Recent Work

Branded Icons for Beds4Kids

Beds4Kids Bed Icons Arranged

Beds4Kids Bed Icons Arranged

A brand is always so much more than the logo. An organization's brand is made up of colors, keywords and all those design pieces that help you tell your story faster and more visually. When we worked on the Beds4Kids Media Kit, we created a series of icons for use in future projects. (These icons could be used on their site, social graphics, and print materials.) It was fun to expand their visual library with a set of simple, playful icons!

Mattress, Pillow and Bed Icons

Mattress, Pillow and Bed Icons

You might feel like something is missing from your brand. It's easy to point a finger at your logo, but often times a set of icons can breath new life into a brand. If you don't have a brand guide, that will certainty help as well. 

Your mission and/or offering set might have evolved over the years. It doesn't mean you need to scrap what you have for a whole new look. (Breath a sigh of relief with me!) 

Bed Delivery Icon

Bed Delivery Icon

Like that / Want that? Tell us about your project!

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Mads

Media Kit Design for Beds4Kids

Beds4Kids Media Kit Design

Beds4Kids provides kids in need with a place to sleep and dream. Can you believe that hundreds of kids in our own communities have never had a bed of their own? To date, B4K has provided 400 beds to kids - that’s pretty incredible. We were excited for another opportunity to work with Lauren Glass of THROW. (You might recognize this project!)

Nonprofit Media Kit Design for Beds4Kids by Mad & Dusty

Like every project, we kicked it off with a meeting. I was excited to find that Lauren and Brandon had done research beforehand. Not just some research - they had a solid idea and outline of what they wanted to communicate. I think it was that planning in the beginning that allowed the project to flow so smoothly.

It got me thinking on how I could help clients and non creatives get ready for working with one of us.

We can be an odd bunch, let's just admit it!

For design projects like this, it helps to have the copy all the text written out ahead of time. Often times designers have trouble quoting out a project without an outline of content. After that, it's incredibly helpful to have photography ready or at least considered. If you're considering a project with a designer, schedule a call with them to find out all the bits and pieces you'd need ahead of time. My bet is, they will be delighted you asked and your project will flow just as well!

Beds4Kids Media Kit Solution Page

Here's why Preparation is key:

01

Getting a clear idea of what you want to communicate with your design piece beforehand allows the designer you’re working with to focus their energies on what you hired them for - design.
You may not have everything nailed down, and that’s okay. Most designers are more than happy to work through an outline and give suggestions. You’ll bring the rough draft and they can bring their creative energies to the meeting. You get extra credit if you send your rough draft to your designer before the meeting.

02

Have a solid outline can help shorten the timeline and keep the project within budget.
You can get where you’re going much quicker if you have a map, right? You're also less likely to drive around wasting gas if you know where you're headed. Design is the same way! If you come to your designer with most of the details ironed out, they can dive right in. 

03

Visuals can be very subjective and explaining them can be confusing.
Bringing visual examples of what you like will help the designer establish a clear sense of visual direction. The lines between icons, infographics, and brand illustrations can get blurry. Especially in longer pieces. It’s so great to be able to point to a design feature and say, “I want something like that.”

P.S. See our post on planning for your annual report!