Well as you can see from my last post I’ve been a busy bee lately, and I can’t wait to share all the exciting brands I’ve created with you as they begin to launch over the next few weeks! First up, we’ve got Laura Schmitt Photography. Laura was one of my first clients after going solo, and I so enjoyed Skype meetings with her because she’s from Wisconisn and has that AMAZING super friendly Wisconsin accent and charm. Laura lives in the middle of the forest, and one time she came to one of our meetings after just seeing a bear on her morning walk! I have to say, one of the things I’m digging most about freelancing is being able to work with clients all over the place.
Laura had existing branding, but because it relied on trends of the time (a few years ago, when EVERYONE wanted swirls and flourishes in their logo) it looked dated. The fairy tale, super feminine aesthetic of Laura’s brand just didn’t match who she was. Laura’s a down-to-earth self-proclaimed tomboy (sometimes) who is inspired by nature, loves her rural Wisconsin roots, and has a deep love for and sentimental attachment to canoeing. The pastel colors and super girly look didn’t match Laura or her work, so it was time for a redo.
After some discussion we came up with this inspiration board which we used as a map to help guide us forward through the process:
After that, I went into my dark isolated Cave of Design and Wonder and created three initial concepts for Laura’s logo.
Ultimately, Laura chose Concept 3. I went back and did some tweaking: I added some texture to the text, made the weight more delicate, and changed up the lettering a bit to incorporate a few elements of Laura’s own handwriting. This is where we ultimately ended up:
Now Laura needed a site to match her new look. She decided to stick with the ProPhoto blogging platform for photographers. Laura had been using ProPhoto, and it’s my preferred platform for photographers, so it was a great fit! ProPhoto makes it super easy to create a great looking site, and it will be simple for Laura to maintain now that it has officially launched!
I’m super excited to watch Laura’s business grow, and now she can truly allow her style and her photography shine with her new brand! Here are a few words from Laura herself:
Starting a re-design process is a daunting task. When searching for someone to work with, I was looking for someone who was familiar with the photography industry and who had print and web design experience. I wanted a designer whose portfolio reflected style that I related to. There are so many wedding photographers whose branding looks too similar and follows the trends too closely. I didn’t want something that I would have to redo the following year. I wanted a design that stood out from the crowded field of photographers because it fit me as a photographer and as a person.
The design process with Angie really helped me narrow down my many broad ideas and focus in on an aesthetic that truly fit me. She created a questionnaire that enabled me to think about my ideal client and how my brand would help attract that client. She created design boards that put together my ideas and her ideas for how this would work in a design. I am especially grateful that she was patient during my busy wedding season and didn’t hustle me through the design process. She gave me time for ideas to percolate and was quick to respond to questions or ideas that I had. During the whole process, I feel like she really listened and wanted to know about me and what I was looking for and where I was coming from…. which resulted in a brand that really feels like home. She created a thought-out logo that I love with fun design elements that fit perfectly. Angie integrated this design on my website and blog which upgraded my whole brand. She created a helpful guide on how to update elements of my blog as well as a lot of information about the platform in general.
Stay tuned for more new brand launches, and go show Laura some love on her brand new website!