Skybox Creative Blog

When Applied Fiber, the world’s leading provider of terminated fiber tension systems, noticed Skybox Creative’s online portfolio, they knew they’d found a fit for the re-branding and web design they’d been looking for. San Diego-based Skybox began work on the rebrand in April, 2011.

The client was looking to develop a more modern, masculine look. New products and growth in the Florida-based company prompted them to reconsider the message they were sending with their old color palette – soft blue, light gray and a thin font.

Applied Fiber Logo - Before + After

Skybox jumped in to give the company the look and feel they aspired to. Keeping the icon on the left of the logo was important to Applied Fiber — it’s the universal symbol for fiber. But we identified darker tones of blue and gray to give the design a more modern feel. The darker shades really hit on the growing company’s maturation and expanding business. It also adds gravity, masculinity and sophistication to the look and feel of the brand. We also designed new typography for the brand. Slightly thicker, it has a more substantial feel and really fits an established company that is growing its brand along with its business.

For the website design, multiple layout, design and color options were explored. A few of the initial design comps are shown below.

Web Design Study - Multiple design directions and color options were explored.

Web Design Study - Multiple design directions and color options were explored.

For the final website design, the client chose a simple, clean design direction focusing on the products and expertise.

Applied Fiber Final Web Design

Part of delivering that sleek, modern feel, too, was simplifying the design. Each web page now features simple, clean design and easy-to-navigate web pages. The photography we chose is sleek and the close-up product shots foreground the technology without losing the visual appeal.

Our design choices were in-step with the company’s goals for growth and their forward-looking philosophy. For Applied Fiber, reaching out to a San Diego-based company for rebranding and redesign turned out to be a good move – and we’re proud to be working with them!

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

It’s hard to imagine that brands like Apple, IBM, or Coca-Cola haven’t always sported the iconic logos that we’ve grown up with. But their branding – like everyone’s – has evolved with the times.

Apple

Any discussion about branding has to include Apple. The software, consumer electronics and computer giant wrote the book on marketing starting with their iconic 1984 commercial that shattered preconceptions about computers from San Diego to Seoul. But their first logo was a far cry from the simple silhouette it’s been promoting since the late 90s.  An illustration of Newton under the apple tree captures the breakthrough nature of their first computer, but doesn’t speak to the sleek design that the company has now become known for. Notice the move toward simplification as their consumer electronics brands – iPods and iPads – became their top sellers.

IBM

The evolution of IBM’s brand also traces the shifts in the company’s business focus. Originally named “The International Time Recording Company”, the company anchored its first logo with a centered capital “T” that emphasized its focus on a cutting-edge time recording machine. By 1924, after merging with the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, the company adopted the name International Business Machines – IBM – and changed its logo to reflect its global reach. In the 1970s, looking to emphasize speed, the company adopted a striped logo, which has remained synonymous with the brand ever since.

Coca-Cola

One of the world’s most recognizable brands, Coca-Cola and its red and white is famous from the beaches of San Diego to the markets of Singapore. That white script is immediately familiar – whether in English or Arabic – but did you know that the original look was typeface? Once the company struck on the turn-of-the-century script look, though, they stuck with it. Except for a moment in the 80s, Coca-Cola has been the name in cursive writing. Notice the Pepsi logo began as script, too!

Now, as you think about your logo development, how do you want to be branded?

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Brand Consultancy with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825.

Part Brand Development, part “Product Evolution”, Skybox Creative gets hands on with Vigor Systems Inc. to help create their new product line: Advertio™. From naming to logo development, product design, packaging design, vendor coordination and more, Skybox Creative assisted in the making the product launch a reality.

A pre-NAB celebration at Vigor Systems Inc. allowed the team to revel our combined hard work. The team even had an Advertio™ cake made to have a little fun! Our client is attending NAB Las Vegas this week to roll out the new products to potential clients.

Vigor Systems Inc. currently provides custom video solutions for clients such as Warner Bros., CBS and Ascent Media, just to name a few.

For more information on Skybox Creative’s services, such as Brand Development, Product Evolution, Custom Web Development and more, please email us at info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619-381-3825.

In the Fall of 2010, an associate from Canyon Crest Academy approached Skybox Creative to donate a logo design for their school’s burgeoning new business, The Nest, an on-campus café. Canyon Crest Academy, a non-profit organization, was hoping to find the right creative fit and a company who believed in their mission to help build a safe and comfortable atmosphere where teens and faculty can come together to enjoy coffee and healthy food without ever having to leave campus. The Nest is the first student run café in the San Dieguito Union High School District.

Although the logo development process is an extremely meticulous and time consuming collaboration of planning and design, Skybox believes in giving back when the opportunity presents itself and we were excited to provide our services to The Nest and CCA.

Demographics: Their target market is students ages 14+ and teachers ages 25+ that buy school food and/or go off campus to buy lunch, and people that would like to purchase coffee any time of day.

Marketing Strategies: Their marketing strategies include but are not limited to announcements and bulletins to have more of the student body aware of the new café, a website where we they blog about new items or deals in the café, and merchandise, mugs, etc. that are available for purchase in the café.

Look and Feel: The Nest wanted their coffee shop to be seen as innovative, friendly, comfortable, and a place that provides quality food and services.

To come up with the right logo direction that fulfilled both their vision and an appropriate, lasting representation of The Nest, Skybox Creative explored multiple color palettes and graphic styles that were fresh, modern and playful for the youthful demographic.

Several font options were considered from fun and bouncy to more simple and classic.

We decided to omit the bird on the final version and kept the logo simple. Drawing on the name, we blended a coffee cup into the nest image. We used earth tones and added leaves to the nest to subtly convey an eco-friendly vibe. The final font has a youthful energy with curvy lines and twists, yet is still very classic and professional.

There are two versions of the final logo. One on a deep brown background and one that can be used on white.

The Nest was extremely pleased with the end result, and is planning for branded signage and T-shirts in 2011. For more information about Skybox Creative, or to view our portfolio, please visit www.skyboxcreative.com

Check out how large and small companies are reinventing their brand image at http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/

This site is a great resource for learning about what some of the corporate mega companies are doing to modernize, elevate and sustain branding supremacy.

To find out more about building a brand for your company, contact info@skyboxcreative.com or call 619.381.3825

Skybox Creative is an award-winning web design and branding firm in San Diego. Specializing in all things graphic design, Skybox works hand-in-hand with companies to create lasting, clean and distinctive imagery for your company in the medium of web, print, email, trade show + more.