Belay Development
My Role:
Naming & Strategy | Brand Identity Development | Art Direction | Animation
I led the strategy and brand identity development for Belay, a real-estate development company. After establishing Belay’s brand system, I art directed the production of collateral materials.
Creative Direction: Josh Wills
Studio: Consume & Create
Naming & Strategy
To kick off the naming process, I led a discovery session with the client to learn more about their vision, values, and goals. In this meeting, I learned that it was important for the name to communicate a sense of innovation, reliability and partnership. They also wanted the name to feel tied to Colorado and outdoor adventure—without being too cliched.
After that session, I developed a brand framework brief with market research, brand tenants and a comprehensive list of name options.
The client landed on the name Belay, which has rock climbing connotations, but also speaks to the company’s ability to work closely with clients to uplift their projects (ie. he would need an experienced partner to belay him on the difficult climbs.)
Concept
For the brand identity, I was inspired by the concept of perspective.
Not only does Belay bring a unique perspective to their work, they also diligently consider every angle of their projects—from architecture to construction and zoning to finishing touches.
With this in mind, I used a perspective grid to create dynamic shapes that I leveraged throughout the brand system.
Brand Identity
The dynamic logo shown to the left creates the impression of a shifting perspective. This animation adds flair to digital presentations of the brand.
To add a bit more character to the brand, I wanted to create icons of all the property types Belay works on. These bespoke and detail-rich icons make Belay's collateral material feel more personalized.
I had the opportunity to art direct the development of these icons and worked closely with Dylan Fowler to bring them to life.
Illustration: Dylan Fowler
Photo Direction
The photo direction shows a single project from a few different perspectives (ie. straight on, detail, birds eye etc.) The blue overlays create visual intrigue, while making the photos feel unique to Belay.
