One Year of Abby Leighton Design Studio: My Favorite Branding Projects So Far
Phew! I can’t believe my business has been around for one year already… time flew by! I have been so in love with running my own branding business and building a successful independent studio from the ground up. I’ve learned a lot of different things and worked with so many amazing clients in the past year. In this post, I wanted to reflect back and share my top five favorite projects since May of 2021, and why I enjoyed them so much!
Pony Up Coffee Co.
This branding project was A DREAM. Seriously. From the moment I got the inquiry I was so stoked! Pony Up Coffee Co. is a woman-owned small batch coffee roaster located in Phoenix, AZ. They were also the first zero-emissions roaster in the Phoenix area. How amazing is that?! Not only did I fall in love with their commitment to sustainability, but also the visual direction of their brand. They wanted a western desert cowgirl-themed brand. 😍
If you know me, businesses with that modern western vibe are literally my favorite to design! I love the iconography, imagery, and mood it conveys. She wasn’t afraid of having it feel more playful with our typography and color choices too. It was one of those projects where we were just on the exact same page about everything and there were zero revisions. I’m obsessed with how this branding came out and it’s my favorite project to date! I would seriously jump on a project in a heartbeat if it was anything like this one!
2. Prize Rabbit Cooking Co.
Prize Rabbit Cooking Co. has a special place in my heart because it was my first “real” branding project being a full-time brand designer. Prize Rabbit Cooking Co. is a private chef and catering business located in Joshua Tree, CA. He really wanted a clean yet hand-drawn desert feel with a bit of sophistication to match his services. I think we really nailed the creative direction and I just loved creating the illustrated rabbit pattern for his brand!
I love the cool green tones contrasted with the vintage red, and the light & airy feel of everything. Given that this was my first big branding project after I had significantly increased my rates after I realized I needed a salary I could live off of, I really wanted to give this project my all and I’m just so pleased with the final result!
3. Cowboy Churro
Yeeeeehaw! Cowboy Churro is probably one of my favorite branding projects to date. They are a churro & ice cream truck that will be opening in Pioneertown, CA in the future. For this brand, they wanted to combing the old western look with that retro 1950’s diner aesthetic. I think we nailed it! I had a blast designing the cowboy churro character in that 50’s cartoon look. We gave him spurs and chaps and a ten-gallon hat which really emphasized his personality.
I freaking love how this project came out and I hope to do more like this one in the future! Cowboy Churro has yet to launch, but I can’t wait until it does!
4. Javy Coffee
Javy Coffee approached me to re-design their company. Of course I said YES because I had heard of them before and this was my first real semi-big brand that wanted to work with me! I was super excited about this project and the direction they wanted to head in. They wanted a modern yet retro vibe with simple shapes and bold colors. Kind of like a mid-century-modern look brought into the 21st century. I love it!!! For Javy, I created a completely custom logotype that I came up with after many many rounds of sketches and referencing the best elements from several different fonts I wanted to reference. The result was a super unique, modern, vintage typeface that I’m obsessed with. The label design was also minimal, yet light & bold to reflect their fun personality.
I LOVED this project, but unfortunately Javy decided to head in a different direction with their branding so this work is left unused. But I would take on a project like this again in a SPLIT second.
5. Coyote Crafted
Coyote Crafted is the business run by my friend here in Moab. She creates these stunning pieces of jewelry and when she came to me to help her with branding, I just knew this would be a special project! We went for a really desert-earthy vibe with a coyote as her main symbol. We wanted to keep the branding minimal yet hand-drawn, and very natural feeling. I think we really came up with a beautiful brand that compliments her jewelry perfectly and it has really helped her grow her business.
To wrap up this post, I just wanted to say thank you to all my amazing clients who believe in me and want to work with me. You’re the reason why I get to do what I do, and express myself and my style in all these different ways. If you are reading this post and want to work with me, you can fill out my inquiry form using the button below and we can chat real soon!
