Brand Guidelines - Native Circles

I supported Native Circles in creating a set of brand guidelines to aid in their business expansion. The guidelines were aimed at maintaining a contemporary and professional feel while reflecting the brand's earthy and nuanced artwork. The goal was to achieve a balance between grounded nature/science elements and a touch of poetry to make the brand relatable and inspiring to its target audience. For this project, I collaborated with Claire Creely (copywriter) to develop the brand's tone of voice guidelines.

Create a cohesive look and feel by integrating pre-existing elements (logo, primary typeface).

Balance contemporary and expressive elements in the brand's visual identity.

Create a brand appeal that resonates with both existing and potential customers.

Craft an informative and inspiring tone of voice to build trust and expertise.

Discovery: Conducting a thorough assessment of the current brand, target audience, goals, and preferences of Native Circles.

Research: Analysing the market landscape and identifying successful brands with a similar target audience to gather insights and inspiration.

Strategy Development: Defining the brand story, mission, vision, and core values to establish a strong foundation.

Visual Identity: Selecting colour palettes and determining typography choices that align with the brand's desired perception.

Brand Guidelines: Develop comprehensive guidelines that encompass logo usage, colour applications, typography rules, and other visual elements.

Messaging and Tone: Crafting the brand's messaging and tone of voice to effectively communicate with the target audience and evoke the desired emotions.

Iteration and Feedback: Collaborating with Native Circles to gather feedback, make necessary adjustments, and ensure alignment with their vision.

Delivery: Delivering the finalised brand guidelines and assets for Native Circles' future use and implementation.

A comprehensive branding review was carried out, examining the present appearance and audience perspectives.

Through audience research, it was determined that prints were often purchased for personal collections or as thoughtful gifts. These pieces promoted a deeper connection to home, nature, and personal reflections. The artwork evoked heartfelt emotions, encouraged sharing and excitement, and left a clear impression of quality and value.

A number of relevant brands were also identified:

A stationery and lifestyle brand known for its hand-painted illustrations and botanical prints. Rifle Paper Co. offers a range of products, including art prints, notebooks, and greeting cards, which evoke a sense of nature and creativity. 

Jonna Jinton is a Swedish artist, photographer, and YouTuber known for her captivating work that explores the beauty of nature and the enchantment of rural living. 

Superfolk “Simple and beautiful home goods for people who love the wild outdoors.”

The brand guidelines were developed by expanding and refining this information.

To define the brand colours for Native Circles, I conducted research considering the desired emotions, brand values, and visual appeal. This was finalised through feedback and refinement landing on harmonious shades of forest green, sage, cream, and off-white.

To create the tone of voice guidelines for Native Circles, Claire and I first researched the brand's personality, values, and target audience. This helped us identify key characteristics such as being inspiring, relatable, and grounded in nature. We then developed brand messaging and sample content to create a consistent tone of voice across different platforms and touchpoints.

Native Circles now has a well-defined and reliable framework for communicating its message and values. The guidelines include direction on logo, typography, colour palette, photography and tone of voice. As a result, Native Circles is now well-positioned for future growth and expansion, with a cohesive brand identity that resonates with the target audience and sets the stage for continued success.

I firmly believe that I can leverage these experiences and skills to help your brand achieve similar success. With my expertise in branding and design. Let's collaborate and take your brand to new heights.