Designer: Kathie Alexander
Heather Shelby, founder of Heather
Shelby Design, didn’t have much time
to think about the identity of her
design firm. Because she bagged her
first client before she had officially
started her business, she was forced to design her
logo, business cards, and stationery hastily.
“I hate the business cards, even though they are
four-color and glossy,” Shelby says. “I think they look
cheesy and cheap. The whole system doesn’t really
have any graphic style.” Which is quite an issue, considering
Heather Shelby Design has grown into a
successful firm focusing on print and web. DG art
director Kathie Alexander agrees. “The current identity
doesn’t reflect that Heather Shelby Design is a
forward-thinking design agency. It’s outdated and a
bit dull.”
Alexander updated Shelby’s logo with an elegant,
encircled h in Agfa Waddy 124. The light pink
color was chosen to add some femininity—but it’s
classy enough that male employees of Heather Shelby
Design will be able to maintain their masculinity. “I
work with a lot of men, and my work is not focused
in any one industry,” Shelby explains. “Plus, I don’t
want male employees to have to hand out a card
that’s too girly—they may not appreciate that!”
When Shelby defined her vision of the perfect
identity system, she mentioned an article in DG’s
Feb/March 2005 issue (V10N1), “Lo-Fi Graphics.”
“I love anything hand-assembled and made with
nontraditional materials,” she notes. “Anything to get
me away from the computer for a while!” With this
in mind, Alexander suggests that instead of printing
the redesigned logo on stationery, Shelby could have
a stamp made. It would give her letterhead a more
personal touch and also save on printing costs. An
added benefit to a stamp is that Shelby can change
the color of her logo as she pleases.
Alexander chose an elegant palette of pink, mint
green, and chocolate brown for the identity system.
She chose fun patterns for the stationery and cards,
and suggests translucent envelopes to let the brand
show through and leave a lasting impression.
