Category: Design

VC CommsCon 2022: Taming the Overload

Posted on May 20, 2022 by - Design, Business

There was an unofficial theme present at this year’s VC Comms Con 2022, put on by BAM Communications: marketers are spread thin! This group of high-performing marcom professionals got together to share insights that help them navigate the pressures of marketing their VC firms, as well as support the portfolio companies the firm represents. Often, they find themselves trying to influence change in an organization where they are the only one in their role.

We work with many marketers in similarly siloed roles outside of the VC world as well, from lone CMOs just starting to think about building their teams, to the fresh out of school marketing professional learning the ropes by supporting a smaller organization with everything from social media to hosting events. They all face the same question.

How can they do it all?

In service to our broader network, I’d share some of my takeaways and teachings from this year’s VC Comms Con, and strongly encourage anyone in a marketing role at a VC fund to keep a watch out for details about next year. It’s an event like no other. 

Cliff Worley gave us a list of online tools he’s curated over the years, to support any need from getting a perfect shareable picture of a tweet, to better LinkedIn analytics, which just serves as a reminder to marketers everywhere that if there’s a hack you wish you had, it’s likely out there. Another pro tip? Use Zapier to connect Twitter and Slack so you are the first to know. 

Nikki Parker gave the most sage advice to look at moving work forward by leveraging your team and taking stock in your initiatives, asking yourself what’s reasonable for you to own, and what’s not. She asks herself:

  1. What can I Own?
  2. What can I Influence?
  3. What can I Outsource?
  4. What can I Force?

Having good resources is key.

There was also a recurring discussion from multiple attendees around curating resources. In the main stage panel with Elise Brown, Nikki Parker, and Tyana Daley, the shared consensus was that PR and Branding agencies were the most sought after resources by their portfolio companies this last year. Having an arsenal of experts at their side makes them more powerful overall, and able to recommend the right resources at the right time.

Websites are an especially fun challenge.

I was invited to speak during a breakout session on behalf of Four Fin about keeping website redesigns from flying off the rails. The main takeaway? Be thoughtful and right-size the lift. Especially in the venture ecosystem where the speed of business moves faster than a new Tik Tok trend, it pays off to take a minute upfront to get clear.

The top six reasons a website redesign flies off the rails:

  1. You want the website to do too much
  2. Everyone battles for their win
  3. You use the website redesign as a chance to revisit your brand
  4. Content takes way longer than you thought
  5. New ideas emerge and you react to them
  6. Your team forgets that websites can be iterative

Have you experienced any of these site redesign pitfalls?

The main theme in the solutions presented for all of these, is that any good website redesign will not magically happen by simply signing a contract with an outside agency, no matter what they might tell you. Your team needs to be aligned internally on what the website needs to do (not all it can do), how you’ll gather and develop content to provide to your agency, and when to “park” new ideas for a phase two or future website update.

Your agency can and should help guide you, but it’s a partnership. 

At Four Fin, we strive to keep branding right-sized for the early stages of growth, making sure the work we do is impactful enough to move brands forward to their next stage, without overdoing it.

Our solution for launching an impactful brand and website in the early stages of growth (Seed-stage or early Series A for my VC friends here) is a four-month, guided exercise called Brand Splash. Splashes are designed with the following:

  • A set schedule
  • Iterative and collaborative work sessions
  • Are scheduled across a reasonable amount of time for the client to supply content with everything else they have going on, and
  • A hand-held approach that doesn’t blow your marketing budget

Thanks again to the team at BAM communications for creating this incredible experience. Your hard work created a safe place for the free-sharing of ideas that is rare, and a community that supports each other openly. I was honored to share my expertise, and in awe of the attendees present, and their tenacity for excellence in a field where doing it all feels impossible.   

Create a Coherent Online Presence for Your Remote Team

Posted on April 19, 2022 by - Photography, Design

With more businesses moving their teams completely remote after COVID-19, maintaining a unified team presence is becoming increasingly difficult for companies and organizations.

If company-wide professional headshots were never taken for your team, all you have would be a handful of photos of faces that were taken at different times with various lighting, cameras, positions, styles, and resolutions. Put them side by side in a presentation, proposal or on your brand new website and they will look like they are freshly pulled out of Google. This could have a negative influence on your company credibility.

While it is more expensive and time-consuming to hire photographers in each location and get on the same page regarding the style, companies have an opportunity to think creatively about how to tackle this issue.

Here at Four Fin, we have come up with some creative solutions that help our clients present their complete remote team with a look of professionalism and coherence.

Black and White headshots, with branded color roll over

Seismic is a PR firm with team members spread across the US. As they prepared to launch their new website with a shiny new brand, team headshots needed to be freshened as well. We helped Seismic put together a photoshoot at their post-Covid, in-person team-wide retreat. This gave the majority of the team a unified look. However, not everyone could attend the event, so we also accounted for future additions, by shooting them on a clean white background.

Benefits of this approach: 

  • Even with headshots in different positions, cropping, and sizes, the team still looks coherent as a whole.
  • When new team members need to be added, it’s quick and easy to turn any headshot into black and white and give it a clean background.
  • Easily works with any brand colors. To add interest and enhance the brand impression, we added Seismic’s gradient color to the roll over state of the headshots, which also helps users to know that it’s a clickable page.

Use a graphic treatment to unify

Benhamou Global Ventures is a remote team spread across the globe through different time zones. The leadership team, who needed to be showcased on the website, faced the challenge of not having the capacity or time to take a new headshot.

 If you find yourself in a similar circumstance, a nice way to still achieve a coherent team look is to enhance the graphic treatment for the photos. However, this method does require more production work.

Benefits of this approach: 

  • Using clipping paths to cut out backgrounds reduces the differences
  • Added graphic element (here we used a circle) in the grid system helped unify the overall look and feel
  • Easy to add new faces

That’s a wrap

If the solutions we mentioned above don’t solve for your specific case, there are some additional options to try:

Team-wide retreat/photoshoot

Like we mentioned above for the Seismic team, any physical team building event is a great opportunity to gather everyone’s headshot. Pick a place you enjoy, and make an appointment with a great local photographer, communicate the style and you’re good to go.

Put together a headshot style guide

A style guide provides tips and guidelines for headshots that help both team members and photographers achieve a consistent look. By defining width and height, resolution, clothes to wear, backgrounds, lighting, postures, etc, you can easily yield workable results.

Use virtual headshots services like Heroic Headshots

If all you are looking to do is improve the headshots you’ve collected from the team, and there’s not much time or resources to be creative, consider using a paid service like Heroic Headshots, that automatically generates the headshots to align with your brand, in a few easy steps.


We hope this gets you started on creating consistent team headshots. Nowadays with smartphones, we can easily take high-res photos that are good enough for any digital presentation. With the right creative strategies, you’ll find it easy to improve the quality and unity of your team shots, and leave a great first digital impression of your team.

Still need help? Reach out!

San Diego Design Week Impressions

Posted on November 5, 2021 by - Design, Community, Inspiration

SD Made Factory
SD Made Factory

San Diego Made Factory

This year we at Four Fin were fortunate to be able to attend a number of SDDW events: I chose a couple of virtual ones in the middle of the workweek and a couple of live events over the weekend. Here’s a brief overview of what I experienced. 

First up was General Assembly’s UX Design 101. It’s always good to brush up since it’s an ever-changing industry, and I did learn a few new tricks. Daniel Huss was an entertaining presenter, who sprinkled solid UX axioms with witticisms and amusing examples. Some takeaways included: 

  1. Ask open-ended questions. Start with a small amount of questions but dig into them by asking why after the initial answer.
     
  2. “Love the problem, not the solution.” This is so important for every designer to remember (and so easy to forget). There are many possible solutions and it’s best not to get too attached to any one. We love to explore this maxim during Brand Sessions.

  3. Silence is the best tool because people want to fill the awkward silence, and therefore they’ll elaborate more. Allow gaps. Who knew being awkward could be a bonus?  

As some of you may know, I’m one of two Fins who moonlight as design educators (can you guess who else does?) so the next session that caught my eye was the live portfolio review with the lovely Julia Masalska. She had plenty of good tips for building a strong portfolio including:

  • Let your personality show through
  • Create case studies
  • Present a shocking fact about the problem you’re solving
  • Make it functional
  • Don’t overuse free mockups
  • Be creative with presenting your work
  • State a clear intention: do you want to get hired? Full-time? Freelancer?

These are helpful tidbits not only for recent grads but also more seasoned designers who are updating their websites. Her presentation was followed by a live review of a few portfolios by Erika Lauro, Talin Wadsworth and Temi Coker. One to watch is Antonio Mustico. Rising star, for sure! 

We’ve always been fascinated by shipping container homes, so my next stop on Sunday was the Work-from-home Life In A Shipping Container tour by Noble Intent Studio. The workspace was small in size but big in creativity with a view of the garden through the floor to ceiling windows. Next we got to see the guest house portion of the container. We loved the plywood floors, which apparently shipping containers come with, and they just sanded and stained them. If you missed this one, you can check out their instagram here. 

My final hurrah was the San Diego Made Factory tour. It was welcoming and vibrant, with mimosas and music and art and vegan snacks. There was so much visual eye candy (special shout out to Alyssa Rose for the beautiful abstract paintings). Conversations were flowing and inspiring, and I even got an impromptu tour of the upstairs workspaces, led by Raygun’s founder, Stacey Edelstein. We’ve been a fan of their work for a while here at Four Fin, so it was a treat to meet her and see where their magic happens. As an added bonus, we got to peek in our client Sam Mazzeo of Better’s office window. Lastly we checked out the basement, where Humble Design calls their home. I’m in awe of what they do to transform empty spaces into fully furnished homes for people emerging from homelessness. 

San Diego Design Week was a good reminder of the creativity that San Diego houses all year long. We promise we won’t wait another year to seek out more local inspiration and you shouldn’t either. 

Brand Evolution: Just the Right Fit

Posted on July 16, 2021 by - Branding Insight, Business, Client News, Design, Making Waves

Mission Driven Finance

Brands don’t always need to completely rework their identity to signal change or growth. A Brand Evolution (improving upon what’s existing) or a Brand Revolution (creating something completely new) is the lingo we use to describe what kind of brand solution clients embark on. Deciding on which solution is best for the brand depends on answering questions like:

Is our brand still relevant to our audiences/markets?
Has our business outgrown our existing brand?
Are there certain aspects of the brand (logo, colors, etc.) that resonate with stakeholders we need to keep?

To name a few…

Here are four clients that maintained existing visual equities, yet evolved their brands to keep up with their evolving businesses.

Mission Driven Finance

On the cusp of celebrating their five year anniversary and announcing major funding partnerships, Mission Driven Finance was looking to clean up before these big milestones. MDF tells a great story their brand evolution on their blog here. 


Mission Driven Finance

GIA Wellness

GIA had been a well-known brand in wellness consulting circles, but in shifting to a more Direct-to-Consumer model, they needed a fresh take on their visual identity beyond the logo. We partnered with GIA to make a subtle, yet impactful, refresh to the brand’s web and packaging consumer experiences. 


GIA Wellness Brand Evolution

CEG Multifamily

After developing the brand for Unfold Development, CEG’s newest division, the 30-year-old company was ready for change. The updated visual identity incorporates graphical elements kindred to Unfold while maintaining its typographic roots.


CEG Brand Evolution

CPA Collective

CPA Collective provides high-caliber accounting solutions and needed its brand to meet the same level of quality that the business provides. The evolved, refreshed visual identity and website express a more tasteful, experienced CPA Collective.


CPAC Brand Evolution

Are you considering an uplevel to your brand identity, but not sure if a brand evolution is the solution?

Reach out to us!

Property Branding: When Home Becomes More Meaningful

Posted on January 8, 2021 by - Design, Business, Client News

Unfold Development strives to redefine the real estate development process by uncovering the stories within existing communities and utilizing all forms of design to communicate them. Our partnership with Unfold over the past year has proven that property branding is much more than just an aesthetic exercise.

Their process starts by researching and engaging with cities and neighborhood groups to understand the roots of a place. Once a concept is realized, Unfold brings together Four Fin, as well as their architecture and interior design teams.

Melissa Meagher, partner at Unfold, describes real estate’s changing industry: “It is no longer just about up-to-date amenities and smart floorplans; it is about creating a sense of belonging, which can be curated through the materials and design elements a resident sees as they experience a place. More developers need to be thinking about this before deciding where and how a place can evolve.”

Working closely with Melissa and her design partners, we’ve refreshed the brands of 10 (and counting) communities with Unfold Development.

Meagher explains, “Four Fin has helped me take initial layers of concepts and transform them visually so that when I bring in architecture and interior design, all parties completely comprehend the direction and how we can connect residents to where they live again.”

Our process incorporated weaving greater meaning and fresh design into each property brand evolution. This came in the form of connecting the property more closely to the history of its location and building a brand around that context – from naming, to visual identity, to website design. 

“It is no longer just about up-to-date amenities and smart floorplans; it is about creating a sense of belonging”

– Melissa Meagher, Partner at Unfold Development

We’re looking forward to seeing these brands come to life and continuing our partnership with Unfold in helping its residents belong somewhere meaningful.

My Footer Fetish (SFW)

Posted on November 18, 2020 by - Branding Insight, Design

I have a website footer fetish and I’m not afraid to tell the world about it. 

There. I said it. Website footers are just as important (if not more important) as the rest of a brand’s website. They are essentially the go-to map of pertinent information visitors should be able to access quickly, but also an opportunity to provide a final branded experience.

I’ve rounded up several of my favorite footers currently out in the wild to share why they matter. Don’t worry, this is all totally SFW and hopefully provides inspiration for those thinking through their site’s user experience.

Take up some space.

Tall, dark and handsome, this footer for Pioneer Square Labs takes up space unapologetically. I love the large type for important links because who says footers have to have tiny type?

Think inside the box.

Blady Gros Holdings’ footer is minimal as far as information, but delivers maximum impact with design. This is a good reminder that a footer doesn’t always have to be full-width.

Simply delightful. 

Tend‘s footer is a solid example for simplicity. It’s nicely organized with good typography, but also captivates  with a mesmerizing animated bar just above.

Be my friend?

Cute illustrations and a small, but friendly invitation to be friends won me over on Palorama’s footer. What other ways can you engage your audience during this tail end experience?

One more little moment.

Finally, VOTD’s fun icon and message provides one last moment of delight for visitors. If the contact and navigation information can live somewhere else, jump on one more opportunity to send a message about your brand. 

I know I’m not the only one who loves a happy ending to my scrolling. If your website could use some love and attention when it comes to what’s on the bottom, reach out!

B2B branding shouldn’t be spooky*

Posted on October 13, 2020 by - Business, Branding Insight, Design

*Spooky is a-ok if you’re Sam Mazzeo, Co-Founder of B2B firm Better.

Just because your target customers happen to be other businesses doesn’t mean your B2B brand has to suck. Really. We’ll prove it. 

You may not be selling the hottest new tech toy or surfboard that requires a certain level of consumer appeal, but you are selling something extremely important for B2B brands; your reputation. Do you want your reputation to be perceived as cold, boring, (too) serious or (overly) functional? Of course not!

Below are several of our B2B clients that have captured the perfect balance of emotion and professionalism through brand, steering clear of being just another boring (maybe even spooky) business to business brand.

AccessParks contracts with National Parks, RV sites, and campgrounds to deliver broadband internet to the great outdoors. The brand captures the essence of adventure and exploration, the ultimate desire of AccessParks’ end customer.

Cyclopure develops sustainable water purification solutions at the consumer, commercial, and government levels. The brand went from functional and scientific to friendly and relatable in order to ensure its mission ‘to make water safe for everyone, everywhere’ could be quickly understood.

Better is a community-focused law firm that educates and empowers early stage businesses, non-profits, and freelancers. The new B2B brand is unexpectedly fun and engaging for its industry, reminding young businesses that they aren’t alone in their journey to being better then they were yesterday.

BAM is a powerhouse communications agency for tech firms and ensures its brand is as fast moving and forward thinking as the industry itself. Movement, storytelling, and bold visuals push BAM to the forefront of their client’s hearts and minds.

When working with B2C and B2B brands, we always look for the emotional connection that will resonate with our client’s target audiences. Because at the end of the day, everyone is a consumer, whether they’re making a purchase decision for themselves or their business/employer. 

Want to talk about your B2B brand with us? Let’s chat!

Brand Evolution: GIA Wellness

Posted on September 1, 2020 by - Client News, Design, Making Waves

GIA Wellness is here to tell you that hyped wellness trends are exactly that; hype. They focus on the pillars of foundational wellness from hydration to nutrition to skincare. After 12 years of successful growth, GIA was pivoting its marketing strategy to appeal to a broader D2C audience in the rapidly growing health and wellness space. 

A Brand Audit allowed us to identify challenges, opportunities, and areas where we could better align the brand (and this message of foundational health) across GIA communications. The audit revealed that no major overhaul to the brand was needed. Rather, an evolution to the visual identity (especially packaging) and messaging would assist in unifying the already established brand. 

More to share when the new packaging is launched, but in the meantime, check out other elements of the refresh making its way onto GIA’s Instagram. 

Brand collabs that go together like ice cream x skateboarding

Posted on August 14, 2020 by - Branding Insight, Business, Design, Inspiration, Lifestyle

Source: nikesb.com

Collaborations between brands appear to be the new norm. Put that ‘x’ in place (e.g., Honey x Bear) and apparently a legit collaboration is happening and we should take notice. 

Usually these partnerships make sense from a brand personality and values perspective like this Nat Geo x Parks Project apparel line. Both brands will often generate greater cross exposure and can command higher prices (which will either work in your favor or not as the comment on this post below shows).

Source: Instagram

It’s 2020 though, and I think the zany, unexpected collaborations are far more fascinating from a brand and business perspective. I say unexpected because either the collaborating brands exist in completely different ecosystems/industries or have wildly differing emotional connections with their audiences. I say fascinating because the imagination and bravery needed to create these partnerships often require true creative brilliance, hallucinogens, or both. 

I’ve discovered that the brands brave enough to make unexpected collab moves not only get twofold the hype and can command higher prices, but they stick in the memory banks of their fans. And loyal fans, as we know, are a brand’s best friend. Here are several that stick out.

Ben & Jerry’s x Nike Skateboarding

Source: nikesb.com

When I saw the Nike SB x Ben & Jerry’s collaboration for the Skate Low Chunky Dunky shoe, my head almost popped off in excitement…and wonder. How? Why? Realizing this is a total sneaker culture thing (which, admittedly I know very little about), I still wanted to know just how much hype these kicks were getting. 

A limited quantity of the shoes were released back in May, retailing at $120. One look at current resale prices three months later (yes that’s a $2,592 price tag down there) and I don’t need any convincing that the demand (and equity) for the brand is through the roof.

Source: Google Shopping

 

Fireclay Tile x Rose’s Taproom 

California craft tilemakers Fireclay recently collaborated with their client, Rose’s Taproom in Oakland, to release the Emerald Drop, a craft beer inspired by the backsplash tile that serves as the watering hole’s centerpiece. Random, brilliant, and an ingenious way to celebrate the brands’ partnership and commitment to craft + design.

Although the beer was probably produced in limited quantities, it certainly didn’t last long and managed to receive a fair amount of reviews/ratings on beer social platform Untappd. 

Source: Instagram
Source: Untappd

Supreme x Oreo

Streetwear brand Supreme isn’t new to surprising collaborations, but it’s Oreo collab might be the most surprising. And apparently surprising works for Supreme (and Oreo), because the release garnered TONS of hype (over 23k retweets alone from Oreo announcing it). A pack of three cookies commands a mere $40 from one streetwear reseller (they originally retailed for $8 per pack).

Source: Twitter

TLDR;

Whether your brand is about cookies, shoes, beer, or even clay tile, there’s another brand out there willing to collaborate. You might share kindred personalities or you might be in opposite industries altogether. Either way, collaborations bring with them increased exposure and, if it’s wild enough, exponential demand and love from your customers.

We usually don’t think about unexpected collaborations during our client’s Brand Sessions, but maybe we should given the unexpected world we live in today..

Surf Park Management is ready for its next swell

Posted on July 31, 2020 by - Business, Client News, Design, Making Waves, Surf

Surf Park Management is rad. No, really. The brand does exactly what their name suggests; managing the many facets of up and running a successful surf park (think feasibility analysis and operational planning). The San Diego-based company tapped the Fins to help refresh their brand identity as they continue to grow and gain exposure. 

A rise in new technology to create perfect waves outside of the ocean is leading to more and more surf parks being planned and built around the world. Nothing compares to a real wave, but these parks are gaining serious traction inland and for the surfing community looking to practice in a safer, consistent environment. 

Surf Park Management (SPM) works with investors and developers, so the refreshed brand needed to say “we’re professionals who also have fun in the sun.” Maybe not that exactly, but a balance of seriousness with shred was a key factor. 

 

There’s more where that came from. Stay tuned for more work we’re doing with SPM. Our branding dreams are literally coming true rn.