We are MAGGIE Award Finalists!

Ivy & Ink designed a publication currently in the running for one of the most prestigious awards in the publishing industry! The Western Publishing Association (WPA) annually recognizes publications of excellence in over 100 categories and we’re finalists in the “Guides, Catalogues and Directories/Trade & Consumer” category. We felt like winners when the guide was hot off the press and we are thrilled to be announced as finalists among top-tier publications from 24 states west of the Mississippi.

Due credit and acknowledgement goes to Gibbons Media (our client and the publisher!) who hired Ivy & Ink for this project, was integral to the vision and production of this first-rate guide, and who proudly submitted the guide for consideration! Let's hope for publishing honors as one of “the Best in the West”!

Logo Design Takes Thought—Choose a Designer Who Agrees

A logo is one of the most vital assets of a client’s business identity. As part of visual branding, it is one of the first marketing tools a start-up commissions and almost always the first thing prospective customers see, interpret and relate to. In the advertising, marketing, and design world (and pretty much everywhere) first impressions are everything. Just like a good handshake or a friendly smile, a notable icon or logotype that conveys the appropriate message is what sets our clients apart from the competition—capturing their target audience’s attention and loyalty. 

According to Forbes.com, about 543,000 new small businesses are started each month in the US, so it comes as no surprise that competition is fierce and start-ups must differentiate themselves. What isn’t surprising is that many of these start-ups fall short with logos and branding that are disconnected from their brand mission and target audience. When a logo is visually captivating, add one point to the "good logo design" scoreboard, but objectively, that doesn’t always mean it’s effective. A successful logo tells a story in the appropriate brand voice while also being memorable, scalable and effective without color.

Our studio approaches brand strategy and identity design thoughtfully, setting us apart from the multitude of “logo mills” available online. As an established design studio, we devote most of a project’s time to ideation and concept exploration in the design process, as should any professional designer or firm. With extensive preliminary work, we sketch between 20-40 concepts before honing in on the most compelling and appropriate 3-5 concept directions for our client to review. Collaborating with a studio that creates a brilliant foundation for a client’s brand, product and ideal customer should take precedence above following trends, or worse, bidding for unoriginal designs that boast a cheap price tag (not so cheap when your competition has the same one!).

In creating truly effective logo designs, we delve far deeper, beyond visual cliché’s, formulating concepts that inform and captivate. Dual meaning, or even three simultaneous meanings, in a logo creates intrigue, compelling our client’s audience to create personal brand associations rather than patronizing them with tired and overly-literal brand imagery.

In a sea full of print and digital media, you want to delight your audience with a unique logo but avoid confusing them with a misaligned one. Our studio creates one-of-a-kind, timeless logos that are as effective as they are striking, setting our clients up for distinction and a progressive identity to compliment their company's brand.

Ivy & Ink's Illustration is on a Tote Bag!

Ivy & Ink was hired to illustrate the map for Visit Huntington Beach's promotional tote bag, featuring all the fun points of interest and activities you can enjoy in Surf City USA®. We just received the finished product and it looks great! Even the studio cat couldn't overcome her curiosity during a quick product photography session.

A Totally Rad Cover Shoot: Million Maps Santa Monica 2014

Ivy & Ink was up at the crack of dawn to help capture the perfect moment during the Million Maps Santa Monica cover shoot. Creating an image that embodies the Santa Monica spirit through an active lifestyle, sunny skies, and the iconic Santa Monica Pier was a welcome challenge. 

Thanks to the brilliant vision of Million Maps publisher Matthew Gibbons of Gibbons Media, Inc., the good looks of surf instructor Kristin Casillas, the photography of Brandon Wise, and our studio’s art direction, there were tons of beautiful images to choose from.

The official cover is making its rounds in the community as we speak! We can’t wait to share this map with ONE MILLION visitors to Santa Monica (in 9 languages!) when we go to press in early 2014. 

Be sure to look for it on the racks if you're on the West coast and let Ivy & Ink know what you think! You can tweet us at @IvyInkTweets or like it on Facebook.com/ivyandink!