What inspired you to work with Seattle Chocolate?
I felt really good about this Northwest company, one whose products I knew and had a lot of respect for. It was obvious to me that the brand had outgrown by leaps and bounds the identity that was originally developed for them and I felt I could be of service and help move the brand forward. I reached out, we met, the timing was right, and it was a good match. I knew I would enjoy working with Seattle Chocolate, and I did.
What was your inspiration for reimagining the Seattle Chocolate logo?
It was more a path of discovery than an inspiration. We needed to create a system to put in place, one that was a growth of what they already had. The logo had to be respectful of change and future evolution. It had to support and sit well with a lot of different illustrators and not conflict with their different styles of work. I wanted to bring some equity along, so the new letterforms are derivatives of the original logo, and we developed a trapezoid-type shape to make it feel more contemporary. We went through a lot of explorations, I did a huge amount of handwork, and Jean and Kirsty were a big part of the creative process, which made it really fun.
What was the most exciting part of the project?
The joy comes from two areas—the process and results. The process involves partnerships with other people, in this case, Jean, Kirsty and the other team members, and so this process was really fun and enjoyable! But the most inspiring part for me was after my role was done, to just step aside and watch the brand keep flourishing and growing. To see it on the shelves and watch the system we put in place grow; to watch new illustrators step in and see the brand continue to develop. The curve of growth for Seattle Chocolate has only been upward! The fact that this team is made of creative thinkers and they know how to make the brand grow has been enjoyable for me to watch.
Favorite Seattle Chocolate bar?
I definitely lean toward dark chocolate. If I had to pick a favorite, it’s the Mexican Dark Chocolate. That little kick of spice is wonderful.