Design Journal.

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Practical insights on branding, packaging, and design strategy from our studio. We break down real-world projects, share design techniques that actually work, and offer no-nonsense advice for businesses looking to solve communication challenges through thoughtful design.

Here's a brief summary for your blog post: We recently spotted our design work in the wild – our distinctive topographic label for LIOCO Wine Company featured prominently in Food & Wine magazine's article on perfect wine pairings for tacos. This recognition highlights how our studio's approach to creating standout designs helps clients cut through the visual noise in competitive markets, proving that authentic, distinctive branding truly pays off in media coverage and shelf presence.Local Healdsburg Spotlight: LIOCO in Food & Wine
Our strategic booth design helped local Santa Cruz company Calorify stand out by clearly communicating their revolutionary at-home metabolic testing product. The results speak volumes: increased visibility, meaningful conversations, and visitors specifically returning to say they remembered seeing them - proving sometimes the most effective design isn't a complete rebrand, but a focused project that simply works.Trade Show Success for Local Santa Cruz Company
We transformed LIOCO Wine's already-loved packaging with strategic storytelling elements—replacing subtle texture variations with distinctive vineyard imagery and hidden topographic maps that reveal themselves in the light. The refresh maintains brand recognition while dramatically improving shelf impact through visual cues that instantly communicate each wine's unique origin story.Brand Refresh vs. Rebrand for Wine Packaging
Owning a signature color creates instant brand recognition while providing market differentiation, consistency, trust, and legal protection. From UPS's "Brown" to Coca-Cola's red, strategic color ownership builds powerful visual identities that help brands connect with consumers and stand out from competitors.Brand Identity: The Power of Owning Your Color
Rather than diluting their messaging by trying to address everyone's specific needs, our UCSC campaign focused on core values through authentic student and faculty stories that resonated universally. This approach successfully engaged multiple audience segments—from students to donors to community members—by highlighting the diverse voices that make up the university while maintaining a clear, cohesive brand identity.How We Simplified UCSC's Brand Communication
TastyMade's 30-foot internally lit mid-century modern sign solved their visibility problem on a busy strip while becoming a distinctive landmark. The towering retro beacon transforms into a glowing masterpiece at night, turning their restaurant from just another storefront into "the place with THAT sign."TastyMade Restaurant Signage
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