Talia Bernstein
Brand designer focused on identity and consumer-facing work.
New to Contra
Talia is ready for their next project!
Protocol+ repositions wellness tea for analytical, performance-driven consumers. By rejecting the traditional tea aesthetics in favor of precision and measurability, the brand speaks to athletes and ambitious professionals who treat recovery as rigorously as their training.
The Brief
Traditional wellness teas often lean soft, calming, and emotional, alienating a key growing segment of consumers who approach their health through data and optimization. This audience needs science-backed recovery tools that feel as serious as their ambitions.
The Approach
The rebrand centers on clinical precision with a human touch: warm-toned color blocking, scientific photography, and copy that emphasizes measurable benefits (sleep quality, hydration metrics, stress management). Packaging uses tactile, lab-inspired materials to reinforce credibility. The result positions Protocol+ as the recovery brand for people who don't do "self-care." They do ritualistic systems.
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Watson is an AI accounting tool designed for solopreneurs and small business owners who started their ventures to create, not to categorize expenses. Bold, unapologetic, and slightly irreverent, Watson is the trusty sidekick that handles financial grunt work so founders can focus on their craft.
The Brief
Solopreneurs are drowning in admin tasks that drain creative energy. Existing accounting software either over-complicates or under-delivers, forcing founders to become part-time bookkeepers. The target audience needed a tool that understood their priorities: making great work, not balancing books.
The Approach
The brand identity uses detective noir aesthetics. Watson becomes the savvy sidekick who's "got your back." High-contrast visuals, witty copy, and a mascot that embodies confidence position Watson as the rebellious alternative to bland fintech. The tone acknowledges that accounting is tedious while promising to make it invisible. By leaning into personality over polish, Watson differentiates in a sea of sterile SaaS brands.
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Maison Canine brings artisan bakery precision to the pet aisle. Designed for dog owners who value craftsmanship, the brand uses sophisticated restraint and tactile materials to elevate small-batch biscuits into objects of consideration.
The Brief
The premium pet market is growing, but most brands rely on cutesy illustrations or clinical health claims. There was space for a brand that spoke to owners who view their dogs as family members deserving the same quality they expect for themselves, without infantilizing the category.
The Approach
The identity borrows from high-end food branding: natural textures, hand-drawn typography, and photography that emphasizes ingredients over animals. Packaging includes handwritten batch notes and paw-print stamps, reinforcing small-scale production. By treating dog treats with the same seriousness as a specialty bakery would sourdough, Maison Canine appeals to owners who refuse to compromise on quality, even for their pets.
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Sundays is a social calendar and gifting app that helps friends maintain closeness through life's logistics. Combining warm, tactile design with smart functionality, it ensures no birthday, milestone, or moment slips through the cracks.
The Brief
Modern friendship suffers from coordination failure: we care deeply but forget to show it. Existing tools are either transactional (Venmo splitting) or overwhelming (group chats). Users needed something purpose-built for maintaining connection without adding friction.
The Approach
Research revealed users wanted warmth, not just efficiency. Sundays uses playful illustrations, collaborative voting for gift ideas, and gentle nudges (not notifications) to facilitate giving. The interface feels like flipping through a shared scrapbook, not managing a task list. By designing for emotional resonance over productivity, Sundays becomes the tool friends actually enjoy using together.
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