Ridley College Houses

The challenge

Ridley College, a private school in St. Catherines, Ontario, with over 100 years of history. Part of their culture includes student houses (yes, like Harry Potter), and each house has its own theme, colours, and mascot. Although the houses have a long history, proper mascots were never developed and over time, the style and quality of the various houses became very inconsistent. In order to resolve this, Ridley hired Grant Burke to conceptualize and design a new set of mascot illustrations that matched their current values.

What we did

Concept Development
Mascot Logo Design
Character Illustration

Ridley Crocodile Mascot Hoodie Illustration

Our Approach

When creating the mascots for Ridley College, we knew that consistency would be very important and started by developing the overall style. We landed on a bold and modern style that had just the right amount of detail to make application of the logos very simple. Some of the houses are for younger students so we focused on making all of the mascots full of personality, but not overly intimidating or fierce looking.

Ridley Knight and Bandit Mascot illustrations

Comrade Brewing Co.

The challenge

Comrade Brewing Co., the Denver-based craft brewery, approached us to translate the personality of their Soviet themed brand to beer cans and apparel. They challenged us to create unique illustrations that put a beer / brewery twist on the commonly used USSR imagery. The designs needed to be memorable, punchy, and something craft beer aficionados would want to hand on to.

What we did

Beer Can Design
Packaging
Apparel Illustration

Our Approach

In an effort to make both the apparel and Crowler can designs collection-worthy, we created bold illustrations using the red and yellow colours commonly found in Soviet propaganda posters. The illustrations utilized a hand-drawn aesthetic and solid blocks of colour for a truly memorable result.

Comrade Brewery Superpower IPA Shirt Illustration

Tentrax

The challenge

Tentrax produces lightweight, compact and agile camping trailers built tough in order to be pulled through tough off-road (and on-road) trails. Tentrax prides itself in allowing people to truly go anywhere they want, yet have a safe and comfortable place to sleep. We were tasked with bringing the brand to life in a way that not only appeals to the off-road demographic, but also feels approachable for the casual customer, just looking for a compact camping trailer.

What we did

Brand Identity
Product Illustrations
Marketing Collateral
Email Marketing Templates
Brand Guidelines
Apparel Illustration

Our Approach

With the branding for Tentrax, we focused on the feeling of both exploration and freedom. We were able to combine both the compass & tire for a monogram that makes it that Tentrax really does you give you the freedom to explore anywhere.

The use of bold colours and typefaces allows the branding to stand on its own in an overly saturated market without feeling out of place.

Tentrax T-shirt badge Illustration

Apparel

An important part of the project was developing apparel that Tentrax trailer owners would be proud to wear. We created a unique and simple badge logo for hat upholstery and an illustrated t-shirt that captured the adventurous nature of the brand and its customers.

Tentrax Tradeshow Retractable Banner Design

Bobshire

The challenge

In an oversaturated market, Bobshire needed to standout from the pack as top-tier branding agency. At the project launch, the goals were to establish a brand presence for this new studio and to communicate Bobshire’s core values.

What we did

Brand Identity
Brand Guidelines
Responsive Website Design

Our Approach

Because Bobshire wanted a high-end look, we kept the branding very clean, minimal, and modern. Unlike most brands, we limited the amount of content and used the power of whitespace to create a sense of luxury. Furthermore, a neutral colour palette was established for the core branding. As a result, the vibrant case studies really popped against the softer visual system.

bobshire agency responsive website design

Barn Door Brewery

The challenge

When Barn Door Brewing came to us, they had just changed their name and were heading in an entirely new direction with the business. With the rebrand, came a move from the city to a farm property in rural Uxbridge. The brewery had award-winning recipes from the former brand, but a small customer base and little-to-no brand recognition. We needed to convince customers to try the product and then the beer would do the rest.

What we did

Logo Design
Stationary
Beer Label Design & Illustration
Sell Sheets

Our Approach

We knew that Barn Door had great beers, but that wouldn’t matter if we couldn’t get consumers to try their products. Thus, we developed a branding system full of hand-drawn illustrations that leveraged the farm-theme of the physical location. Wood texture paired with bright colours gave the branding personality without making it dull like many vintage-looking companies. Furthermore, each beer label design made use of custom dielines with illustrations expanding beyond the traditional rectangular shape.

Safesite

The challenge

Safesite launched in 2014 with a goal of making construction and heavy industries safer through their mobile app. Like many startups, they started with a placeholder brand identity that was never intended to be a long-term solution. That’s where Grant Burke came in. We were tasked with refreshing the existing visual system to bring it up to standards with their revolutionary product. One of the big challenges was to make the branding appealing for both the construction end-users and tech investors.

What we did

Brand Identity Refresh
Image Library Development
Brand Guidelines Manual
Website Design
Mobile App UI & UX Design
Marketing Collateral
Office Signage
Investor Pitch Deck

Our approach

The solution we developed focused on pairing masculine and industrial elements with modern typography, whitespace and a clean colour palette. This created a strong, but refined look that appealed to Safesite’s two target groups.

We started with a strong logo that pairs customer typography with a simple, but memorable monogram icon. The square shape works perfect on the app/social icons and the stacked segments of the “S” give a nod to the construction industry.

Mobile App Design

When Safesite approached us to re-design the mobile app, they already had a large userbase that was actively using their software in the field. We strategically designed the new interface to respect the existing flow, while improving the experience and applying the new branding. The result was an app that looked more professional, but felt familiar to Safesite’s loyal users.

Ribstone Creek Brewery

The challenge

Located in the 400-person village of Edgerton, Ribstone Creek is a craft brewery deeply rooted in the local community. They are known across the Prairies for their award-winning beer and creative brewing projects. One of these projects was the Prairie Pirate series. It was centred around a fictional character that robbed ingredients from other breweries to brew collaboration beers. We were engaged to develop the Prairie Pirate character and to translate the concept to a series of beer label illustrations, social comics and apparel. The comics acted as a visual storytelling device for each brew and were deployed to social media to promote the launch.

What we did

Character Development
Beer Label Illustrations
Social Promotion
Apparel Design

Prairie pirate beer label illustration series

prairie pirate beer label concept sketches

Our Approach

To create the Prairie Pirate character we drew inspiration from the Old West. The result was a rugged and mysterious outlaw that traveled across the Prairies on a beat-up steam locomotive, robbing and brewing as he went. We used a gritty, textured illustration style to add character to the beer labels and to create a vintage feeling consistent with the theme.

It has been a pleasure to work with Grant. Bringing an idea to life is no easy task, but Grant is able to do this with ease. From concept to finished product, Grant is professional, solves problems, provides timely updates and is incredibly adaptable. We are thrilled with the work completed and are excited for future projects with Grant!

– Mark Boulter, Marketing Directory | Ribstone Creek (Edgerton, Alberta)

Prairie pirate cowboy on raft beer illustrations

priaire pirate social media comic storyboard

Prairie pirate apparel illustration concepts

Apparel Design

Another aspect of the Prairie Pirate series was to develop a line of apparel. We created a series of concepts sketches that paired traditional western and brewery imagery. The top designs were then refined for screen-printing and the result was a gritty line of apparel, consistent with the Prairie Pirate beers.

prairie pirate train bottle apparel illustration

ShiftRight

The challenge

ShiftRight is a Toronto-based consulting business focused on guiding large organizations through restructuring, leadership development and cultural change. As the company grew from a one-woman operation to a firm, their branding needs also expanded. Equally as important, ShiftRight needed to be seen as an innovator in their industry and stand out from their competitors. They needed a modern brand identity, responsive website design, and a user-friendly pitch deck.

What we did

Brand Identity
Stationary
Responsive Website Design
Presentation Deck
Proposal Template

Our Approach

Because ShiftRight’s business is centred on change, we wanted to portray the the concept of transformation in the branding. This was achieved through a vibrant blue-to-green gradient paired with bright and uplifting imagery. The result was an eye-catching identity that helped the brand portray their experience and out-of-the-box solutions to difficult business challenges. Finally, we extended the visual system to a report templates and a pitch deck to make day-to-day operations more efficient.

I had the pleasure of working with Grant during the development of my company brand/website. I was thoroughly impressed with his creative designs and his accommodating nature. He has a genuine desire to ensure his clients’ expectations are not only met but are exceeded! He is flexible and goes above and beyond to get the job done. With minimal guidance he was able to materialize a brand identity that accurately reflected what I had envisioned. I would highly recommend his services!

– Aymen Dewji, Managing Partner | ShiftRight (Toronto, Ontario)

Logo Collection

Our Approach

For every logo design project, our process starts with understanding our clients’ specific needs and goals. Our approach is then strategically tailored to solving those goals. We do this through purposeful design that is based on solid design fundamentals. You can read more about these principles in our article 6 tips for a great logo design. Below is our logo design collection featuring clients from a variety of industries around the world.

Clients

ECHOtape

The challenge

We were approached by ECHOtape, a large North American commercial tape manufacturer, to refresh their brand identity and package design. They are family run and have been producing specialty tapes for the manufacturing and construction industries for over 45 years. As with many heritage brands, ECHOtape felt their branding had become outdated and disjointed. Above all, they needed a fresh approach to their brand identity that would highlight the core values that had helped their company grow.

What we did

Brand Refresh
Brand Guidelines
Package Design
eCommerce Website
Marketing Collateral

Our Approach

Because of ECHOtape’s long history, our strategy was to leave the core elements that have strong brand recognition and focus on the way they were implemented. We took all of the disjointed pieces and transformed them into a cohesive visual system with clear rules for easy execution. The system included refined typography, a signature icon set, and signature photography styles that highlighted the products and people of ECHOtape.

echotape ecommerce website design

Package Design

ECHOtape’s package design was a key element of the brand refresh. As one of the industry’s leaders for innovation, they needed packaging that accurately reflected the quality of their products.

In order to achieve this, we redesigned the tape labels to be clean, modern and very legible. An emphasis was placed on hierarchy and making the product information more digestible. Furthermore, we developed a modular system that had the flexibility to handle all of the content variations across ECHOtape’s product lines. This made the production of the new labels very efficient and cost-effective.

Choosing to work with Grant was one of the best decisions I have made. No matter what kind of project I throw his way, from web design to traditional print, he is always insightful and this is reflected in the quality of the work.

Ridley College Houses

The challenge

What we did

Our Approach

Comrade Brewing Co.

The challenge

What we did

Our Approach

Tentrax

The challenge

What we did

Our Approach

Apparel

Bobshire

The challenge

What we did

Our Approach

Barn Door Brewery

The challenge

What we did

Our Approach

Safesite

The challenge

What we did

Our approach

Mobile App Design

Ribstone Creek Brewery

The challenge

What we did

Our Approach

– Mark Boulter, Marketing Directory | Ribstone Creek (Edgerton, Alberta)

Apparel Design

ShiftRight

The challenge

What we did

Our Approach

– Aymen Dewji, Managing Partner | ShiftRight (Toronto, Ontario)

Logo Collection

Our Approach

Clients

ECHOtape

The challenge

What we did

Our Approach

Package Design

– Risa Edelstein, Marketing Director | ECHOtape (North America)