this aspect of their work into the design choices we would make.)
2. They wanted a set of designs that made a more apparent visual connection to the category of stationery design in which they specialize. Essentially a brand that would give a viewer a better idea of the work they offer at a glance. We planned to do this through the illustrative elements we would eventually incorporate.
We also made it our goal in the earliest stage of our process to create a brand which would look both approachable and professional; something that could appear to be a natural evolution from style they’d already established. Overall, we wanted to create a set of branding elements that would feel just as inspired, welcoming, artistic, and thoughtful as the experience of working with Samantha and Lauren.
In my opinion, I think we crushed it. ;)
When selecting our color palette, we chose earthy, neutral tones with a couple pops of color to highlight the organic and heirloom-worthy style of their stationery. I had a lot of fun pulling inspiration from the colors and mood of their current portfolio’s images.
As we made our plans for our concept sketches, we knew that we wanted to work with imagery that was deeply meaningful and representative of Samantha and Lauren’s partnership.
I’m in love with the symbolism behind our primary logo design that we came up with (the logo with the mirroring bird illustrations):
Because East + West Designs is based in Kansas City, I found out in the midst of our brainstorming phases that Samantha and Lauren technically live in different states; Lauren in Missouri and Samantha in Kansas. Therefore we chose to incorporate the state bird of Missouri, the Eastern Bluebird, and the state bird of Kansas, the Western Meadowlark, into their logo design to represent their partnership. The Meadowlark holds an envelope to represent their line of work, and the Bluebird holds the state flower of Missouri (the White Hawthorn Blossom).
Because Samantha and Lauren’s friendship and business dates back to their time in college, we found our illustrations to be a significant and special way to acknowledge this.
As for their icons, you’ll find the White Hawthorn Blossom represented again within the illustration of a postage stamp. The icon of a vintage French mailbox is not only associated with their line of work, but also their experience of dreaming up their business together while on a trip to Italy and France. The image of a flatlay - styled after one of their own - reflects the way they present their products.
The set of designs as a whole possess a linear, intricate, and organic aesthetic, with thoughtful details to identify with the thoughtful and handmade nature of East + West Designs’ work and style as well.
I was really thankful and honored that Samantha and Lauren trusted me with all of the intricate details of their brand and I’m so proud of the designs that we created!
Here’s a look at how everything came together!
After we finished up our project and all files were in the hands of East + West Designs, Samantha and Lauren generously shared honest feedback with me on their experience of working together and their reflections on our final outcome.
Their words are so kind and so moving, that I still don’t seem to have the proper words of my own to express my gratitude and appreciation for them. Working with Samantha and Lauren was an absolute blast, and I’m so happy for all the clients that get the opportunity of entrusting those two with their wedding stationery needs. Samantha + Lauren really known how to communicate well, and make someone feel special.
East + West Designs was kind enough to grant me permission to share what they wrote as a testimonial, so I’d love nothing more than to end this post with Samantha and Lauren’s words and thoughts about our design process and completed branding materials.
Thank you so much for reading!
-Anna
Testimonial // Words by East + West Designs:
What factors influenced you the most in your decision to hire Anna?
We had been following Anna's work on Instagram and Pinterest for quite a while before we decided she was the perfect fit for us. Anna's ability and willingness to learn about each of her clients in a careful, thoughtful and authentic way is what really drove us to want to work with her above any other designer. While she is so talented at designing a brand that fits her clients' style, she also has a defined style of her own that shines through each of her projects that we just love. From her portfolio, we knew her illustrations and typography skills were exactly what we were looking for, for our new branding.
How do you feel about the final result of your and Anna’s work together?
Lauren and I could not be more thrilled with how our new branding turned out. It's above and beyond anything we could have imagined or created ourselves. We came to Anna with a vision for where we wanted our business to go and grow and she helped us put the pieces together to best represent our brand in a beautiful, meaningful way. The ideas that she brought to the table are what helped make these new designs what they are.
Did the finished designs meet, exceed or fall short of your expectations? Why do you feel this way?
Oh, the designs for sure meet and exceed our expectations. We knew we wanted a brand "refresh" and not a total transformation, but we didn't know exactly what that would look like. Anna came to us with such meaningful ideas to do just that. Our new brand still nods at where we came from, but is the perfect design for us to keep moving forward. When we decided to work with Anna, we knew we were going to get her talent with illustrations, typography and design, but we had no idea we were going to also get her insightful input and truly helpful suggestions along the way. That's where Anna goes above and beyond with her work—she truly cares about not only the design, but how it can help us and our business.
What part of Anna’s design process did you enjoy the most? Why?
The Brand Questionnaire that Anna put together was so incredibly helpful for us. While we're sure it was super helpful for Anna to get a better picture of our business, it also helped us tremendously with discovering different areas around our business, where we wanted to go from here and it really helped us be super intentional with our brand. Even after completing the questionnaire early in the rebrand process, we still refer back to her questions and our own answers as a guide for our business. We really loved that part of the process so much.
Was there a part of Anna’s design process that you think could use improvement? If so, how?
Honestly, no. With being designers ourselves, we were truly blown away by her design process and how she tackles her projects. We've done branding projects in the past for clients, as well, including our own business branding, but nothing compares to Anna's design process. It was so smooth, we knew exactly what to expect next, she explained every step of the way what we were doing and who was doing what—it was amazing. We so admire how she handled this project and we honestly are inspired to take a look at our own process and grow from her example.
Do you feel like the end product and experience was worth more, just right, or less than the amount you paid? Please explain!
The end product is definitely worth what we paid, if not more. Anna's design is most certainly worth every penny, but her ideas, suggestions, guidance and true heart is worth so much more. We gained sooooo much more out of this experience than just a new brand.
If you recommended Anna’s services to a friend, how would you describe the experience of working with her?
Working with Anna feels like you're working with a friend that you've known forever. You aren't just another project to make money off of, you can really tell she cares about you, your business and creating a brand/design that is just right for you while also serving all of your needs. She has such amazing ideas to make your designs meaningful that you can tell she does her research and works hard to make your design the best it can possibly be. There are designers out there who just design and move on—Anna is not one of those designers. We love knowing that even after our project is complete that we have someone we trust that we can go back to for more design help if we ever need it and we know it will be just as amazing the next time.
What would you say to someone who’s on the fence about working with Anna?
It's scary to put your design or branding in someone else's hands. For us, our business is our baby. But, know you can trust that Anna will respect you, listen to you and will do her best to create something perfect for you and your business. It's evident in communicating and working with her that she cares about you and her work. We feel relieved knowing that we've worked with Anna and we can come back to her with any future design needs we may have.
Interested in partnering with me on some custom designs for your brand? Feel free to inquire HERE, or contact us directly at admin@cheznunez.com.
