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Documenting A Day Of Braid
February 16, 2012 Tara

Wonder what Kathleen and I do all day? Well, apparently we eat arugula-topped pizza, talk with our mouths full, peer around cat tails in our face while pinning images to brand inspiration boards, type a lot, draw giant circles on chalkboards, look very expert as we spread out our full-color methodology on our distressed (okay, faux-distressed) barnwood table desks, and sometimes stand in stripey swatches of light that look almost like our logo (ooh, subliminal branding) slash across our “it’s business time” faces. Whew! You can twist your way through that hell of a run-on sentence, or you can just watch the video by Rory Gordon.

Tara Kathleen Work Day


Braid House

Rory Gordon, a west coast photographer who specializes in small business photo essays, created this mini-documentary of a day in the life of Braid.  She does this for other small businesses too, even the ones that don’t (gasp!) like photographing themselves or blogging about what they’re doing all the time. Rory actually makes them look good sharing their daily behind-the-scenes routine, their bigger picture purpose, and their small business culture.

Our filming happened to take place on the day our above mentioned (maybe faux-distressed) wood table desks arrived. The three workboot and hoodie clad delivery guys were only momentarily taken aback by the photo shoot happening in this unsuspecting 1920’s house full of laughing, drawing, eating, cat wrangling – and then they just got to work.

‘Cause this house is where Braid lives.

Photo and video by Rory Gordon.

Braid At Work & Play, Methodology, Video
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Sign Your Niche Across My Heart
February 09, 2012 Tara

Plucky, sparky, smarties.  It’s kind of the defining characteristic of some of the small business and self-starters that capture our heart.  We want you to meet one of our favorites, Allison Barta Bailey. Why? Well, the smarty plucky part, yeah. But mostly, we just love uncovering and shaping brands for people who know their niche and aren’t afraid to stick to it.

Allison works exclusively with local retail shops and districts. She’s a creative professional who is all about the element of independence. Oh, and Allison has opinions. So when defining Allison Barta Bailey’s signature mark, literally came down to capturing her very own signature, were we surprised? She may have been. But when we tried to act casual asking her to sign her name with one of my always handy Sharpies on a page spontaneously ripped out of Kathleen’s notebook (you know, like a handwriting audition), we knew it it was going to be the defining element of her new brand.

Allison is an expert on these local shop districts, about the community they should foster, and what real estate developers should be doing to make them come alive and thrive. And when it comes down to the individual shop owner, her opinions only get even more laser focused. She wants them to stop looking at the economy, stop looking at the competition and remember what makes them unique – their niche. Yes, a girl after our own heart, we told you.

So she helps these shop owners stop looking over their shoulder or getting distracted by the daily duties that are spreading them thin, so they can instead cultivate (and stick to) their shop philosophy.  

Allison Barta Bailey Inspiration


Allison Barta Bailey Logo Brand and Guidelines

Allison Barta Bailey Brand Messaging

Allison Barta Bailey Brand Story

Shop philosophy! That really struck a chord with us when it came up in our Braid Method findings with Allison.  And she’d only been using it in casual conversation, if at all, with clients and clients-to-be in the past. We were about to change that. We also drew inspiration from her love of the mercantile spirit, of main streets and modern pops of color, and her strong beliefs that a shop owner’s gotta know themselves and make their mark.  
Allison Barta Bailey Collaterals
Fun side note, we proposed Allison change out her signature logo to the Pantone Color of The Year when it’s announced each year. This year it’s Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango.

Allison Barta Bailey Web
We’ve since helped her uncover her own small business philosophy, including a new logo and brand story that she could adapt to her sales materials, website and personal brand.  And like a true signature – she’s stickin’ to it.

So, tell us. What's your niche?

Client Work, Methodology
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What Branding Twists Will The New Year Bring?
December 29, 2011 Tara

For us, the last three months of this quickly ending year started with building Braid. There was the name. The logo (which Charlie redrew here... he also built us a virtual blocky office, complete with two desks, and a gigantic outdoor statue-sign in his Minecraft world on the computer). There were chalkboard photo shoots and brand adventures.  Refining our methodology. We knew weaving authentic brands was our best talent.  Following a set process was how we’d hold ourselves accountable, and really make our clients part of the journey.  

But a brightly colored thread that kept weaving in and out – like a startling string of magenta that you didn’t expect to like until you saw it next to the other colors – was how our logical method kept attracting other creative professionals (especially ones that are finally steeling their courage to strike out on their own).

Turns out, our brand methodology actually helps them clarify their own vision, too. We don’t even get to the brand execution part. It’s all about the process and journey. Figuring out their past strengths, future visions, and a realistic overlap where they need to focus in the present (as in stop coming up with more sparkly shiny ideas and execute one!)  

So what’s our plan for the first three months of 2012? Personal branding is a topic that we feel pretty passionate about, and from artists to corporate CEOs to our Coney Island sideshow performing brother, it just keeps popping up all over the place.

Sigh. We can plan and process and plot all we like. But there will certainly be more than a few surprising twists and turns in store. What color thread will emerge? Perhaps vermilion.

What branding topic do you think will be on everyone’s mind in the new year?

Braid At Work & Play, Methodology
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