The Course for Brides / Wedding & Family Photographer

Poly Studio, Graphic Designers: A Review

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Sweetheart Empire is brand new. I had the immense pleasure of working with an incredible design team, artists Jamie Lawson and Marlon Lulgjuraj of Poly Studio to create the visual identity for my brand and logo. Here are some excerpts from my personal journal, taken down after two of our calls - early on and then at the end of the project:

Wedding Photographers Logo Design
Wedding Photographers Logo Design

FEB 6, 2013 I just received my round 1 designs from Poly, and HAD to write, because I am so excited!

Round 1 consists of several initial designs based on conversations, written input, and visual references.

What to say? I don’t know which one I am going to choose for the direction – they are all soooo sweet! I really feel that Jamie and Marlon hear me, and my ideas... Considering the numerous and seemingly scattered ideas I have run through (ranging from sadly vague, to obsessively specific), it is amazing to see what the guys have come up with.

MAR 1, 2013 Just got off another Skype call with Jamie.

I can’t say enough about how freaking great the process has been.

When I feel I’ve been super random, or way too specific about things that I don’t even know are possible, Jamie is patient, open minded and understanding. And his understanding extends completely into the professional realm. He hears my half-formed thoughts and translates them to solid references in design. He has a breadth and depth of creativity and visual literacy that includes a knowledge of topics spanning history, fine art and pop culture - and probably a lot more...

I am just SO happy!

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So, besides the fact that I actually write in a personal journal (#nerdalert), clearly I had a positive experience. When there were challenges, Jamie helped me articulate what I didn't want, and we found a solution. What's more, the process really helped me discover myself and define the kind of business I want in my life.

Your logo is the visual representation of your name and what you stand for. Important, right? Yes. Everybody: use Poly Studio.

Here's a taste of what Poly had to work with for my reference material randomness:

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Genius Wes Anderson. I love his quirky characters, fantastical story lines, and eye for artistic detail; the flawed nature of love, family, humans.

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Above: from my travels in Ashland Oregon, and Karow - a caravan park on the outskirts of Berlin. Below: a million of my Instagrams.

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As I love to travel, I'm also obsessed with maps. My fantasy is to go on a Trufflepig Trip - that's a screenshot of their homepage, below left.

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Movie posters and travel pics and Instagrams, oh my! If you've ever created a mood board for a project (or wedding) how was the process? Would you ever hire a professional graphic designer? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!