07.07.16
The NSCC department of Sustainability was in search for a new look and a more compelling identity to speak to their audiences. Rarebird was provided with initial concept and branding direction in the form of a pinwheel/windmill motif, representing the different pillars of Sustainability at NSCC – Environment, Economy, Community.
Our challenge was to create a mark that fit with NSCC brand standards and colour palette, featured the pillars but also added in green to more directly relate sustainability. It was also important to have a cost-effective design for creating student and staff materials such as reusable mugs, recycled notebooks and eco-friendly t-shirts. While using a pinwheel/windmill we also need to make the symbol feel like it was about all the pillars, not just renewable energy.
As students were a critical audience, it was important to come up with a solution within the constraints that was engaging and attractive enough connect and compel them to purchase merchandize.
By creating a logo that extends to an expandable pattern we created a dynamic, energetic identity that strengthens the overall brand. It’s flexibility makes it perform at it’s best in wide-ranging environments, from full wrap full-colour coffee mugs, to small, no-colour embossed notebooks.
12.04.16
Working with strategy work developed by Alexandra Orozco and Covina Biomedical, Rarebird audited the competitive landscape and looked for some great examples of reference work in parallel industries. With this research and benchmarking, we framed up the opportunities for brand development.
Armed with a good understanding of the brand attributes hierarchy and a signed off graphic landscape, we developed distinct visual approaches for the corporate logo for signoff and development. As a new company with a goal of securing investment partnership, initial deliverables were a light Brand Standard Guide and business cards, printed by Bounty.
11.04.16
Rarebird was tasked with creating a brand language for a Millenial target market promoting ‘a professional product for serious use’ while emphasizing the actual product as ‘a fun and easy activity’. In addition, the booth (originally designed in a cylindrical format as shown below) must stand out in crowded and visually busy malls and university campus common spaces.
Use of a 5 step process illustration, with key words to quickly gain understanding is a key brand element on booth and in marketing materials. We also focussed energy on re-engineering the in-booth user experience and UI to ensure ease-of-use and promote recommendations.
17.03.16
Upon spinning off Ascenta Skin, Marc St-Onge asked Rarebird to reimagine what was internally perceived as the ugly duckling in Ascenta Health’s natural health portfolio into a white swan properly aligned with the independent spa and beauty market. Taking full advantage of the this potential catalyst for growth, Rarebird undertook a full repositioning and branding exercise, creating an engaging presence tuned for relaunch into the beauty sector.
10.12.15
Take Out Nova Scotia was a local startup working to build a network of restaurants connecting restaurants and people hungry for takeout with an easy to use interface. Unfortunately the project was cut short due to owner relocation.
We’re still proud of the design work, with the logo featuring the diner-ization of the Nova Scotia Shield of Arms, both in colour and form. We also worked with them to to visually simplify the site and make it easy to use.
The Bike Friendly Certification Program allows certification of any building, be it retail, office, apartment etc. to a level of certification based on their infrastructure and support for cycling as a viable transportation choice for their staff, tenants, clients, customers or students. The program is supported by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy with the goal of long-term sustainability and growing a strong Bike-Friendly brand in Halifax and eventually across the province.
With the goal of having the certification make people warm to the applicant, we developed a mark that was eye catching, positive and all-around friendly. This was carried across window stickers, a brochure and the HRM site, where people can learn more, apply, and promote their bike-friendliness.
07.10.15
As a multi-faceted community project, our job was to create a brand for Common Roots that espoused their values, connected with their members, but also upped the game so they could reach a sophisticated audience of donors and grown-local buyers. In creating the brief, we realized this brand needed to function well dressed up or dressed down; it needed to belong in the rough and tumble farm environment, on a beautiful bunch of flowers, and at a high end fundraiser.
The hand-drawn logotype, that alludes to plot boxes for many, feels simultaneously rough and sophisticated, structured and human. We build a colour palette from existing colours to stand out and work well with different products and production needs. To complement the new logo, we paired with Anna Ramsay for some hand drawn veggie illustrations to bring some fun and context.
The new branding is carried across various applications, such as stamps for their paper bags and flower bouquet wrappers, stickers and signage. Rarebird’s own Lizane Tan created the fabric signs.
07.07.15
In developing a labelling system for a hand dyeing company selling high end yarns for knitters, we strove to reflect the tactility of the yarn and include a process like theirs, with an organic nature. For stock we picked a real felt paper, and to match the irregularity, we created large areas of thermography which provides an organic final result.
Check out our tags featured on For Print Only.
The Hand Maiden website was designed to highlight the subtle characteristics of each yarn and the luscious colours they’re dyed in.
03.06.15
Kerr Global was founded from a business need at Frontier Technologies, another Kerr Group company, for fleet tracking information. Born out of necessity, the naming and brand was largely unplanned. With several years under its belt, a great value proposition and a growing client list, it became time to relaunch the company with a stronger focus. Kerr worked with Alexandra Orozco of Earthlogic on brand positioning and naming, and Rarebird was brought in to turn that great work into a visual expression. The goal was to balance a blue chip feel with a modern, technologically savvy company that simplifies complex problems.
At the same time, we were asked to refine the Kerr Group logo, so that it sat comfortably with both Northern BI and Frontier Technologies. The approach was to present Kerr Group as the strong, quiet, reassuring backer for both companies.
Much like you might see the hidden ‘N’ in the symbol, Northern BI sees the important information in the data.
28.04.15
Upon moving into our new studio on Agricola Street, we got to know our neighbour, Rollie and his team. We noticed his logo and signage could use some love so we got to talking and worked on giving Rollie a new brand presence that reflected his bright and bubbly personality, and the classic, old-school service and professionalism with which his team does business.
03.11.14
Owned and run by two guys who just love technical products and create their own cool technology, Sunsel obviously needed to reflect their passion and drive in their brand.
Having built Sunsel into a local success story, our job was to reflect who they’d become 10 years later, a company ready to expand beyond its loyal word-of-mouth regional market.
The answer? “Bring us what’s next.”
A bold call to action and statement of what gets them up in the morning.
We furthered the messaging to build on their core strengths of being equipped, committed, and expert, which are implicitly three legs of a stool.
Visual language was kept nicely restrained to balance the bold language and promote their assured capability and stability. A heavy use of white space, in combination with multiple square cropped images (referencing the coming together of the project elements), balances manufacturing complexity with the confidence they provide their clients.
05.08.14
The revised branding retains the logotype from the previous version while reimagining the original ram’s head, and telling a Fleece Artist story on the interior of the label –setting the stage. The blue/grey sits beautifully against any combination of colours in the skein, and heralds the beginning of a full update of communication materials.
Branding is carried out in the Fleece Artist website and in the knitting patterns that embrace the warm crafted character of its yarns.
21.07.14
The Planning and Design Centre created a goal of bringing a Ciclovia style event to Halifax. A working group was struck and Cameron (at Breakhouse at the time) became a core member. Switch was picked as a name and a brand developed. Cameron continued in the working group as the event took shape, creating materials from banners and buttons, route maps to posters, to twitter backgrounds and web banners. The project continues to have a high visual impact on street and in media.
Combining a looseness in the icon with careful type sizing and spacing, the Mineville Wool Project brand creates a sense of intimacy for an online project while confirming a focus on top quality yarns. The website was designed to be product forward with ease of shopping the top priority.
25.06.14
Launching a revolutionary product on a tight four month timeline, including product and booth build, Rarebird pulled together a compelling brand strategy that addressed DSLR users, 1st ACs, DOPs/Directors and Producers, using three benefit pillars: creativity, accuracy and efficiency. The brand was built for ‘gearheads’ who need products that won’t let them down on four brand principles: innovative, user friendly, robust and trustworthy.
This year, after months of continued development and feedback from testers, Andra returns to NAB 2015 with a new product, the Arc Elite and with stronger and more intuitive interface graphics.
