Saving what matters in these times has taken on new meaning, beyond the original intent of @stasherbag #SaveWhatMatters campaign, and we're inspired to see Stasher continue making moves for healthy people, along with a healthy planet. Our work in crafting handwritten logos, illustrations, and infographics was done with those same values of generosity, community, and interconnectedness in mind. Let’s take care of each other. View more from the project through link in bio. #chendesign

Stasher is on a mission to reduce the use of single-use plastics and their harmful effects on the earth, and Save What Matters is their campaign to empower people to join them in their efforts. We partnered with @stasherbag to bring the look and feel of #SaveWhatMatters to life, and are excited to share more soon. #chendesign

Alice House is an art deco-inspired residential building in the heart of Downtown Oakland and our team was tasked with bringing the brand to life, from positioning to naming to visual identity. Take a further look at the full case study through the link. #chendesign

We provided custom illustrations featuring adorable animals in their natural habitats for @alaffia’s Baobab Baby and Kids line in order to better emotionally connect with customers. Throughout this whole process, we immersed ourselves in the roots and essence of the brand, and our team is proud to be creative partner to Alaffia and support its mission of advancing education, sustainable living, and gender equality to African communities. To see the full case study, click through to the link in our profile! #alaffia #chendesign

Our task was to solve the challenge of the complexity and scale of our client’s extensive offerings, and we united six different collections—each with their distinct audiences, multiple lines and scents—cohesively under one parent brand. For @alaffia’s Authentic African Black Soap collection, we customized letterforms that meld a love for handcrafted tradition with a modern African-tastemaker ethos. Read more about our process through the link in our profile.

We were charged to “bring back the soul” of the @Alaffia brand through reimagining its identity and packaging, and are excited to share the outcome of our partnership! Alaffia empowers women’s futures and entire communities in Togo, West Africa through their social enterprise model and we wanted to provide unmistakable brand recognition through a contemporary and bold, yet refined and joyful look. Check out the full case study through the link in our profile.

One of OOO’s articles reveals the surprisingly plentiful connections @josh.chendesign has with the culinary world. We asked some lighthearted questions to some celebrated chefs and so we’ll ask you too. What’s your guilty pleasure food? Let us know in the comments below for a chance to win one of five copies of our zine! Ends 2/12.

Support your local lunch spot! We scouted out 10 eateries for a tasty $10 lunch within 10 minutes of our Uptown Oakland studio. Basil Pizzeria for legit NY style slices is one. Discover 9 more on page 9 of our zine. Tag your favorite go-to lunch place and enter to win a copy of our limited edition OOO zine! Lucky winners drawn at random on 1/28.⁠

Why food? Our team has bonded over making and consuming food together. A cozy reason to connect and collaborate whether we’re out for dim sum or in for potlucks, or simply sharing goodies at our desks, food gathers and nourishes souls… and our creativity. ⁠ ⁠ To celebrate, we’re giving away five copies of our inaugural zine! Tag a fellow food-loving friend and follow us to enter for a chance to win. Winners randomly picked by 1/20/20.

“Constraints actually help the creative process,” says our principal @josh.chendesign on the blending of science, art and design, “because without constraints, you don’t force yourself to think about how you can create something outside the box or differently.”⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ The team had fun stretching beyond the familiar full-color comfort zone by selecting and restricting our design to two striking solid inks that would blend into rich duotones and subtle overprinting possibilities for our first OOO zine.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Copies hit the streets and a mailbox near you any day. Look for yours!

Wishing you and yours holidays filled with good cheer and comforting food. While we’re out of office enjoying time off, smile, because OOO will be coming soon to a mailbox near you.

Introducing Out of Office, a Chen Design team-wide collaboration in the form of a zine. Our first issue celebrates food—our favorite, not-just-fancy fare that warms our bellies and fills our hearts (or is it the other way around?). We’ll be sharing a more in-depth look inside the zine’s pages, but for now, just a tantalizing peek. #chendesign

We’re thrilled to be working with the good people at @alaffia, led by Olowo-n’djo Tchala, who walks the talk of equality and empowerment. Give a gift that gives back with their fair trade, handcrafted body, face & hair care. More to be unveiled in 2020.

Behind-the-scenes on a luxury beauty brand we're building. Hits the global market in 2020. ⁠⠀

Taste and see a deliciously fun, food & wine experience in St. Helena at Clif Family Bruschetteria–a food truck for foodies–paired with their unique wine Tasting Room. Our team created the exterior visual experience for this adventurous, sustainability-focused client. 📷: @cliffamily

Where the economy, the environment, and quality of life issues intersect, Next 10 provides tools and data that empower Californians to solve the most pressing issues of our day. We've been partnering with the nonpartisan nonprofit, designing their annual California Green Innovation Index, for 8 years running. Communicating dense, critical information in well-organized, visually compelling ways help hone substantial content to focus their important message. ⁠⠀

Special elections in San Francisco, Piedmont and Dublin are being held next Tuesday, November 5. Find helpful info on SF candidates and local ballot measures through the link in bio. Show up, speak up. ⁠ ⁠

"Rethinking the craft of cold." Our work for @elementalbevco was recently featured in @communicationarts! Check out an updated case study through the link in our bio.

See how CDA created a buzz for @JohnMastersOrganics and the new Honey & Hibiscus advanced hair care collection. We directed all photography and created a sensory in-store experience that showcases natural ingredients. View the full case study by clicking the link in the bio. #creativestudio #studiolife #artdirection #designstudio #designagency #brandagency #wellness #beauty #johnmastersorganics #perfectlynatural #perfectlynaturalbeauty #organichaircare #naturalhaircare #naturalhair

The intuitive, easy-to-use redesigned website frees visitors, both loyal and uninitiated, to explore what Cocoknits is all about: making, learning, discovering, and sharing. Check out the full case study through the link in our bio!

Cocoknits is an Oakland-based, women-owned small business driven by their love of making things. It was a delight to partner together to create a website that can grow with this flourishing brand’s creative community for years to come. Learn more about our process—full case study is through the link in bio. #chendesign

From brand identity to packaging to environment, we stepped into the customers’ shoes to reimagine and improve the @cauldronicecream experience IRL so that every moment would be memorable. Click the link in bio to read through the full case study! #chendesign(3/3)

Our team explored how a balanced interplay between playful and refined could come to life. A neutral palette with pops of color and clean typography (with a nod to the “cauldron” where ice cream is freshly made) all came together to rebuild @cauldronicecream‘s image. Take a look at the full case study through the link in bio. #chendesign (2/3)

With bustling lines, internet fame, and franchises opening left and right, the founders of @CauldronIceCream realized that their current branding needed a refresh and we happily became their creative partners. We believe that great design is grounded in thoughtful brand strategy, so after an inspiring workshop with the team, we researched, synthesized, and defined a brand ethos to set Cauldron apart in a crowded marketplace of tasty desserts. Check out the full case study through the link in bio! #chendesign (1/3)

Our concept for @elementalbevco's ready-to-drink cold coffee was based on an abstract watercolor interpretation of the nuanced flavors of single origin beans. The San Alejo offering pictured here has notes of peanut butter, maple syrup, and candied orange. Yum.

It's always exciting to see our designs come to life on the production line. Learn more about the behind-the-scenes of our collaboration with @elementalbevco through the link in our bio, and many thanks to @communicationarts for the feature!

We were thrilled to partner with Near Future Summit 2019 and be part of an amazing three days in La Jolla. Innovative thinkers, entrepreneurs, activists, and investors committed to finding new ways to bring positive change for local and global communities. We heard from speakers like Gov. Gavin Newsom, Tony Hsieh, Tiffany Shlain, Jewel, Newsha Ghaeli, and G-Easy and are going home re-energized to work toward our best collective future! #nfs2019 #chendesign

We brought the brand to life within the daily touchpoints of school swag to environmental graphics, print pieces to the digital space. We're thrilled that the school has a brand identity it can be proud of, to rally members within its community and to gain distinction beyond the campus. Check out the full case study through the link! #chendesign

Our goal was to unify a multi-faceted school under a cohesive brand system. We toured, listened, and poured over research data, while working closely with the leadership to explore and craft messaging developed in concert with a dynamic visual solution. Check out the full case study through the link. #chendesign