about the project

highlighting the handmade: integrating a handcrafted aesthetic in the visual identity design for an artisan business

my project concept & design challenge is this: a design & marketing scenario where a small, maker-based business needs to level up their brand identity and create a sophisticated website at a moment of expansion of their business, from a simple goods to a multi-purpose event & culinary space.

my design work will be to create design that integrates artisan, handmade aesthetics into these digitally produced elements.

meet the "client": chive blossom creamery & farm

chive blossom creamery & farm is an imagined goat cheese business & event space located in southwestern wisconsin

this artisan business began as a small batch artisan goat cheese producer - and is expanding to become an event venue & rural community space destination in an urban-adjecent location. the imagined property would include a renovated barn event space, surrounding patio & garden grounds, secondary barns with goats, and creamery & culinary facility attached to the barn event space. a small market & cafe combination space would be an outlet for creamery products as well as other artisan products from collaborators and partners in the local area, and the cafe itself would offer a la carte food & beverages and a gathering spot for visitors and event participants.

the main barn event space would allow for a natural division of space to accommodate different types of community classes and events like arts & crafts, yoga & wellness, and smaller scale custom social gatherings. the culinary facility provides a farm-to-table experiences for private events, as well as food & beverage service for the market-cafe, and a space for cooking classes.

the location for a business like this would likely need to be near a larger urban area in order to be successful, because it would need to tap into larger markets for the event venue and community events side of the business.

the "why"

it kind of started as a joke, over dinner and drinks - my husband and I could just quit our jobs in the hospitality industry, buy a farm and start a little boutique goat cheese business - so we could be our own bosses, live our lives in better balance with nature and with a better day to day harmony. it's a very idealistic, fanciful dream, an escape from the rat race. my husband is a chef and director of operations, i work in graphic design and marketing, and someday we'd like to bring those skills to an entrepreneurial venture like an artisan, hobby farm based business. neither of us has ever worked on a farm or with goats, but still - the idea appeals to our shared desire to integrate life, work, nature, craft & connection to community.

i also chose this project to create an opportunity to design in an aesthetically centered way - the idea of supporting small makers & artisans is appealing to me because i believe in the positive power of art and creativity, and i would love to design for this type of client who is putting their creativity, passion & expert artisan skills out into our world, contributing their craft to vibrant local economies & communities.

by creating a visual identity that highlights the handcrafted, this business can best communicate their unique & artisan offerings in a way that genuinely resonates with authenticity to their communities of customers & supporters - consumers that are actively looking to support and engage with smaller makers & artisans. this design strategy is deliberately “non-standard” to celebrate & showcase the idiosyncratic human touch.

this is a great project for me to continue work on themes that i've touched on throughout this program: the process & results of craft, an artisan & handmade approach to digital design, and bringing the handmade into view to communicate craftsperson-ship, human centered commerce (thank you etsy for the phrase), and creativity.