TROUBLEFISH
​From a quite disconnected freelance DBA to a cohesive and, later, trademarked (2017) designer toy and fine art brand. Troublefish® was refined with a unified brand experience and web presence from scratch. The new brand needed the versatility to grow child products.
Creative Director / Designer
the
PROJECT
Brand Development
Visual Design
Interface Design
Communications
Troublefish has been around, in some form, since 1999. In late 2014 I decided a complete rebrand was in order to reflect its new direction and to facilitate the trademark application. As creative director I was responsible for the design, from brand articulation to the physical merchandise developed under the mark.
my
ROLE
Responsibilities: Creative direction for a comprehensive brand experience, live web and mobile identity, roadmap strategy.
Adobe Photoshop CC
Adobe Illustrator CC
Adobe XD CC
Figma
Microsoft Office 365
a fresh
APPROACH
Established in Savannah, GA, anchored in marine biology and mused by the nostalgic simplicity of mid-century design. The new logo resonates with Troublefish's mission and target audience. I focused on an iconic mark, leveraged by clean and timeless typography set in a vibrant lavender.
mood
BOARD
brand
IDENTITY
I designed a brand identity that is elegant and approachable. I relied on custom hand lettering to convey a touch of mid-century modernism. The mature yet playful mark reflects the personal aspect that embodies Troublefish’s products and sets them apart from the competition. Additionally, the mark was designed for applications where the full logotype couldn't fit - social media avatars and app icons.
COLOR PALETTE
HEX# 793C66
RGB 121/60/102
HEX # 33262F
RGB 51/36/47
HEX # 000000
RGB 0/0/0
HEX # AA759B
RGB 170/117/155
HEX # 363636
RGB 54/54/54
HEX # FFFFFF
RGB 255/255/255
TYPOGRAPHY
Trebuchet MS Regular - Body Copy / Captions / Links
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
nopqrstuvwxyz
Trebuchet MS Bold - Hero headline / Page header / Section Subheader
0123456789
brand
COLLATERAL
Exclusive designer toys maximize the potential for brand expression. I made sure to cover every detail in designing customer touch points ingraining Troublefish's brand through a cohesive visual identity and some creative storytelling. Collateral included business cards, promotional vintage product posters, stationary, custom postcards and stickers, wooden drink coasters and silver cuff-links.
interactive
DESIGN
It was important to let the work speak for itself. Through great storytelling, compelling imagery and clear content, the products and industry knowledge would take center-stage. A simple, linear website, utilizing ample white space, provided a very unobtrusive setting.
​
I did not want to build a complex e-commerce site that few would use. The new site would carry the simplicity of the Troublefish brand while building on the stories behind its unique products.
Check out the mobile version
brand
SITE
I decided for minimalism in designing the site structure, to emphasize the branded journey and allow the customer to explore the products. While the look and feel of the web shell stayed consistent to the guidelines of the Troublefish brand, each subpage drew from key elements of its respective product, directing the customer ultimately towards that specific product.
