Your Holy Grail? A successful brand in a competitive market. For such a fight you need a keen lance and a strong shield. You need a champion. A Lancelot to your Arthur, ready to slay dragons and conquer any challenge.
I'm a seasoned veteran of many campaigns, battle-hardened and wily. I work with my clients to build bold and strategic brands. My weapons are insight, creativity and experience. Should you have need, I’m ready to serve.
Brands meant to endure and prevail. I pour in molten meaning and context, and hammer out impurities. Then I polish them to a sharp edge. And at last, out of the crucible, emerges a brand destined to succeed.
If you’d like to know what I can do for you, just call me at 513.377.7000 or email me at doug@dougbest.design for a free 30 minute consultation about your brand and your needs. Adventure awaits!
Along with his 34 years of diverse experience, Doug brings to the table a deep commitment to creative excellence and an unwavering passion for design. He possesses a very comprehensive skill set that empowers him to tackle every aspect of brand development, from logo design to illustrations, and from tagline development to package design. With his seasoned and expert judgment, Doug becomes more than just a resource – he is a collaborative and trusted partner.
Paloma is cafe and roastery in Brooklyn, New York. It’s a labor of love for the husband and wife team behind it all. They wanted to share their passion for the finest beans and coffees. They named their venture after their daughter, Paloma, which means "dove" in Spanish.
I began the project by getting a clear understanding of the client’s vision. Then I researched the category, looking for context and inspiration, to see what was working and what wasn’t.
Next, I began ideation and exploration, sharing ideas with the client. We quickly landed on an approach - an illustrated dove paired with a custom type treatment. Additional illustrations in an engraving style were also created. The result was evocative of a vintage cafe, communicating hand-crafted quality.
People drink tea for the experience, not the nutrition, right? You want vitamins or protein, get something else. Entrepreneur Julie Lee wanted to change that. She saw the opportunity to take a family recipe for Moringa tea and make a disruptive brand.
The leaves of the Moringa tree are a superfood, full of vitamins and nutrients. I developed the tagline "Expect Mori From Your Tea" to express that Mori Leaf was no ordinary tea.
Indian elephants love Moringa leaves, hence the brand mascot, which pairs with an organic and simple type treatment. Eclectic typography and playful illustrations rounded out the expressive brand.
This family-owned startup distillery were proud Minnesotans, and wanted their brand to celebrate this. We settled on the state bird, the Common Loon, accompanied by the tagline "The Spirits of the North".
Several variants of the logo were developed, including a monogram, and 5 brand illustrations were created to deliver key messaging.
A metallic copper substrate was chosen for the labels, creating a rich and unique appearance.
The CBD category is chock full of startups with wacky branding. This client didn't want to disappoint, but they wanted substance, too. We landed on the brand name "Herbs of Eden", and let the Garden of Eden references flow.
The brand has a wordmark logo but no icon. Instead, there are a family of shapes inspired by Matisse's paper cutout collages, with one representing The Leaf, another Eve, and another The Apple.
The tongue-in-cheek tagline "paradise awaits you" is accompanied by the claim "sinfully good".
Our earliest written evidence for 'freelance' comes from Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, in which a lord refers to his paid army of 'free lance' knights. When freelance first came into English in the early 1800s, it was used to refer to an individual who would work for whichever business or person paid them.
Whatever your needs, whatever your questions, please drop me a line and let's see how we can work together.