Shawn Bavaresco, the VinMotion Marketing Director, came up with the name and overall concept of creating a brand that would leap off the shelves with bright colors and icons representing Oregon. Starting with the name, we decided to keep the logo treatment very simple since the label design has a lot happening. The words have a rain dripping effect, which was very difficult to pull off with a foil and emboss, but Collotype Printing did an amazing job.

For the illustration, Shawn wanted a fresh approach, and was drawn to the paintings we showed him of a young artist with a great style, Ben Smith. We worked with Ben on a few layouts where elements representing Oregon were interconnected, and then converted his individual icons to Illustrator vector lines. This allowed us to manipulate the objects, work with the layout and change colors easily. The rain plays a consistent note throughout, and ties everything together. Silver foil works perfectly in the clouds and gives it all a dramatic sheen.

At the last minute, the label changed from a vertical shape to horizontal, and the colors went through multiple revisions ranging from reds to tans to the final bright color palette we used. Finally, we had an end result everyone was happy with.

The final step was the case design. We were able to create a “flowing” design that wraps around the box by reconfiguring the illustrations. This flexibility allows us to layout the design into different shapes and formats. It has great impact with only two colors. It should stand out well in a retail setting.

We’re finishing the website design for Rainstorm, which will launch later this month. We’re also getting amazing photography by Steve Cherry at Polara Studio.

It’s been a great project, and we can’t wait to see the actual product out in the marketplace soon!

We sincerely appreciate each of you. The companies and people who have been with us since our early days, and the new, exciting projects that have come in recently. It is such a pleasure to be able to work with such wonderful people. We feel very fortunate. We also are very grateful for our colleagues and clients who have referred us. We enjoy being in the office, doing our creative work rather than networking constantly, so having the word-of-mouth referrals is very valuable.

We’ll post more about our own goals in the future. For now- thank you so much for your support, and we look forward to growing with you in 2012!
— Amy & Jonathan

We were very excited when our long-term client Pacific Rim hired us to create a logo for their newest venture. Their creative personality made this a project full of interesting possibilities. Nothing too serious or conservative- it needed to reflect their unique approach to the wine industry. After many name changes and illustrations, the VinMotion name was the winner. The trick was to tie together wine, motion, innovation and the Pacific NW all in one identity while keeping it modern and sophisticated.

The first use for the identity was their new business cards. Color played a major role in the design. A bright orange foil flame creates a bright splash of color on the front of the card, and ties into the the bright orange on the back. Angled type and slanted lines all combine for the feeling of motion and the non-traditional feel of the company.

This design is moving forward into marketing material and a new website, look for more in 2012!

Saffron threads in the logo and as a main color on the site tie in the name, and also represent the circle and balance of the vineyard. The red and gold color scheme resonates well in Asian markets, and also reinforces the saffron name. The curved, organic shape which represents Sanjeev’s Indian heritage and is a unique aspect to this Oregon vineyard is used on the label, business cards and website.

Andrea Johnson Photography provided us with gorgeous images from their fields in different seasons. Since the images were so lovely, the website needed only a simple frame to tie in with their label shape, and a rich color scheme. We were very happy for the opportunity to work with Angela and Sanjeev. Check out Saffron Fields new website, and look for their wine in the near future.

Their old site didn’t reflect their long history (founded in 1977), or their premium quality and service.

ORIGINAL WEBSITE

They weren’t ready to do a complete photoshoot, or re-branding at this time, so we used the images they had available, and made their design fit with their “fruit crate” illustrated logo. The wood background emulated the fruit crate, and brought warmth to the page. Larger images were used throughout, and we set a more friendly tone for the company to match their actual personality. Site usability was improved through clear navigation and layout. Everything was converted into WordPress to allow the client to make the daily changes they need to make, and we were able to add more functionality to the website.

New look for Pacific Coast

With the brainstorming of the whole team, we came up with the idea of a little fish leading the whole “school”. The idea is loosely based on a Japanese children’s story, where one small fish groups with others to create a larger fish to chase off a predator. In this case, our predator is the State budget cuts for Portland Public Schools. By working together in a group, we can withstand the cuts.

We wanted to have an approachable, memorable and friendly image. At some point, the design could be used on t-shirts and other materials which I hoped would have a general appeal, rather than just advertising. I’m happy with how the fish turned out and enjoyed creating it using a very iconic illustration style- à la Pokemon.

This is how “Swimmy” came to be. We’ve worked out promotions and campaigns which involve creating art, and using the fish in eye-catching ways at the school. I’m not sure how much of a direct role he can claim to have in fund raising efforts- but the Foundation raised DOUBLE the amount of the previous year!

We’re launching the Fall pledge drive next week, and Swimmy is featured on some cute t-shirts, and even as a special origami pdf. If you are so inclined, you can donate to a specific school- or all schools- at https://www.thinkschools.org/donate/

For the identity, after trying different formal fonts, the more natural, handwritten feel of the script was the clear favorite. The typography was customized to work with the illustration style, and stand alone as a strong identity.

An artistic border was the final touch to tie all the elements together.
There are 4 different label designs that all work consistently together, but are unique.

We really enjoyed working with Cottonwood Winery on this venture! Excited to see all the new wine labels as they roll out.

AFTER:

BEFORE:

Some new clients include: Precept Wine Brands, Rainstorm Winery, Saffron Fields Vineyard, Cottonwood Winery, Pacific Coast, Sweet Bliss Winery, and more.

We’ll be launching our own long overdue updated portfolio site by September too. There have been many new projects that we are excited to show off. Along with all the client work, we’re also working on some personal design and website projects which we will also unveil in the Fall.

For now, we’ll post some of our projects on the blog, keep enjoying the sun when it graces us with it’s presence and get ready for an amazing autumn.

ASAP stands for the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland. Their mission to help save animals from euthanasia through spay and neuter programs, education and outreach is working- and we wanted to help spread the news.

There was a lot of information contained within the site, and not much time for the project. Our goal was to create a more professional website that lends ASAP the credibility they deserve. The site needed to be cohesive throughout, simple and clear. From a design standpoint, we used their puzzle piece logo as a starting point. Warm images and colors were used throughout. Otherwise, the focus is strictly where it needs to be- the information and calls to action.

Built with WordPress, ASAP will be able to update their site themselves.

We hope that even more cats and dogs lives will be saved through education and donations to this important cause, and that ASAP can continue their amazing work more easily.

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