I’ve been working recently on a new project for ‘Hello Beads’ and this is a project I’ve really enjoyed. The original company name was The Bead Boutique, and the owner aims to relaunch and lead the market for beads and beading products.

It was felt that the name ‘The Bead Boutique’ was too long, and the domain name for beadboutique.com and beadboutique.co.uk was gone and so there weren’t many other options other than to rebrand completely.

So I came up with a few name suggestions and highlighted Hello Beads as my favourite, the client agreed and secured this name in several domain extensions, and even similar sounding company names….way to secure your branding I say!!

I’m going to break this project down in stages for each design concept provided to try and make it easier to read.

STAGE 1
The first concept (above and below) I feel is fairly obvious….the ‘pixar studios’-esq illustrated bird (I know, there goes my outrageous ego again! It’s a recurring theme with me) is staring at the beads. It want’s the beads; it’s saying in funky animated voice ‘helloooo beads’. So that’s the concept, and the tagline shows the website visitor that they can obtain a lot more than beads here. It’s primarily an online shop you see.

I love this design and feel it’s a very memorable image to build a brand around, and completely unique to the marketplace of beads and beads related products and so showed the design in a mocked up ‘brochure setting’ below also to give a flavour for how it could be used.

The colours of brown and blue were used because brown is modern (it’s an online business so a modern feel is appropriate) and yet timeless, and blue is perceived as trustworthy and professional (the target market will be business-to-business also and not just to the consumer). But the combination of blue and brown is fashionable at the moment so it doesn’t appear ‘boring’ to use blue - have you seen electric blue in the fashion shops this season? It’s everywhere.

STAGE 2
Client has concerns that the concept isn’t obvious enough and so it evolves to the below concept. Not quite as fetching because I feel some of the boldness has been lost by splitting up the colours in the bird. It couldn’t be avoided, magpies quite simply are not pure blue.

If this design becomes the chosen design I think the tagline should be changed to ‘Make like a magpie’ saying ‘make off’ just sounds wrong…I suggested this tagline, but it’s just wrong with that extra word in it.

The designs below show the concept will work in black and white as well as in full colour.

One major strength of using a character in a design it’s is versatility of use, such as shown below. It could be even used in animation at a later stage to strengthen the brand further.

STAGE 3
After much discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of the above design we move onto the clients suggestion of a design that is more literal and featuring a ‘bead’ or beads.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m pretty much against using a bead or string of beads, it’s too obvious, all he other companies do it - how will we be original by doing the same, how then will the customers then perceive HelloBeads as something original, new….better basically.

So these are the ‘bead’ options presented, we both concurr that the bottom design is the most striking and memorable, and despite the fact that the design is pretty unoriginal in concept, it’s come out looking fresh and modern and different to any other design I’ve seen for this industry. I’m also loving the font combo.

STAGE 4
The final design concept, and I never thought I’d think anything is better than concept one, and I’m not saying this is, but it’s shaken my faith in concept 1 a tad. I like this one, it’s simple and unfussy (couldn’t put anyone off at all) and the tagline ties in well with the image and tells a story about what customers will get from the brand.

This third design is so simple because the others are elaborate and illustrative - it’s good to see something at the other end of the spectrum to compare.

So what now?
We sit and wait, we garner feedback from the clients contacts, and we see which is the winner I think I’m still in love with concept 1, but being a magpie taints it for me. If it’s not to be concept 1, I’m routing for concept 3.

Amanda

xx

UPDATE - 13/5/07

So finally, drum roll…..the chosen design is shown below. I am estatic that the design that I personally felt is a real winner in terms of it’s ability to become a strong brand has been chosen. What has been done, following feedback the client gained on the three designs, is to integrate some of the favourite elements of the other designs into this one.

I feel that what we have arrived at is visually stunning and very memorable, and I’m looking forward to an ongoing relationship with this brand

The reason why you see two colour schemes below is that it was felt that it will be a good idea to have the main website with the plum colouration, and when a visitor clicks on the ‘trade area’ this will take them to an identical site in terms of design and layout…. but with the blue logo, and blue colouration.

Also, another drumroll, for the first draft design of the website itself, presented to the client for consideration, and now awaiting decisions and amends;

EXCITING UPDATE - 4.7.07
Launched! Hello Beads has just launched thanks to the outstanding development skills of our recommended development firm Blue Cube Media.

www.hellobeads.co.uk

In addition - check out the response from the business community! GO >>

And if you like the look of electric blue, read about the electric blue revival. GO >

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 7:04 pm and is filed under Design Projects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.