Movember

To raise money and awareness for prostate cancer research, Don has been participating in the Movember program. Men all around the world have been growing moustaches to encourage donations to the fund.

Instead of showing progress shots of the moustache growth, Don chose to show "What could be" versions of his soup-strainer.

The final 'stache!

You can see all of Don's pics HERE. Please donate to this worthy cause!

"We need a logo."

We hear this all the time from people starting a business, or revamping an existing one. It's so often treated as part of a business checklist, like computers, phone system, furniture, etc.

It's not like those at all. It's much more important.

It's your first face you show the world, and is the basis of your brand. 'Brand' is a word that gets thrown about a lot, often interchangeably with 'logo.' To clarify, a brand is nothing more than the sum total of elements you use (consciously or unconsciously) to make an impression to your customers and the rest of the world. A logo is a huge part of that, as is your website, your company vehicles, your advertising in any media, and even how you behave personally.

This is about managing perception, and putting your best truth forward to people. Every company will have different aspirations about who they are, so there can't really be one-size-fits-all solutions, as you see in those $200 logo ads for logo sweatshops online.

Your logo is going to be part of who you are, so every effort should be made to let the logo reflect that. Your personality, company heritage, the material benefits you offer, and your emotional benefits to the customer are all ingredients that build your brand.


Rise cafe is an artisan bakery cafe that was to be located in San Diego. We came up with the name and logo to evoke, of course, rising bread, as well as the joy of rising in the morning to savor the smell of fresh baked bread.


Eco-Smart is a company fostering the innovation of  green construction materials, from superinsulated construction panels to recycled lumber. Our logo uses a simple icon to combine inspiration and ecology.


Design Excellence is a logo for an in-house corporate design group. We wanted to used shapes from nature to convey beauty and simplicity. The solution of a flower shape containing a linked D and E was found to be most pleasing. The colors were inherited from the parent corporation's brand.

Visit us at www.schreerdesign.com to see more brand work.

An Organic Approach

A Case Study of Organic Bistro Whole Life™ Meals

SCOPE: Callaway Consumer Products was ready to launch a new line of frozen meals. Dr. Laryn Callaway, a holistic doctor, dietician and nutritionalist, created these meals to offer added nutrients for those with Type 2 diabetes and others who just want to eat healthier. This product would be premium priced and supported by superior nutritional benefits and gourmet recipes. This product would compete with weight reduction brands such as Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers and natural health brands such as Amy’s Vegetarian, Fairfield Farms and Ethnic Gourmet.

BUSINESS OBJECTIVE: Successfully break into the frozen food category with a healthier alternative to what was currently being offered, with an added appeal to those with Type 2 diabetes. Leverage the nutrient-dense gourmet product into the “reduced calorie” and “organic/whole” food segment of the frozen food category.

PROJECT CHALLENGES: Introduce and establish a regional start-up company and create a new, ownable standard for the whole food, organic-minded consumer. Strike a balance between nutritional value and the diabetes-friendly claims. Entice consumers with delicious looking photo vignettes of foods that may be unfamiliar. Communicate that eating healthy does not have to be tasteless.

DESIGN CHALLENGES: Stand out in a highly saturated category and communicate the brand’s organic, nutritious and delicious attributes. Convey both wholesome nutrition and epicurean sophistication.

BRAND STRATEGY: Establish an iconic brand that stands for organic nutrition, delicious recipes and diabetes-friendliness. Substantiate Callaway Whole Life™ Meals as “the” expert in nutrition for health-conscience consumers and for those afflicted with Type 2 diabetes and other related metabolic syndromes.

CONSUMER PROFILE: The target is female, professional or homemaker, 40-65 years old, mid to upper income, concerned about her health. She may or may not have a history or predisposition to diabetes, obesity and other metabolic syndromes. She is busy with family and professional commitments, limiting her ability to prepare and cook meals. She wants to eat better but has a limited knowledge of healthy nutrition.

MARKET INSIGHTS: Currently, no other line of frozen meals addresses the specific concerns of those with Type 2 diabetes and other related metabolic syndromes. With the rising occurrence of obesity, people are interested in eating healthier and may be uncertain if they can fit this into their busy schedule.

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: Research of the competitive landscape showed that the brands in direct competition were darker in overall complexion and information heavy. Lighter cartons stood out and were easier to read. Our client asked us to work with the name Thrive Whole Life™ Meals. Additional research and testing proved that the word “Thrive” leaned too heavily on the nutritional side of the product and didn’t address the sophisticated recipes.

It was decided to move forward with the name Organic Bistro Whole Life™ Meals. Schreer Design then produced a wide range of design to address all the clients concerns bearing in mind our demographic target.

CONCEPT DESIGN:

The client selected four layouts and these were further explored:

SOLUTION: Our final design utilized a predominately white package to help communicate the light and healthy nature of the product. A large appetizing photo focuses the consumer’s attention on the “whole meal” nature of the product. We used fun and open logotype and simple, well-organized information blocks for clear communication. The color pallet was kept light and refreshing so not to take away from the appetite appeal.

THE RESULTS: A Success Story

Through careful planning and a clear understanding of what our client needed to communicate the packaging design was instrumental in allowing a new start-up company to compete toe-to-toe with well-established competitors. With its new branding firmly in place, our client was able to concentrate on marketing and placement. We at Schreer Design were able to produce all the collateral material such as trade exhibit graphics, brochures, in-store displays, couponing, web graphics, and packaging mock-ups.

With a complete and integrated promotional program in place, our clients were able to sell into major grocery retailers like Safeway, Albertsons and Kroger as well smaller national chains such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts.

Presently, The Food Collective, a California-based company specializing in organic foods, has purchased the brand and has brought their other brand Helen’s Kitchen in line with Organic Bistro design.

View this and other projects at SCHREERDESIGN.COM

  

Welcome to the Official Blog of Schreer Design.

This blog is being launched in conjunction with our official site SchreerDesign.com. We invite you to surf over there, review our work and see what we can do for you!

When you come back here, we'll be showing you a glimpse behind the scenes on selected projects,  discussing the challenges involved in communicating a message and showing you how the final piece was developed.

We hope you find these entries interesting and informative. We welcome your comments or questions!