Design Kompany | Brand Marketing by Graphic Design studio in Seattle

Aimee Gallo of Fremont-based Vibrance Nutrition and Fitness picked Design Kompany to design this new brand identity for her business.

It’s just finished, and will soon be applied to fitness clothing, bags, tea mugs and a folder Aimee gives you when you sign up to get started. [Did you know broccoli is an amazing source of calcium?]

The blank sketchbook

It’s far too easy for us designers to go in with an idea in our heads about what we think a design should look like. But really, design isn’t about us. It’s about our clients–you. More specifically, it’s about what it is you want to tell your customers. Our job is to listen for that really well.

So instead of going around doodling up things we think about when we hear a great name like “Vibrance,” we do something different. We go to an art store and buy a blank sketchbook. One for every project. Choosing the book is the first step–anyone who likes to spend a lot of time looking at pens and stationery will “get” what I mean here.

Then we fill it up with visual notes. But only once we get to know our clients–you. The point is to really and truly understand what you offer is better and different. Marketing folks talk about this a lot, the “unique value proposition.”

The Design Kompany method

We start with lots of questions to get to the heart of audience, message and tone. Then refine. Find existing images that communicate the sort of “vibe”, make sure we’re all on the same page, then draw the right image to tell the brand’s story. For us, good design is good storytelling.

Creative team

The “Vibrance” part of this logo is hand drawn by Design Kompany’s summer 2007 intern Angela Tomson. Angela worked on this under the creative direction of DK’s Akira Morita and Dipika Kohli.

Read about how the same creative team drew up a brand identity for Spaccarotelli. More about our design approach.

UPDATE March 2008

Check out the new look of the Vibrance Nutrition and Fitness website! Graciously, Aimee has listed Design Kompany as one of the “friends of Vibrance.”

Design Kompany is responsible for assisting me in my stellar logo design. Working with Akira and Dipika was nothing short of sheer joy!

Their communcation and creativity allows space for a very natural, authentic process. Together we seamlessly created a brand that truly, effectively speaks volumes.–Aimee Gallo, VibranceNutrition.com

Thanks, Aimee!

UPDATE April 2008

Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Bob Condor interviewed Aimee Gallo about nutrition and smoothies. Here’s an excerpt:

Gallo said she urges her clients — predominantly “professional women who are busy” — to use smoothies as a quick breakfast or a recovery drink after exercise. The convenient breakfast fits into a key component of Gallo’s nutrition program of “small, easy-to-do steps.” A morning smoothie is a significant upgrade for the busy professional who doesn’t think she is a breakfast eater.

“A smoothie is portable too,” Gallo said. “You can take it with you in a travel mug with a straw. It’s much more balanced and nutritious than grabbing a bagel and cream cheese.” —Seattle P-I

UPDATE May 2008

We invited Aimee Gallo of Vibrance Nutrition and Fitness to Dream Kitchen to give a cooking demonstration on how to make a fast, healthy lunch. More about Dream Kitchen and the making of the short film ‘Wrap:’