The Story Behind the Brand
The new branding assets for Chelsea Evans Interiors was created by the fabulous Jayme Ditto. This blog post explores the behind-the-scenes that went into this new branding.
Jayme, thank you so much for joining me in this chat about my new branding for Chelsea Evans Interiors, but most of all, thank you for your amazing work! I’m inspired by your creativity and the process we followed to get to the final product. Working with you has helped me see different ways in which I can get to the heart of what my clients truly want, and I’m taking so much of this experience with me into my own business. I’d love to share the behind-the-scenes of how this new brand came to be with others.
As two female small business owners in creative fields during a time when AI is exploding, I think it’s so important to share the humanity behind our work!
the interview
Chelsea: I figured we could start with some of the initial questions you asked me in the early stages of our chats before you started drafting my brand assets. What are some things you asked me early on that helped guide our conversations and your creative process?
Jayme: I think it’s always important to dig in about a brand, their story, hopes, dreams and goals, and learn about their target market. I typically send out a set of questions tailored to my client, with questions like…
If you were to describe your brand to a stranger in one sentence, what would you say?
Chelsea: The questionnaire was super helpful to me, both in communicating what I wanted for my brand, and also helped me think through my own questionnaire for starting with new interior design clients.
To answer your first question, I said Chelsea Evans Interiors is interior design with a conscious, creating mindful environments and giving back to our local community. More than just looking beautiful, your home should give back to you and serve you well.
Jayme: I love the idea of your home being in service to you, and beyond it being functional, it can also be beautiful. What five words would you use to describe your brand?
Chelsea: The five words shared were Sustainable, Flexible, Personal, Laid Back, and Fun.
Jayme: This got my wheels turning on how your mark might work on various applications, and also helped me start to circle around some color ideas.
What are your core values that you carry into your brand?
Chelsea: While I don’t have “official” core values (Maybe I should work on that?), some key tenets for my business are:
Your home should tell your unique story and be a reflection of you specifically.
Interior design is an investment, but it doesn’t have to be only for wealthy people, and it doesn’t have to be showy to be good design.
Sustainability is key - shopping second hand, supporting local, buying quality pieces that last, and not chasing trends.
Jayme: My favorite homes are the ones that are collected and have stories. Several years ago, I helped design a friend’s home, and she taught me so much about bringing things into her home with intention. Not only did everything need to function, it needed to have an energy that matched the room and herself, or it didn’t come through the door. I wish more people designed with that in mind because it helps their home feel more like them – their “unique story,” as you say.
You mentioned that you are flexible, and I think that hits back here as a value when we talk about investment. I know you have varying tiers of service, and this makes it easier to hire you because you can work within a range of budgets.
What these values – and answers to the questionnaire – were starting to tell me is that not only do you enjoy designing meaningful spaces, but you also find joy in educating your clients as you go along. I think this helps them have more pride in the new space and gives them something to brag about when they talk about it with their friends and family ;)
What emotional response do you hope to evoke from clients and potential clients with your look and feel?
Chelsea: While interior design services are considered a luxury service, I do want to always make sure there’s an approachable option budget-wise, because I believe everyone deserves a home that reflects their lifestyle and personality. I will always have a budget-friendly option for people who are looking for help with their home, but can’t afford a full design. Whether that’s through ongoing design education tips shared through my Instagram (free) or it’s a service I currently offer, one-on-one design consultations, it’s important to me to offer an approachable option.
The emotional response I hope to evoke - welcome, accepted, peaceful, playful, inspired. A few years back, I was chatting with some colleagues about what hospitality meant to us. One of my previous coworkers said the ultimate compliment is if someone takes a nap in her home. That means they feel totally comfortable in her space, and it shows she’s done a good job of making people feel at home. I hope my clients feel that sense of hospitality from me as a person, even though it’s their home I’m being invited into. That’s not to say I’d like them to fall asleep when I come over, but you know what I mean. They can come as they are, and I can promise the same.
Jayme: Haha, I remember when you told me you hadn’t tidied up before I came over, and that should be a compliment because we’ve reached that level of comfort with each other. I think about that all the time! And it quiets the voice in my head that says I should apologize for my house being lived in!
How do you want them to feel after you have worked with them?
Chelsea: I tend to want my house to be neat and tidy the first time someone comes over, and then after that, you’re going to see how we actually live. Ha! There are dishes in the sink, and games left on the dining room table. Laundry is most definitely piled somewhere. We live here, people!
I hope my clients feel: Supported, Educated, Comfortable, Heard. I hope they feel like I listened well. I hope they learned something along the way. I also hope they feel as though I pushed them out of their comfort zone, and that was a positive experience. I love it when a client lifts their eyebrow initially at an idea, but in the end, it’s their favorite part of the space.
Jayme: Do you have a preferred color palette, colors you know want to use or colors you want to avoid? How would you describe your brand’s visual style?
Chelsea: Mustard yellow, dark teal, and olive green have always been at the top of my favorites list. My favorite colors are ones that keep you guessing. Is it brown? Is it yellow? Is it green? Can’t tell!
Jayme: This response was on repeat in my brain. Favorite response to this question, ever. I know those browns and greens well and was happy to hear someone identifies with them. Makes you sound a little mysterious, but also sophisticated, because you know how to use these colors that most people don’t know what to do with!
Chelsea: I like the idea of being mysterious! I don’t think I am, though. I feel like people can probably tell exactly what I’m thinking based on my facial expressions and my general lack of a filter. Oops!
I’d love to show what you created based on my responses! Will you share the initial presentation?
Jayme: Sure! Let’s start with the moodboards. There were so many meaningful things to consider when working on this project, from sustainability to emotional responses you hope to provoke from your clients or potential clients. And because we are also friends, I had a lot to pull from - how I know you to be, how you make people feel in your space, your hobbies, etc.
Here are the two concepts we looked at in our first round presentation.
After a bit of discussion, you went with option 01, which had more traditional elements in it, but still felt contemporary and was also a direction that you felt had more longevity, style-wise.
Both directions were really fun, but the top one reminded me of your actual home and to me, it felt like a good choice.
Chelsea: I totally agree. I loved both options so much, but you had me at marbling and vintage tile-inspired borders. After we chose the moodboard, you started to work on designing my specific branding elements. Will you share some of your favorite items that you made for me, and any little tidbits of information you want to touch on?
Jayme: It’s hard to pick children! But if I had to, I’d say probably the logo mark because it was so versatile. I also liked how it worked in a pattern.
This mark is simple, bold, feminine, with a little retro flair. It’s a flower when it’s upright and has a surprise of a monogram when turned on its side.
Chelsea: I am so in love with all the pieces you designed for me. I love the way my logo mark turns on its side to be my initials, I love the marble and tile-inspired details, and I love how nerdy you are about font (you call it typeface or something, but anyway, it’s cute). Thank you again for everything you put into making my branding come to life. I’m truly grateful and proud to show it off! I can’t stop there - I want to show more of what you created. Here’s a gallery of some of the brand assets you created for me!
Chelsea: Okay… My turn to ask you questions!! First off, you’re so good at so many things. Obviously, graphic design, hence me asking you to do my branding. You’re also an illustrator, a portrait artist, you’ve done set design and costume design, art installations, and so much more! What ties all of these pieces together?
Jayme: It’s a cliché for an artist to say BUT storytelling is at the heart of what I do and ties all of my little art buckets together.
Chelsea: That makes a lot of sense, and I think you did a wonderful job of telling the story of me and my business visually.
As someone who works in a creative field all day long, what does it look like for you to explore creativity outside of work? Is it something that flows naturally from you, or do you feel like you have to prioritize creating something just for yourself?
Jayme: Searching for things to be inspired by, any chance I can, reminds me to present. I do think it flows naturally from me, but I will say it was fostered in me since I was young. My dad is also an artist, and I think it’s really human nature. I think everyone has the ability to be inspired and create. I rarely make work for myself, if ever. I find much more joy in making work for others. I think it’s a big part of my practice and probably the reason I like commercial work so much. It’s solving a problem, being creative and allows me to be in service of someone else.
Chelsea: I think creativity is in everyone and totally feels more natural the more it’s fostered! When people tell me they aren’t creative, I think “FALSE! You probably just haven’t worked that muscle.” I love that you mention being present and creativity go hand-in-hand. I agree so much. Sometimes when I feel like I’m not actually creating something and I’m feeling a void, I remember that the way I live my life, in a lot of ways, is also art. My daily practices can also feed me creatively when I’m present to notice the little things.
What are some projects you’d like to work on in the future? Maybe share one that feels like a big stretch/dream project, and one that you’ve already dipped your toe in, but want to do more of in the future?
Jayme: I’d really love to have more commissions for illustrating or creating work for children’s rooms, classrooms or children-focused businesses. I recently did a residency with the DoSeum, a children’s museum here in San Antonio, and used every skill I have, from illustration to sculpting with wood and felt, to design to animation, to build a miniature 3D world for their holiday display. It filled me with more joy than I think I’ve ever had from any project. The ultimate dream is to be an author/illustrator full-time, but I think I will always have side projects and commissions because I love making things!
Chelsea: I absolutely loved what you did at the DoSeum, and so did my kiddo! How can people reach you?
Jayme: Instagram @howdyjayme, or website https://www.howdyjayme.com/
Thank you again, Jayme, for sharing your time, wisdom, and creativity with me!
special thanks
I also want to share a special thank you to Sonya Marin (@sonyamarindesigns on Instagram) for creating custom marbling to be used in my branding! Jayme came up with the concept and vibe, and Sonya executed the marbling aspect FLAWLESSLY. I’m so in love with it.
