Take a peek into the creative process at Sign & Sealed. Discover how we work our magic, crafting each design one pixel and paper cut at a time.
LIFE IN BALANCE: FROM DEADLINES TO DOWNTIME
Our story of how we (the Megans and Allyson) turned our friendship and passion for design into Sign & Sealed, a thriving business, is one of dedication and balance. We worked diligently to build a business culture we love and can thrive in.
Once upon a time, in a land called Cincinnati, there lived two designers named Megan. They wanted to share their creativity with the world! Their friendship, passion for design, desire to help people, and love for beautiful moments transformed into what we now know as Sign & Sealed. These two best friends, now business partners, were faced with the difficult task of serving clients while keeping their friendship at the core of the business.
A few years back (when we were working around the clock, heading straight for a spectacular burnout), we received advice from one of our friends and business mentor, Mary Knight. Among many things, she advised that we should create the culture where we want to work. This simple advice blew our minds. Of course! There's more to building a business than just the work. So, we took a step back and examined our process and habits as a whole to create the type of business we'd be stoked to work for ourselves.
Fast forward a few years, along comes a girl from Kentucky named Allyson (not Megan) who just happens to be married to one of the Megan’s brothers. Now they were faced with the task of not only maintaining the business and friendships, but also family, and it was clear it was even more important for work to not get in the way of life — and vice versa. How do we do it? Does this sound like a disaster waiting to happen? Well, don’t you worry — we are better than ever! Here are some tips we have found work for us to maintain our business, clients, friendships, family, and personal lives keeping everything as balanced as we possibly can.
Work-life balance feels like a buzzy sentiment everyone harps about, but unfortunately, it's not often respected in our culture. Sometimes the scale will lean more towards the work side, and sometimes the scale will lean heavily to the life side, but the goal is for a majority of the time that the scale stays evenly weighted and balanced. You can’t get it perfect all the time, but what we have found is that it is important to prioritize, commit to boundaries, respect one another, and communicate everything.
Priorities.
They will be different for every person and will constantly be changing. People will prioritize their work tasks and schedules, as well as their personal time and relationships. We accept the fact that sometimes, someone will prioritize taking a personal day, and though they may not seem to be doing anything productive, that time is, in fact, very important for their mental health, allowing them to come back to reality refreshed and ready to go. At the same time, someone may need to prioritize work or meetings, which then allows them to make progress, complete tasks, and be totally present with their loved ones once they are done. Many things can be important; you just have to decide your focus at that moment in time.
Boundaries.
This is a topic that is very important to us and one of the key pieces to how we maintain our work-life balance. Respect, especially for the boundaries that have been set, also ranks high on this list. We feel you can't have one of these without the other. It is almost impossible to hold boundaries if people do not respect them. In that same breath, it is hard to say you have respect for someone if you are not respectful of their boundaries and requests. Each of us has different boundaries that are reasonable ways to help us strike that perfect balance. Things like setting working hours, clearly defining what areas have flexibility, communicating if you will be working outside of your normal hours (because life happens!), and not constantly talking about work when hanging out in our personal time. This, plus many more things, helps us be the best business partners, coworkers, and friends.
Communication.
Without it, nothing works well. Just as we have to communicate about work to make the best experience and product possible for our clients, we have to communicate our needs with each other to be the best for each other. Without proper communication in all areas, everything crumbles.
Don't let all of this fool you into thinking we are perfect and have it all together! Work-life balance is always going to be something we are constantly working on and trying to get right. Honestly, just like anything in life, it is not something that is easy and it is probably something that will never be perfect. The key is to do your best, accept the imperfections, and work to try to do better next time. We love Sign & Sealed and the work that we do. Because of this, we must be the best versions of ourselves for each other and for our wonderful clients!
EMBRACING CHANGE: OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS A BRAND REFRESH
Our evolution and strategic decision to refresh our visual identity. Recognizing the inevitability of change in branding, we embarked on a comprehensive process to better connect with our audience, communicate our values, and create a more memorable brand experience. From updating our logo to overhauling the color palette and typography, each step was meticulously guided by a commitment to authenticity and excellence. Through this journey, Sign & Sealed aims not only to evolve but also to better serve our clients, setting the stage for a brighter future.
Sign and Sealed started on the pages of a notebook between two Megans at a coffee shop six years ago. We were hungry to return to what first excited us about graphic design: Custom Typography, Boutique Craftsmanship, Letterpress Printing, and Fine Papers. We quickly found that the artisan approach to print design was a rare bird in our corporate careers. We missed making things with our hands and working closely with clients. So, we started a business focused on wedding stationery and design. This allowed us to play in the sandbox with all our favorite things — the best part was — we had a friend there, too!
Over the next few years, we expanded our offerings to include branding design for small businesses. Later, we added an Allyson to our Megan squad to help us maintain all the work we generated from happy clients and referrals. At this point, we realized we needed to turn the mirror from facing our clients to facing ourselves, as our branding, website, and marketing materials no longer reflected us. We knew it was time to level up.
Our vision was clear: Evoke a sense of sophistication, attention to detail, and artisanal craftsmanship with our designs and take ownership of our creative process.
Change is inevitable, especially in the world of branding and design. As trends evolve, consumer preferences shift, and service offerings expand, it's essential for businesses to adapt and stay relevant. One such journey of adaptation and evolution is underway at Sign & Sealed. As we embark on this adventure towards refreshing our own visual identity system, we wanted to share a bit of our process — the experience we have fondly been describing as "painting the ship while we sail it."
As we began to pull focus on our own brand refresh project, we knew it wasn't just about keeping up with the latest design trends; it was a strategic move aimed at reinforcing Sign & Sealed's commitment to ourselves and attracting our ideal clients. No pressure! By revamping our visual identity system, we aimed to better connect with our audience, communicate our values more effectively, and create memorable brand experiences.
So, what exactly does a brand refresh entail for Sign & Sealed? It's not just about placing a new logo on a website and calling it a day. Instead, it's a comprehensive process that reassesses every aspect of our visual identity, from color schemes and typography to imagery and messaging.
First, we focused on our brand story, did lots of visual research, and conducted competitive audits. Then, we hosted our very own "Discovery Session," where we dove deep into our roots, uncovering what sets us apart from the competition and wrote a script that compellingly articulated our unique value proposition. No small feat! This narrative and blue sky visual strategy served as the foundation for our visual identity.
Following a decision to refresh our brand identity, we delved into enhancing our visual elements. Although our previous logo served us well, we recognized the need for a more custom, modern approach. Through brainstorming sessions and experimentation, we aimed to update the logo while preserving the essence of Sign & Sealed. Using our expertise in custom typography, we crafted a timeless and unique emblem. Ensuring adaptability, we designed a logo suite capable of scaling across various applications. Additionally, we engineered our logo to transition seamlessly between playful and sophisticated contexts. The final execution perfectly captures our vision.
Alongside updating our logo, we're undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of our color palette and typography to better reflect our brand identity. Through meticulous selection of colors and fonts that evoke specific emotions — warmth, imagination, thoughtfulness, charm, honesty — we aim to establish a unified visual language that deeply resonates with our clients.
Throughout the redesign process, we've ensured that our ideas and insights are integrated across every touchpoint. This holistic approach has resulted in a brand identity that is not only visually appealing; but also authentic to who we are as a company. Woot! It's happening!
Of course, a brand refresh isn't just about aesthetics; it's about creating meaningful connections with clients. That's why we also focused on enhancing the user experience. We started with our most powerful and diverse tool with our website and rebuilt it in response to our client's needs and expectations to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience. It's visually compelling, tells a story, and provides thoughtful information on where an how we can work together — how we can be your designer BFFs.
We are still on this journey of a brand refresh, working on our own projects bit by bit to reveal new and improved touchpoints while working with our current clients and attracting new ones.
We didn't embrace change for the sake of it. We're embracing it as an opportunity to evolve, grow, and better serve ourselves and our clients. By staying true to our core values while embracing innovation, we layered the groundwork for a brighter and more prosperous future.
The need for a brand refresh at Sign & Sealed wasn't just a sign of the times; it's a testament to our commitment to excellence. As we embark on this exciting transformation journey, one thing is sure: the best is yet to come for Sign & Sealed and its loyal clients.