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A previous client was in need of brand and product photos so I jumped at the opportunity to make a connection with a photographer whose style I had already fallen head over heels in love with online — Bernadette Uzcategui, the owner of Blueprint Society. Our work together on that initial project led to this specific collaboration: a much needed brand redesign to evolve her previous efforts at DIY into something beautiful, elegant, and more accurately reflective of her work and personal aesthetic. 

Bernadette was already an experienced photographer and business owner when we met, having run a family and lifestyle photography business for many years. But after taking a break and realizing she wanted to get back into the game, she found her true calling in crafting photographic stories for businesses and other brands. In order to capitalize on the momentum and energy driving this new venture, she turned to easy solutions like out of the box Wordpress templates and DIY branding to give her business a semi-cohesive look as she focused more on producing work. But like most business owners eventually realize, what worked in the beginning won’t work forever. The look of her brand was quickly becoming disconnected from the quality of her work nor did it distinguish her in a sea of other photographers and brand stylists. It was time to take a dose of her own medicine and find a professional who could create something completely and uniquely Blueprint Society.

This was such a joyful collaboration between myself and Bernadette. It helped that we were already in sync on a visual aesthetic level. Now it was just a matter of helping her figure out how to bring everything together in a timeless, complete package.

I felt like I had a very confident handle on what direction the brand design needed to move in, especially after digging into her responses to my homework questions and my own conversations with her during the discovery process. There was a lot of back and forth on how to reconcile her love for certain on-trend elements (calligraphy and watercolor) while trying to find an interpretation of it that wouldn't feel dated in a year or two, when people inevitably move on to the next trendy thing. We got pretty close on the first pass but needed just a few more rounds to really key in on finalizing the subtle, elegant details that felt like the right, final fit for the redesign.

The final branding for Blueprint Society came together in a wonderful way - rich, warm, and elegantly considered, much like her photography and styling work. By providing a full range of brand elements, including icons, textures, and patterns, she would have so many intricate details at her disposal - much like she does in her photo styling work - that she could use to thoughtfully compose new designs for her brand with or without outside help. She quickly turned these into stamps, labels, and even laser engraved them onto client gift boxes!

As another special touch for this project, I was able to commission a custom brand illustration by Bailey Sullivan — a fun piece of work that really sums up what Bernadette does as a photographer and stylist, and as an added bonus, we were able to break out different details from the illustration to utilize as custom icons! These elements have found their way into various pieces of marketing collateral for potential clients.

Did you have any concerns about hiring a designer? How did those concerns stack up with the reality?

My main concern was feeling so 'scattered' with what I was looking to achieve in my branding pieces. Not only did Phyllis unify my ideas to reflect what I truly wanted my brand to look like, but she was able to steer me away from cliched trends and help me achieve the classic, warm, and luxe look that I know will last for years to come.

Any final thoughts on the results of this branding process?

I absolutely will (and have!) I say that Phyllis is remarkably skilled at pulling together a gorgeous brand and TRULY listens to what the client wants while providing guidance and clarity where needed. She is patient and a gem to work with, and I am SO thrilled with our results!