WHERE

Design a site for an online video sharing social network based on the non-religious aspects of Jesus. That’s what we were initially asked to do. Our first reaction was to ask ourselves if we were interested in a project based on the subject matter, and wonder what qualified us to delve into this realm. Yet, our objectivity, and for the most part, secularism, became a great asset.

The problem that Yaaway Media faced was that they had a well-developed interactive and hosting technology (back-end) without a fully considered brand strategy and identity system. What was really required was to help the client understand who and what they were to the intended target audience, and then how to appeal to them. The me-too YouTube design of the original logo would have to be redone before we could even address the website design.

IDEAS

Through our Brand Discovery process we collaborated with key stakeholders to evaluate existing identity and brand language. The aim was to develop the brand and a memorable identity along with support materials that reflect the attitudes, values and attributes of Yaaway Media, its website yaaway.com, founders, staff and perhaps most importantly, its members.

WORK

The result was an award-winning identity: the quote marks that compose the logomark emphasize an exchange of ideas and communication, and also represent the four books of the Bible chronicling Jesus’ life. A subtle cross in the negative space implies the underlying focus of this dialogue, while the colour palette progresses from cool blue to warm red suggesting a journey from discovery to acceptance.

This was then applied to all stationery and a completely new website design for the existing back end. In addition, through our discovery and design process, we identified a multitude of content and feature sets for future consideration of the online Yaaway.com experience.

“Industrial Brand has an excellent ability to understand what their client is trying to accomplish and an equal ability to drive the project to successful completion.” - Craig Faulkner, General Manager, Yaaway Media

Click here for an article describing this project in further detail.

WHERE

Is Titan HDTV the right name to launch a new line of consumer-oriented electronics products with? That was the question. The client’s intent was the name could spar with Monster Cable (Titan beats Monster in mythological lore), the industry leader. Although some of the products would certainly be marketed side-by-side with Monster’s, the name Titan did not convey any sense of the elegance or polish considered to be significant product attributes.

IDEAS

Through our Brand Discovery process we quickly came to the conclusion that our first task was the creation of a name followed immediately with an identity.

The Kanto name is derived from the word “canto”, meaning “song,” and “cantilever”, an architectural term relating to the structural support of beams. The combination of these two elements represents the elegance, inspiration and craftsmanship inherent in their products.

Designed to appeal to two distinct targets: consumers and the industry (such as retail sales reps, installers and distributors), the logomark is based on an isometric study and represents functionality, solidity, simplicity and interconnectivity. It is also evocative of a flat panel television mounted on a wall. The clean, simple wordmark is meant to convey peace of mind, elegance and confidence. The bright green and grey colours were selected for their appeal to the target audience and ability to stand out from competitive products in the retail environment.

WORK

Name and identity complete, packaging and a website for the initial lines of flat panel mounts and unique iPod speaker systems called iPort were created. For the speakers, these were to be marketed specifically to consumers, however, mounts are unique in that they are very often tacked on to larger consumer purchases of flat panel televisions. Thus, they may or may not see the brand as a differentiating factor. Regardless, the brand had to reflect quality and value, and reassure the buyer that the product is the best choice to pair with their systems. Consideration was also given to versatility with how the package might be merchandised as well as easily identified when shelved in a stockroom.

To date results have been phenomenal and the first shipments sold out quickly. The speaker lines have gained favour with high end audio retailers.

Launch website: www.kantoav.com

WHERE

FVRL came to us with the challenge of creating a completely new identity for this regional library system that also recognizes the individuality of the 24 distinct municipal branches in their network. The old logo, essentially a pinwheel of book motifs, no longer accurately reflected the role of a modern library as a conduit and hub for information not just in print, but also electronic.

IDEAS

After extensive research into systems such as semaphores, Braille and many others, the identity for this client is more than a single mark. In fact, we devised a system of interchangeable, brightly coloured blocks that do not limit the number of possible combinations, giving each branch a unique mark within the context of a consistent brand approach.

WORK

Once the logo system was defined, we set about creating a unique mark for each library. Over time, the initials “FVRL” was to take precedence over the complete long-form of the name. This would allow for libraries technically outside the Fraser Valley to avoid the incorrect geographical reference, and allow the identities of the individual library to stand out. For example, FVRL Whiterock.

Although its primary execution is for five colours, the mark has been designed with economics in mind, and can be reproduced in any one of the constituent colours. This is especially useful in situations such as where newsletters are printed in a single colour, yet from month to month, it that colour can be rotated.

At the launch the new identity was given a standing ovation by over 250 library staff! Since that enthusiastic reception, the identity has infused a wave of freshness and vibrancy to everything from delivery trucks, websites and even library cards and bags and is garnering many positive comments from the public.

“We are just so excited about how the brand you created for us has really boosted our internal designs.” - Kate Morley, Marketing & Communications, Fraser Valley Regional Library

Launch Styleguide: styleguide.industrialbrand.com/fvrl

WHERE

Stornoway Diamond Corporation is a world-class diamond exploration company with the largest diamond property portfolio of any publicly traded diamond company in Canada. The identity we were briefed to create needed to reflect the the status the company had attained.

IDEAS

The new identity symbolizes the primary activity of diamond exploration in the vast Canadian north, and the leading position of the company as pioneers in the industry. Mining for diamonds in the Canadian north conjures up images of vast, open spaces and cold, blue-hued ice – and of course diamonds.

The use of the half diamond icon allows us to layer it onto a wide variety of imagery related to diamonds and diamond exploration, effectively framing them with the brand. Thus, we are not limited to any one image to define this rapidly growing and changing company.

In fact, recent developments taking the company’s focus to other geographic locations around the globe, and a company merger, had us updating the brand even further, adding a complete set of secondary colours to define different project areas, and also refreshing the look with photography based on the original flexible and unique system we designed.

WORK

Over the many years we’ve been working with Stornoway, we’ve designed stationery systems, numerous trade show booths and no less than five annual reports. With the 2005 report we moved one step closer to the promise computers would reduce paper, building a CMS-based website with navigation mirroring what one would find in a traditional annual report. Since then, the basic structure has been re-purposed for every subsequent annual report, with updated designs of course.

The net effect has been a strong, consistent brand in the mining industry, one that is instantly recognizable and hold the highest standard others are continually reaching toward.

Launch corporate website: www.stornowaydiamonds.com
Launch 2007/8 online AR: stornowayannualreport.com/2008
Launch Styleguide: http://styleguide.industrialbrand.com/stornoway

WHERE

We maintain a soft spot for our architect clients. The reason is simple: they embrace the same basic creative processes we do. Marceau Evans Johnson Architects get it. They specialize in projects designed and constructed using a collaborative framework that fully involves clients, future users and sometimes whole communities in the development of a project.

They hired us to help them update and standardize the Marceau Evans Johnson Architects (MEJA) brand to better reflect their unique personality and innovative skills, and prevent the inconsistent usage that resulted from a decentralized store of various ad hoc logos.

IDEAS

The new Marceau Evans Johnson logomark is intended to resemble a cross section of 2×4 lumber, and the logomark, in combination with the “MEJ” portion of the wordmark reproduces this same 2×4 proportion. Wood is an essential building material indeed, but especially so for MEJA since it is featured prominently in many of their projects. The wood grain as depicted can also be viewed as a fingerprint: with the structures they create, it is a symbolic representation of the mark they, as architects, make on the land, communities and cultures.

WORK

With the identity refreshed, we delivered an online graphic usage Styleguide http://meja.ca/styleguide along with the new stationery system and electronic versions of all documents. This enabled MEJA complete control over their brand and no excuse for inconsistent use of the identity.

With the identity well in place, our attention turned to the creation of a completely new CMS-driven website that reflects the unique personality and innovative skills of the company. It also gives MEJA control over their own ever-changing content and sets them apart in the highly competitive architectural design field.

“Our work with Industrial Brand was really enjoyable, and clarified for us the importance of establishing a consistent brand identity, especially being in the architectural field where good graphics is so important. Their entire team had a high level of enthusiasm for all they did, and their creativity and technical expertise made us feel that we were in extremely capable hands.” - Greg Johnson, Partner, Marceau Evans Johnson Architects

Launch website: www.meja.ca
Launch Styleguide: MEJA Styleguide

WHERE

This large direct marketing and mail service company was grappling with a recent change in management as well as issues with their name and identity. Not only was the full name of the company not conveying their core service offerings, it was confusing their intended target and possibly positioning them as competitors rather than a viable partner.

IDEAS

The company needed a way to appeal to its target audience and reinforce their reputation as friendly, approachable and dedicated.

Rather than relying on the typical mail-related iconography used in the past and overused by the competition, the new logo and supporting materials personify the company by highlighting “Kirk” in a professional, yet almost whimsical manner. The upward slope of the letterforms and the dot of the “I” in the cradle of the final “k” suggest the progression of a project. The colours chosen reflect the cool stability of dark metallic grey and an approachable, friendly green. The final message that the viewer takes away from the logo — perhaps the most important message that this logo conveys — is a literal one: Kirk will not drop the ball when it comes to its clients requirements and expectations.

WORK

The old purple colour was retired and replaced with a vibrant and more friendly bright green that has been used to refresh all brand touchpoints from business cards and visitor passes right through to delivery trucks and the physical building itself. Nothing has been left untouched. Custom Kirk shipping cartons and even a custom Canada Post Kirk stamp say to clients that they ‘understand the business’ and that they are not only serious about what they do, they do it better than anyone.

Staff and clients have all responded very favourably to the new brand. In the first year of its implementation, sales were 28% higher than they were the year before.

WHERE

Previously named Sliman Stander after the founding partners, the departure of Stander necessitated a new name for this well-established Fraser Valley law firm.

With six partners now, and a distinct desire to be different than the typical stuffy downtown law firm, the partners decided the new name would be just that, a name, not an ubiquitous and intimidating list of partner’s last names.

IDEAS

Imagine trying to get six lawyers to agree on anything. That was the first step. On their own they had no objective intervention to lead the way and harmonize the group and their previous efforts at a new name had failed. This is where the Industrial Brand Discovery workshop made the greatest difference. From our session we were able to explore the firm’s emerging identity and get consensus on a number of critical points.

The name itself plays on soft and hard elements of nature: water and stone; flexible and solid. The logo does the same using a combination of elegant serfif typography to hearken back to the traditional, solid and professional image a law firm should portray combined with the soft, almost whimsical effect of the blue water drop. The sum is a unique logo that perfectly captures the essence of this Fraser Valley law firm without alienating their clientele.

WORK

Bringing a brand to life doesn’t stop at the stationery package. Working with existing interior and exterior design, we integrated the new Waterstone logo into reception signage, interior design and also a large-scale exterior application for their Chilliwack location. The website is based on a flexible and easy to maintain content management system (CMS). This allows the client direct access to control their own content with little need to understand programming, and keep the site as current as possible so it can be used for recruiting new positions, announcing new hires and recent news. The net effect is an impressive and consistent brand impression, and highly polished yet accessible look and feel.

“Not only are we pleased with the outcome of our work with Industrial Brand, we continue to receive numerous compliments from clients and colleagues as to our choice of name and other branding elements.” - Waterstone Law Group

Launch website: www.waterstonelaw.com
Launch Styleguide: http://styleguide.industrialbrand.com/waterstone/