Mayhaw Development
"How can a modern fresh design system still convey old-fashioned southern hospitality?"
2 months
Shipped
August 2024
Mayhaw Development and Consulting is one of my favorite personal branding projects from Olivia Bruhmuller Designs. My task was to completely redesign this small, family-oriented real estate firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. The client wanted an organic, inviting, yet elegant design using a "bold red color", based on his favorite local plant, the Mayhaw.
To begin my project, I started by researching the firm itself and having proactive identity conversations with the president of the firm. I made sure we were on the same page in terms of brand comms, target audience, aesthetic goals, and marketing goals. Here are a few conclusions we derived from our preliminary research:
“In practice, I like to let my work do the talking, but here I need to work to craft an identity that’s the more assertive and “active voice”
'“I position myself as hungry, energetic, and honest and it’s a message that has had a lot of appeal in the few years I’ve been out on my own (I think partly because it’s genuine)”
“I would like my design to be subtle, organic, and perhaps regional”
“I don't want to lean into any alliteration with my last name if I go that route. Rather, I think the mayhaw indicates something organic and regional. Plus red is a distinctive color...”
Utilizing these brand comms… I began to iterate a few sketches. I tried playing with burgundy and sage in fear of the bright red being too bold for an organic brand. From there I picked out my favorite logo and began working to achieve the perfect design. I ended up choosing a bold red color for the font theorizing that the font softened the look.
Once this logo was finalized, I finalized the design system and created a submark and secondary logo to incorporate in future projects.
I then got to work creating business cards, lawn-sign mockups, and a LinkedIn banner.
Takeaways:
Design restrictions result in more creative outcomes, and are very important practice for working with large-scale clients with specific asks.
Make sure to design for different scales, a logo needs to fit on a business card and a bulletin board -
Consistent communication with the client is key, while also trusting your design expertise and having them trust you.
Read next
Question about my work?
Olivia Bruhmuller
Oliviabruhmuller@gmail.com
Mayhaw Development
"How can a modern fresh design system still convey old-fashioned southern hospitality?"
2 months
Shipped
August 2024
Mayhaw Development and Consulting is one of my favorite personal branding projects from Olivia Bruhmuller Designs. My task was to completely redesign this small, family-oriented real estate firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. The client wanted an organic, inviting, yet elegant design using a "bold red color", based on his favorite local plant, the Mayhaw.
To begin my project, I started by researching the firm itself and having proactive identity conversations with the president of the firm. I made sure we were on the same page in terms of brand comms, target audience, aesthetic goals, and marketing goals. Here are a few conclusions we derived from our preliminary research:
“In practice, I like to let my work do the talking, but here I need to work to craft an identity that’s the more assertive and “active voice”
'“I position myself as hungry, energetic, and honest and it’s a message that has had a lot of appeal in the few years I’ve been out on my own (I think partly because it’s genuine)”
“I would like my design to be subtle, organic, and perhaps regional”
“I don't want to lean into any alliteration with my last name if I go that route. Rather, I think the mayhaw indicates something organic and regional. Plus red is a distinctive color...”
Utilizing these brand comms… I began to iterate a few sketches. I tried playing with burgundy and sage in fear of the bright red being too bold for an organic brand. From there I picked out my favorite logo and began working to achieve the perfect design. I ended up choosing a bold red color for the font theorizing that the font softened the look.
Once this logo was finalized, I finalized the design system and created a submark and secondary logo to incorporate in future projects.
I then got to work creating business cards, lawn-sign mockups, and a LinkedIn banner.
Takeaways:
Design restrictions result in more creative outcomes, and are very important practice for working with large-scale clients with specific asks.
Make sure to design for different scales, a logo needs to fit on a business card and a bulletin board -
Consistent communication with the client is key, while also trusting your design expertise and having them trust you.
Read next
Question about my work?
Olivia Bruhmuller
Oliviabruhmuller@gmail.com
Mayhaw Development
"How can a modern fresh design system still convey old-fashioned southern hospitality?"
2 months
Shipped
August 2024
Mayhaw Development and Consulting is one of my favorite personal branding projects from Olivia Bruhmuller Designs. My task was to completely redesign this small, family-oriented real estate firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. The client wanted an organic, inviting, yet elegant design using a "bold red color", based on his favorite local plant, the Mayhaw.
To begin my project, I started by researching the firm itself and having proactive identity conversations with the president of the firm. I made sure we were on the same page in terms of brand comms, target audience, aesthetic goals, and marketing goals. Here are a few conclusions we derived from our preliminary research:
“In practice, I like to let my work do the talking, but here I need to work to craft an identity that’s the more assertive and “active voice”
'“I position myself as hungry, energetic, and honest and it’s a message that has had a lot of appeal in the few years I’ve been out on my own (I think partly because it’s genuine)”
“I would like my design to be subtle, organic, and perhaps regional”
“I don't want to lean into any alliteration with my last name if I go that route. Rather, I think the mayhaw indicates something organic and regional. Plus red is a distinctive color...”
Utilizing these brand comms… I began to iterate a few sketches. I tried playing with burgundy and sage in fear of the bright red being too bold for an organic brand. From there I picked out my favorite logo and began working to achieve the perfect design. I ended up choosing a bold red color for the font theorizing that the font softened the look.
Once this logo was finalized, I finalized the design system and created a submark and secondary logo to incorporate in future projects.
I then got to work creating business cards, lawn-sign mockups, and a LinkedIn banner.
Takeaways:
Design restrictions result in more creative outcomes, and are very important practice for working with large-scale clients with specific asks.
Make sure to design for different scales, a logo needs to fit on a business card and a bulletin board -
Consistent communication with the client is key, while also trusting your design expertise and having them trust you.
Read next
Question about my work?
Olivia Bruhmuller
Oliviabruhmuller@gmail.com