Customizable Branding
Product Launch
2020
After years of crafting fully custom brand identities for creative businesses at The Business Bar, I collaborated with a contractor to address the needs of potential users in the early stages of launching their small businesses.
GOALS
The challenge was to create a solution that catered to users with limited budgets or those who were still shaping their company's identity.
The goal was to offer a middle ground between fully custom designs and DIY solutions for individuals who needed a brand identity to kickstart their business.
RESEARCH
To understand the needs of our target audience, we engaged with people in our networks in the process of launching businesses to understand their needs.
Through interviews and feedback sessions, we identified common pain points and gathered a group of individuals to test our initial batch of brand designs.
Our ideation process involved brainstorming creative solutions that could provide value to users in the early stages of business development. We aimed to create a streamlined process that would allow users to access professional design services without the hefty price tag.
We decided to create The Test Kitchen –
an online shop showcasing a line of affordable, pre-designed brand identities, print/digital collateral, and websites for early stage entrepreneurs.
From there, we created six “flavors”, or brands, based on six personalities. Starting with moodboards, we built cohesive brand designs for each.
After testing the process internally, we opened the shop to our group of “Taste Testers” and a portion of our email list that signed up for first access.
We received highly positive feedback on quality and value of Test Kitchen offerings.
5 out of 8 testers purchased at least one product.
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We aimed to give our users a wonderful experience by:
Providing options for varying needs, but limiting choices at each step to prevent overwhelm
Giving clear instructions and avoiding design jargon
Setting up a quiz to help users find the best fit, in a fun format
While the initial launch and reception within our test group were promising, broader online marketing efforts faced challenges. This experience, though not without setbacks, offers valuable insights and opportunities for growth.
Soon after the launch of the Test Kitchen products, The Business Bar was acquired by a partner. The designs went on to be used as a starting part for custom brand design clients of my collaborator in their creation as a middle ground between fully custom and DIY design.
This project combined my skills in branding, collaboration, and understanding user needs to provide value for bootstrapping entrepreneurs. I’m so excited to take these skills into this new chapter as a UX designer.