Let's Talk Design: A Q&A with Peanut Butter Creative

I know I'm not alone in this because I've had this conversation with other business owners as well.

Finding a good, responsive, creative, tech-savvy designer is better than chocolate (I almost said wine, but nothing is better than wine). And, as embarrassing as this is, I - yes, your favorite marketing consultant - did not have an official logo for A YEAR because I couldn't find the right designer.

Enter Peanut Butter Creative.

As someone who works in digital marketing and who has also been an event planner and promotions coordinator, it was important that my logo not only reflect my business, but be clear and readable for anything from digital graphics to t-shirts. So, I was thrilled when I communicated this to sisters Becca and Jenna at PBC and immediately received what I was looking for - at an affordable rate.

WINNING.

So, I asked if they would do a little design Q&A for me so that you could get to know them AND so that you might be inspired to step up your digital marketing game. Here's what they had to say.

Q. How and why did you start your design business?

We started PBC in January of 2016 after realizing we were both designing for fun and for free. Jenna was helping a friend with a logo and I was designing my friend's wedding materials and we had both worked on other projects for ourselves and for friends over the last year. We've always wanted to work together and spent our childhood babysitting together, going door-to-door selling handmade Christmas cards and selling toys out of our garage so realizing we could design for others together was just the ah-ha moment we'd be waiting for!

We are both self-trained designers - we were always the first to volunteer to create Powerpoints for group projects in school and the ones who spent an hour deciding on the right font pairings for reports. Once we each had access to the Adobe Creative Suite in our first jobs out of college (where we both studied Business Administration and Marketing), we learned and practiced as much as we could to become experts in the software.

Q. When you design a logo, you give the client a logo, a variation, and a submark. Why all three?

We feel the best brands have depth. It always makes us cringe when we see a logo skewed to fit into a small space or one with a white box around to get it to show up on a dark background. We want our clients to have a branding PACKAGE to choose from, so that they're able to pick the logo that fits best for each use. We feel we serve our clients best when we provide them with logo formats that help them look their most professional.

Q. What are three things you think are important for someone to consider when branding their business?

First, it's important that you think about what you want people to think of when they see your brand. Go with an idea that is truly you, not just "trendy". This will help you stand out from the crowd.

The second thing to consider is consistency. When you're first starting out (and honestly, always) keep your colors, fonts, and branding style consistent. This is another reason why we provide our clients with 3 versions of their logo - so they can use them where each fits best, but all still work with their branding as a whole and their brand will be easily recognizable.

Finally, you have to LOVE it. If you don't love your logo, your website, your business cards, etc. you aren't going to want to distribute them, which is the exact opposite of what you should be doing!

Q. What do you think makes up a dynamic home page? What gets people’s attention?

A dynamic home page includes a photo or video of your product, yourself or your business front, or something that represents your company. We tend to include less verbiage on the front page and let the design be the speaking point of your brand. If it's a clean and professional design, your clients and potential clients will associate you with your company being professional.

Q. Any projects you've enjoyed the most?

It's so hard to pick one project we've enjoyed most because all of our projects are SO different, which is the primary reason we love designing. The challenge of creating something based on a set of wishes or criteria someone provides and bringing their vision to life is what we truly enjoy most!