Designing logos, brands, and giving voice to business personalities.

Design Kompany goes to Japan

Kairaku En gardens of Mito

Kush turned 2 this month on our visit to Mito, Japan. It was fun to show him around some of our favorite places. Continue reading ‘Design Kompany goes to Japan’

DK is branding Durham’s Cleveland-Holloway neighborhood

Akira Morita is heading up Design Kompany’s part in creating a brand design for the pocket of downtown Durham that some people think is cool, and others think is scary: Cleveland Holloway.

Here are some pictures from our last session: the wordstorm, from which several keywords emerged.

AkiraKeywords
Cleveland Holloway neighborhood association Continue reading ‘DK is branding Durham’s Cleveland-Holloway neighborhood’

Colin Farrell meets Ondine: A sea woman and a beautiful Neil Jordan movie

Sometimes you just luck out with plane films. Back from Japan this evening, and still thinking about Ondine.


Ondine, was lovely altogether. It helped that it was set in Ireland, directed by Neil Jordan, and starred Colin Farrell as a just-back-to-being-sober fisherman. I hadn’t seen him since he played a hitman In Bruges.

Continue reading ‘Colin Farrell meets Ondine: A sea woman and a beautiful Neil Jordan movie’

5 storefronts: branding inspiration from Mito, Japan

The department store brand experience of Japan.
Yesterday at Mito’s Keisei department store.

Japan’s many tiny shops with small storefronts compete for the attention of a multitude of passerby at all hours. That’s why they make for a great study of the art of storefront design.

Branding done well never stops at just a logo, or a business card. You know someone is thinking it through if you see a really amazing kiosk or storefront that sets the mood for a brand promise. Continue reading ‘5 storefronts: branding inspiration from Mito, Japan’

Need a business card or logo design? Start with DK for beautiful simple brand design.

Logo designers who've done international design work.

Design Kompany is a mom-and-pop (literally!) studio. We’re really all about three things: Search. Query. Resolution.

Search

It’s true. What we’re doing is really common, and designers run the gamut in terms of price, quality and style. At the low end, you could just hop onto some online “design mill” to find your $300-or-less logo. But that’s like going to the store and buying cookies instead of making them from scratch. Or you could ask your cousin to do it, “eventually.” But that’s begging.

Continue reading ‘Need a business card or logo design? Start with DK for beautiful simple brand design.’

7 ways teams can work together better

Finding a successful business team takes clarifying a shared vision.

When it comes to building strong teams, knowing what you have in common is more important than your individual opinions. Durham Chamber of Commerce hosted a talk this morning that highlighted this and more tips on how to build successful teams. Continue reading ‘7 ways teams can work together better’

In Search of Meaning (25): Chanel as muse

Gabrielle Coco Chanel, fashion, art, modernism
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

A man who can no longer love his wife. A woman who refuses to be owned. Last night I saw the deliberate, quiet, loud, and somewhat predictable film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009). Continue reading ‘In Search of Meaning (25): Chanel as muse’

DK designs a logo for Oregon veterinarian

UPDATE: August 2010

On his blog, “Written in Hindsight,” our client Michael Salewski wrote an exceptionally thorough summary of his side of the branding process experience with Design Kompany. So awesome to read through what it’s like to be on the other side of the table.

Original post

Logo design for veterinary professional in Oregon

You could tell veterinarian Michael Salewski would be interesting just by his first e-mail query: “Hell! I don’t even have a name yet!”

Design Kompany’s task was to find a name, design a logo, and build out the brand design into business cards, envelopes and letterhead. The stationery designs have just been sent to the printers. And the logomark we created is pictured above. Continue reading ‘DK designs a logo for Oregon veterinarian’







Healthcare industry client enjoys Design Kompany What Clients Say People of DK

Work and portfolio of DK.

Contact DK DK helps you figure out who you are, why you matter, and why customers should care.

Think through how you're different from the inside out.

Let DK help you find the voice to inspire and motivate the exact people you'd love to work with.

We've helped dozens of businesses differentiate themselves in Seattle, Cork, Raleigh, and Tokyo. Try us for an international, modern style of graphic design.

Work



A1A
Allied Arts of Seattle
Atlantic School of English
Blitz!
Blue Gecko
The Broader View
Bonanzle
Case Design + Project Management
Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce
C'ODA
Counting Stars
D+A Studio LLC
Flow
Global Village conference
Group3 Architects LLC
Good Dog Art
Gupta Insurance & Financial Services
Hindsight Veterinary Care
Joji Minatogawa Architects
Kikokugo
Matchbox Mobile
MD Systems
Million Monarchs
Miyabi
Modern Business Training Services
Northwest Asian Weekly
Open Money
Petites Fleurs
Potters Bar
Portland Paws
Real Science
Redpill
Revolt
Row House Cafe
Spaccarotelli
TILU
World Beer Festival
Write with Meaning
Vibrance Nutrition + Fitness
Zenovation



DK in public



Guest post on Processed Identity
Lori Waxman reviews DK's Sharpie art
McGraw-Hill asks DK to judge in architecture competition
Northwest architects invite DK to talk branding
Seattle art gallery solo show
Watch our blog get critiqued
DK sponsors a park opening
Invited to University of Washington design school's professional night
Second short film screening in Seattle
Seattle Tech Startups invites DK to speak on branding
First short film at Southeast Asian Womens Film Festival in Seattle

 

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CONTACT DK

Design Kompany is in Durham, NC.

Mailing address:
PO Box 1512
Durham, NC 27702
@designkompany
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