Accidental Branding

While looking at generating concepts for new client
Giovanna WellBeing. We looked at a few different
approaches for the core logo and brand style non of
which quite felt right and represented what
Giovanna is about.

Our first thoughts were looking toward a loose hand
rendered style of typography which in pen, looked
like it would work but when rendered on the mac
simply didn't cut it.

During a conversation with the client, where she told
me she wanted a more clinical style but with an 'arty edge'.
Which didn't really help but I learnt that virtually all her
clients call her 'G' which instantly made an impression
on how we could approach the logo.

It made that much of an impression I spilt my
nespresso over my note book!

Which inadvertently helped out with the imagery!
The way that fluid flows across any surface and
how it integrates with textures, kind of gave us
an angle for an 'arty edge'. So note book scanned
and photoshopped into the brand colours. Job done!

Heres the website holding page.
giovannawellbeing.co.uk

Take a look and tweet us @studioAble with your thoughts.
New website is in progress in the studio right now!

Predicting Trends

Design is a reciprocal cycle. As is fashion, this is an excuse for me

to keep hold of those dodgy checked trousers from the 90's ive

never worn in the hope they will be cool again one day!

Being an innovator and a good designer is tricky at the best of times,

so predicting trends is a key part of our job. We never follow trends,

but sometimes a client is influenced by something they have seen so

this will affect the outcome of a project. Whether its brand, print

or especially interior design, i see things that we have either done

or have seen done by people we admire that get replicated,

become mainstream and are blogged about.

What made me decide to write a blog post about this is,

elle decoration. We are launching a Thai Restaurant in

Aberystwyth that we actually designed a couple of months ago

- www.orchidaberystwyth.co.uk

For the main lighting feature, we specified a cluster of 17 bulbs

hanging from a centre wooden console all at different heights

all with different shaped white chinese paper lanterns.

Flicking through 'elle deco' the other day i see these are everywhere

now! So for the next few months our lighting installation will be

bang on trend! I believe the overall design is strong enough to

last longer than the trend will allow!

Of course we cant or wont discuss what concepts we are working

on for our next project, lets just hope we have predicted the trend

correctly again!

PS. Keep an eye out for 3 new projects on our main site soon!

Rediscover - business cards

Client, Debbie Belnavis is a life coach, who asked Kancho

for some new business cards. Voilà here they are, all parties

very happy! As shown below, we selected a colour palette

that is sympathetic to the existing logo and used quotes from

influential people including one from Debbie herself!

New Team Member

This fella arrived today, doesnt say much but seems fairly bright!!

Sarnie Anyone?

Been to see a client this morn (Simply Beauty) for some brilliant

repeat business. They are opening another venture a few doors

down and the temporary signage has gone up and looks ace.

Happy people all round. If all goes according to plan this will

be one cool sandwich shop!

Late shift

On the late shift tonite, due to presentation tomorrow,

its the law to have takeaway pizza when doing this isnt it?

Anyway we have pizza in the house - yum!

Its Chriiiistmas

This week, we have been out in the cold, building and painting our

christmas tree, which is now at home in our office!! Its officially

Christmas in the Kancho Studio. Just trying to stop Lisa from

playing her spotify christmas playlist on loop throughout the

whole of december!!

Whats the Weather like?

Whats the Weather like? Well in our case its a clean new content

managed web presence for client WeatherTec Property Services.

Weathertec approached us to update their existing site which

was in dire need of a refresh. We and the client are extremely

happy with the result.

Long time no blog

Been too busy to blog lately!!

Still finalising some elements of our office and running around

for new business meetings and trying to design a little bit inbetween

has meant a complete lack of social networking!!

Lots has been happening, new digital projects have launched,

new brand identities are being finalised. We have met a lot of

new people of the last few weeks and are putting proposals

together!! Also ive bought a sony w360 with a panorama

sweep feature which is great fun and will be really useful

on interior projects for the portfolio - heres a few sample

shots of the office and a bedraggled, Charlie the cat.

The panorama feature is ace! it distorts, the larger the

sweep but for interior photography it really is great

Charlie looks like he is hungover on this shot! I dont think

he is though, unless he snook into the booze cupboard again!

New Home!

Finally - today was our first day in our new studio, which is officially

22 Regent Place, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. If you in our new

neighbourhood feel free to drop in for a brew (and bring cake!)

Still got lots to do to finish off the interior of our space and the

common areas of the building are being finished off but its great

and feels like home instantly!! Heres a preview of our 'bookshelf'

wall illustration and our fantastic lights!! Hope you like?!

I will, of course be posting updates on our happenings

at our new home and post more pics as we progress

Joint Birthday

After 3 days of cutting, sticking and tieing (of bows)

We have completed and handed over these amazing

birthday invites (All 200 of them!!). BIG shout out to

Lisa for all her effort and hard work on these.

I delivered them and of course took all the credit!

Sounds like it's going to be one hell of a party!

Business Cards doing the business

Our Business cards have made another online appearance,

this time on cardview.net. Check it out, there are loads of

inspirational business card ideas.

Check out our Package (s)

In a bid to win some local new business we have devised

3 packages and have just received our new flyers for this

promotion. Printed onto 350gsm natural premium board

with a gloss lam on one side. Here they are in all their glory!

We have based one side as an iconographic

introduction to Kancho and the reverse breaks

down into the 3 packages. If you are interested

in refreshing your brand and want to take advantage

of our current offers, please mail studio@kancho.co.uk

10 Bears 21st!

Our Friend 10 Bears, is turning 21! Such and old head

on young shoulders!

We were tasked with creating his invites, which are

being mailed out as I write this. As Mat is a trendy

young man about town, with many facets, we created

his invites to match, in a multi-fonted typographic

style with 10 bear icons added in for good measure.

- And yes multi-fonted is a word!

check out the bears website - http://www.10bearsart.co.uk/

Happy Birthday Kancho!

Happy Birthday to us, happy birthday to us, happy birthday

dear kancho, happy birthday to us!!

Just incase you're not sure, Kancho Creative is officially one

year old today!

My thoughts for the year... In the words of the great 'bard'

Vinnie Jones - It's been emotional!! Being based at home

for year one has helped to keep outgoings down and the

commute is easy, but very soon and rather fittingly we

will be moving into our new premises. So looking

whistfully into the distance, thank you year one,

so long and thanks for for the memories, but welcome

year 2, and bring it on!!

New Site Launch

Another new site went live today, for an ace client!

Seishin Shotokan is a Shotokan Karate club based in Brownhills

near Walsall, the site was created in a couple of days and we

shot Antony the instructor (the guy kicking on the right) on location.

View the site - www.seishinshotokan.co.uk

New Site Launch

New Site freshly launched for Joyner and Mason. A new client of ours!

We have recently created the company brand identity and have just

completed and launched the site. Now being friday im sure thats pub time! Or is that a little early?

www.joynerandmason.com

Office Update

One step closer to moving in our new office!! Hopefully 

should be in a couple of weeks. Should look pretty awesome 

when we have everything in! 

What a week!

Just realised, we've not posted in aaages!!

What a couple of weeks... had a mac go down & lost a weeks worth 

of work! Rest assured, we now have a daily back up (Apples Time Machine) in place.

Then... we had a website that we originally built in 2007 ripped off!!
I believe the correct term is 'hijacked'. Basically another agency, who
im sure are usually reputable, copied the design, coding & even 

deconstructed the flash used on www.thekingsheadbirmingham.com

They hadn't even changed the meta data & hadn't even changed the 

telephone number!!

 

Heres an image of the Kings head Site.

and heres the offending site

Notice any similarities? The other agency had even used

some of the food images from The Kings Head!! 

We've never had this happen before and to be honest didn't

know what to do?! Our client contacted the owners of the 

other domain who changed the site. I guess plagerism is 

a form of flattery but what they did was just plain lazy

and this kind of behaviour will do themselves no favours

in reputation. Anyone had this happen to them? and what

course of action did you take?

Out in the Real World!!

Had a very busy week this week! Been to see some existing clients,

for some lovely repeat business!! But we managed to take

a couple of iphone photos of some of our work out there in the

real world! You don't always get to see the finished product,

doing what we do, so it was great to see how our work
influences and effects its audience!

At The Kings Head this morning - we got a couple of shots

of the point of sale above the main bar for: Mothers Day

& for the first quarters drinks promotions.

-

& here is the Uncles Money - Bordsley Signage.

Comlete with Gez (the clients) head in the frame!!