How to Stay Sane, tip. no 6. We know there’s a lot of resources to immerse ourselves in, actions to take, and a relentless news cycle to keep up with. In order to stay activated for the long-term, we hope that you are able to take some time to take care of yourself, whatever that looks like for you.

We're excited to team up with @project_proceed to help out local small businesses in the form of custom-designed t-shirts! We miss eating at @TrueBurgerOakland with our friends, but they're still open for takeout and now you can slurp milkshakes while also supporting them through the purchase of these tees. Check out further details in the post, and you can shop through the link in our bio. #projectproceed #chendesign

We can’t believe it but Chen Design turned 29 and who’d have imagined where we’d all be at this time. Advice for sticking together through rough patches? Take care of your team, practice being nimble, sharpen tools, and commit daily to creating stellar work… also very important: remember to take time to play and laugh together!⁠ #chendesign

Stephen Gould reached out to us with this challenge: How might our website more fully represent our comprehensive capabilities and expertise without overwhelming or confusing users? Our strategy team sought answers by designing and hosting a two-day workshop to create consensus within the company around a bigger-picture question: how might we tell their story best? Check out the full case study through the link.

We didn’t realize how our Out of Office zine would feel so fitting for the times, and our limited edition, inaugural Food Issue is now available to order online. Chock full of food-related fun (like ramen hack recipes!), the zine can be yours for only $10, plus postage fees. Link to shop in our bio! #chendesign

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.

“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. ⁠⠀

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)

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

We were honored to partner with French American International School, San Francisco’s longest-running bilingual school, to build a courageous and unifying brand identity. Check out the full case study through the link. #chendesign

Our strategy team recently spent two phenomenal days with Stephen Gould, the largest independent product and packaging solutions provider in the US. We facilitated a two-day design strategy workshop with 13 of their top leaders, diving deep into their website’s user experience. It’s always great to be with clients in person and we’re grateful for the opportunity to experience Stephen Gould's dynamic, people-first culture and continue our partnership building the brand together.

Find @puristcollective online and in retail stores soon, and check out the rest of our case study through the link. #thisispurist

“CDA has been an incredible partner for us in bringing this brand to life. From day one, they dug deep to really understand what we were looking for. Their vast experience and depth of team talent, coupled with their thought-provoking partnership style, is rare and powerful.”—Cindy Feinauer, GM of Purist

Our team developed an enduring identity and comprehensive campaign that asserts quiet authority and a bold aesthetic to set @puristcollective apart in the competitive hydration market.

Our creative campaign to launch the Purist brand and its first release brought together CDA’s expertise in powerful ways. We provided integrated strengths in photography, video, messaging, and developed the identity and brand voice across print catalog, ads, trade show booth, and environmental graphics.

We established Purist’s distinctive voice amid the retail noise by crafting confident, personable copy.

The scope of our work with @puristcollective included extensive brand strategy. We conducted extensive competitive research, built in-depth customer personas, and lay the foundation for a brand identity grounded in the natural world with a contemporary, urban point of view.

“It’s gratifying to bring shape to visionary ideas and collaborate with similarly-minded individuals who hold to high standards of quality. We’ve laid the groundwork and can’t wait to see Purist’s reputation take off and this brand we created, out in the wild.” —@tracywhitetaylor, Design Director

To elevate the product for various consumer environments, we created a minimalist packaging system for all bottles and lids.

Our partnership with @puristcollective began last year—we were tasked with launching a comprehensive visual identity for Purist to debut their exceptional water bottles, and are thrilled to see the results of our work come to life.

These limited edition flasks of @venusspirits' Wayward Whiskey were a fun project we wrapped up before the holiday season. The size makes them perfect for on-the-go adventures.

Wishing you and yours a very merry holiday, filled with good food and good company. See you in 2019! #chendesign

The new website we built for @hodofoods features combined storytelling through video, lifestyle photography, and hand-drawn illustrations, all which supported the ultimate goal of driving deeper engagement. We considered the user’s experience of the site in detail, optimizing functionality and flow for ease of use and desired results—in Hodo’s case, increased recipe and store locator views. Check out the full case study through the link in our profile!

Our client @hodofoods has been disrupting the American market by making delicious, tofu and yuba that’s organic and non-GMO for more than a decade. We partnered with them to create a new website, starting with thoughtful strategy that included these user journey maps. Our goal was to understand buyers' emotions and behaviors and to inspire them to adventure into healthy, delicious eating with Hodo. Check out the full case study through the link in our profile!

Whether your shared table includes turkey, tofu (or something else entirely!), we hope you enjoy full bellies and full hearts this Thanksgiving season. Remembering to look for the good and to be thankful for what we might take for granted is a practice that shapes how we approach our work, each other, and our communities. Photo by @colinprice, styling by @jeffreylarsen_foodstylist, props by @glennjenkins, all for @hodofoods. #chendesign

Brand and packaging work for @junipperridge. Photo by @jensiska. ⠀ -⠀ #chendesignvault, 2012

A little late to the #nationalcoffeeday party, but that doesn't mean we love (or need) coffee any less. Cheers to the many delightful coffee clients we've worked with in the past!

Produced and directed new lifestyle photography for @johnmastersorganics' seasonal campaigns. Swipe through to see some of our favorites! Photographer: @annabelle_breakey, props + styling: @nissa.q. #perfectlynaturalbeauty

Located in the heart Southern Belize, @copaltreelodge is an award-winning and world-class destination focused on sustainability, community, and quality. We designed a comprehensive brand system including custom illustrations, typography, and color palette that captures a sense of place and evokes wanderlust.

We've had the pleasure of working with @masonsofca on over 30 issues of their bimonthly magazine. For every edition, our team creates custom illustrations, spanning themes of fatherhood to brotherhood for the modern mason.

We donated our creative services to the sucess of this year's Auction Napa Valley, and are thrilled with the results. Take a further look through the link in our bio. #chendesign #auctionnapa (3/3)