noa & Co
Project Description
Building a Strong Foundation for Growth
Noa & Co began with hair stylist and influencer Chenoa Brookins’ dream of creating sustainable hairstyling capes. Her initial product is a game-changer, taking a humble staple in the salon world and transforming it into something inspiring, luxurious, and eco-conscious.
Unlike traditional nylon cutting capes, Noa & Co’s hairstyling capes are made from recovered ocean plastic from fishing nets and other waste, and meet numerous environmental standards and certifications.
Deliverables
Brand Strategy
Brand Guidelines
Naming Conception
Logo Design
Visual Identity
Website Design
The Problem
Chenoa painstakingly developed her product and had a clear mission in mind; however, she needed help creating her brand strategy and design. I was tapped at the inception of the brand to develop her idea into a defined strategy, including brand name and identity design, along with creating the key deliverables needed to launch - brand guidelines, business card, packaging, and initial website concept.
The Solution
We went through a clearly defined process of user and competitor research, naming and strategy development, and visual identity iterations to create a comprehensive brand package for Noa & Co. Using the materials created, Chenoa was able to launch a new eco-friendly product into the marketplace, successfully sell to stylists and salons, and partner with renowned stylists in the salon industry including Aveda and Jonathan Van Ness.
Process
PHASE 1 | RESEARCH
Competitor & Market Research, Customer Profiles
In addition to brand investigation questions I provided to the founder, I conducted interviews with two stylists and one salon owner to get a sense of their needs and pain points, what brands they were currently using for salon supplies, and what brands they admired.
Direct and indirect competitor research proved that Chenoa’s idea was unique in the marketplace, and provided input on visual directions that would stand out.
An analysis of direct competitors showed an absence of eco-friendly capes in the market, and a clear opportunity to stand out with creative, aspirational product photography.
Competitive Analysis excerpt:
Indirect Competitor Profiles
Salon Culture | Aveda | Cuyana
A visual survey of aspirational brands in the sustainable beauty space gave additional shape to the brand visual explorations.
The visual story began with a Brand Vision Board to aid in the design explorations. The product’s high environmental standards, combined with the relaxing vision of a high-end salon experience, were the inspiration for the nature elements, ocean shades and soothing textures that became the focal points of the board.
PHASE 2 | defining the brand
Brand Values, Mission Statement, Name Generation & Color Palette
Keeping our research at hand as a guiding force, I worked closely with Chenoa to distill her brand values into a mission statement, through several variations, that felt right and summed up the company’s mission.
Naming the brand also went through multiple phases, starting with the identification of concept buckets (or areas of focus), followed by word generation, and finally editing and refining to the winning choice, a play on Chenoa’s childhood nickname, Noa. Other name development informed the current and future product lines.
word generation exercises
The results of Phase 2, below:
Selected Brand and product names, Brand Values and Mission Statement
Color Palette Explorations
Initial color explorations explored elements of natural coastal textures, paired with calming neutrals.
PHASE 3 | VISUAL DESIGN
Logo Design, Visual Identity and Website Mockup
In the third phase, I explored several different logo directions, initially in sketch format before refining digitally. Five refined concepts were presented to the client in the selected color palette. An abstracted white-winged dove, common to coastal areas from Baja California to the Caribbean, inspired the final selection, paired with a slim elegant typeface.
Initial logo sketches:
Final Logomark
Primary Logo
Horizontal Logo
Single-color Logo combinations
Once the logo was selected, I extended the visual design to include business card, collateral, and a bespoke pattern element inspired by ocean waves and hair textures. All of these elements ultimately became part of our Brand Guidelines document, part of which is shown below. These guidelines are an instructional manual for Noa & Co. to use going forward.
Outcome
Starting the creative process at the very inception of the brand is a magical opportunity for me as a designer and thinker. The deep dive into brand strategy stretched me in new ways and allowed me to better define the steps in my brand development & ideation process.
Brand design serves as a guidepost for years to come and is truly valuable foundational work for any new-to-market brand. The content shown here provided a strong base for Noa & Co. to launch their product into the world.
Within 1 year of launch, Noa & Co. has since created additional cape styles and continues to build their landmark brand, featured in Aveda salons and used by superstar stylist Jonathan Van Ness.
