Strategy-led brand and web design agency
Bell & Wether was a brand agency & web design studio for female coaches and service providers led by yours truly.
This now defunct studio was the bridge between my previous pastel-hued branding and business offerings that I had grown out of and wanted to pivot from.
Putting myself through the deep and introspective brand strategy process has helped me have greater empathy and compassion when helping my clients through the same thing.
This project was completed in 2023.
Project details:
Project scope = Visual branding (including naming), photoshoot direction, SEO, custom 11-page website design and development (including extensive intake form and landing page upon submission)
Timeline = 6 weeks
Website platform = Squarespace
As I already alluded to, my previous branding was full of pastel colours like light pink, lilac, and mint green. While I love those colours, for the new brand I wanted my clients to feel like my brand was methodical, thoughtful and intelligent while also feeling fun and bold.
To me, this meant one thing for an accent colour: vibrant and bright — but not too much vibrant and bright.
I settled on one main accent colour of Yves Klein Blue. Not cobalt. Not cerulean. Not Egyptian blue.
Why that specific colour? Because it’s a representation of the values behind the brand.
The name Bell & Wether comes from the word Bellwether, meaning “a person or thing that assumes the leadership or forefront, as of a profession or industry.” Or the other definition “a person who leads a mob, mutiny, conspiracy, or the like; ringleader.”
This is how I wanted to be seen in the design industry, as well as working with clients who wanted to be that in their industry.
If you Google “Yves Klein”, you’ll find:
He focused on one colour (blue) after people misinterpreted his past multi-coloured collections
He couldn’t find the perfect blue that he liked ... so he developed a new one and patented it.
For his 30th birthday, he essentially pranked 3,000 people at an art exhibition that showed nothing. It was literally an empty display case.
In short, Yves Klein was an innovative badass who didn’t follow the rules of what his work was supposed to be. He did what no one else at the time was doing. And that’s what I was (and still am) all about, too.
I paired that specific blue with some gorgeous neutrals like charcoal and the perfect pinky beige, plus a timeless but modern, thin weighted sans serif font because I love the high-end, editorial feel of it.
Nothing about this brand happened by accident and was deliberately chosen.
Photoshoot direction:
Next came the photoshoot. Now, I’ve planned and executed at least 3 of my own photoshoots and know what goes into it. This one was next level that included 8 hours of shooting, a professional model (the first time I included photos of anyone else other than me for my own brand), and multiple backdrops.
Early on I had the idea to actually paint the model the Yves Klein blue, and in my minds eye I could see the startled look on her face as I took the paintbrush and ran it down her face. I also wanted to dribble blue paint from out of frame down her bare back (insert a very artsy interpretation of laying yourself uncomfortably bare during the branding process).
Since this photoshoot included painting on the model, it had to be heavily organized with a shoot schedule that left lots of room at the end for a (big) mess to be made. Oh, and the model was sent home with a large garbage bag for her car seat so she didn’t permanently stain it.
I provided a PDF and overview video for both the photographer, makeup artist, and model to communicate the overall feel, poses, ideas, outfits, and makeup and hair looks.
I took a super old Mac laptop and old iPhone and spray painted them bright blue to use them as props during the photoshoot, and add some vibrant colour to the otherwise fairly neutral backdrops and outfits.
And yes, I made sure the owner of the space we rented for the photoshoot knew what we were doing for the shoot, was OK with us using latex paint, and I made sure the space was spotless when we were done — lest any bright blue paint be left behind on the brand new floors (despite out best effort to protect them).
Website design & development:
I worked with a professional copywriter on the web copy, which is always completed before the website design process.
Copy informs design, so there was already a framework for sections and the flow of information.
My job was taking the wealth of information and education about brand strategy and the web design process included in the copy, and making it not completely overwhelming for a busy business owner to read.
I included several drop down accordions that, when expanded, included deep dives into the web design process for those who wanted to learn more about it, along with answering commonly asked questions before they even reached out to me.
Why this brand doesn’t exist anymore:
Very shortly after launching Bell & Wether, I realized I had made a huge mistake.
Not like, “I don’t want to do this anymore”.
More like, “I have no time to market one brand, much less two ... what was I thinking?”.
I realized that I had used Bell & Wether as a crutch to prop up my confidence in calling myself a brand strategist or creative director. I didn’t feel like I had “earned” it, since I’ve never worked in a formal agency setting. I had also fallen for the common trope (in the web design world) that you’re not successful unless you scale and build a team.
I finally came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to manage a team and spend all day in meetings talking about projects. I actually wanted to do the creative, problem-solving work myself.
So here I am, standing in my newly found confidence not as any special (and frankly overused) label like “brand strategist” or “creative director”. I’m here as a partner for the entrepreneurs who know it’s time to delegate, but are looking for someone who will care about their business just as much as they do.
Let’s make it official
Like this project?
While I can’t promise the same results as the client above (uh, that would be unethical!), I won’t stop until I create a brand and website for you that’s capable of the same thing.
I partner with good people doing good work who a strong vision for their business — they just need a little help to make it happen digitally.
Take a gander at my services and download my pricing guide to get a sense of exactly how I can help you and how much it’s going to cost.