Identity: Clyde's Rebirth
One of my favorite things to do is design for small businesses. My dream job would be to design a restaurant or boutique from top to bottom - we're talking logo, identity collaterals (business card, letterhead, envelopes), signage, rack cards, print ads, web site and even helping with the interior design such as paint colors, furniture and textiles. But enough dreaming and back to reality.
I was thrilled when the super stylish Merl Kinzie approached me to help her develop an identity for her jewelry line Clyde's Rebirth. Not only did she want me to design a logo but she also wanted me to brainstorm creative ways to package her product in an eco-friendly way.
After a discovery process I learned that the name Clyde's Rebirth was born from Merl's obsession with her cat (named Clyde), sparkly glittery jewelry, and the need to recycle and reduce her footprint. For me the name evokes almost a mythical story to be told. Merl loves grey and orange. She definitely wanted to include a cat paw and use a lowercase typeface. She told me about an idea she had of the paw coming out of a flower bud but beyond those things she let me have at it.
I started sketching on paper and from there moved a few of my ideas onto the computer for a more polished execution. I knew I wanted to use metallic neutrals - gold and grey - to represent the timeless materials Merl uses in her jewelry. I also wanted to visually show the modern application of repurposed materials by contrasting a modern typeface (which I then additionally modified) with a more vintage looking logo mark. 
Merl chose the logo that was inspired by her idea of the paw coming out of the flower bud. I also love that it looks as if the paw is sitting on a pedestal. Merl asked that we tweak and refine the colors ever so slightly and I was happy to oblige. Otherwise, she didn't have a single revision to the design.
I will often create both a horizontal and stacked logo for my clients to be used in appropriate applications. For example, a blog header might use the horizontal logo to fill the space, while a small tag might use the stacked version.
I was so excited to create a logo identity for such a talented designer like Merl.
For more examples of my small business identity work:
• Sweet B
• Ada's Technical Books
• Kathy Wolfe Photographer
• Sideshow Performer Donny Vomit
i love this! you are so fabulous! {i sort of have a dream of one day owning a cool little thrift boutique. if i do it, i am so gonna hire you to completely design the whole identity for it! :)}
Logo and brand identities for small businesses are my fav work too, I love what you did with this one. I think it represents the jewelry line perfectly, with the vintage mark vs the modern font. ^_^
Awesome! I LOVE Merl to death(which you may already know). I think the colors are great, it's clean, classic and still looks like Clyde's Rebirth, it's not so different that you wouldnt recognize it from her old banner and logo.
It also reminds me of a trident, which is pretty hardcore like the feisty redhead herself.
love seeing the process of your work. i do marketing + lately my career has been in the events + promotions side, yet i'd like to move back to branding + strategy.
if we ever could, i'd hire you to revamp The Green Life from top to bottom! we're just a few years late + few thousand dollars short ;)
Jessica - I love designing promotional stuff too though. I think the fact that it's less permanent allows you to have more fun with it.
I'd LOVE to work with you! Let me know if you're ever serious about it and I'll see what I can work out for you.
I love! Great job!
Emily @ merrypad.com
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