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.
A note from our founder, @josh.chendesign: we just celebrated our 29th anniversary and have weathered our share of storms, but like many other small businesses find ourselves in uncharted territory. As we’re trying to stay flexible and innovative, we’ve come up with a new initiative called 4-4-4—a sprint-style offering of our services at a new price. Check out the details above and DM us to chat further. Hope you’re staying healthy and well.
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
For a storied hotel in Hopland, CA, we experimented with visuals that would appeal to modern-day pioneers, invoking a pleasurable sense of adventure and a contemporary experience of heritage. We accomplished this by bridging the best of the past with the energy of renewal, honoring a living community’s roots — and planting surprises along the way. Check out our explorations further through the link in our bio.
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
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!
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
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. ⠀
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
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
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.
“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 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.
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!
Thanks to you, we’ve reached our goal of 500 pledges to vote in today’s midterms! We’re so encouraged by all the photos of proud voters repping their stickers—here are some beautiful faces we saw around Oakland. If you’re in the area and would like stickers, we dropped some off at Awaken Cafe, Open Cafe, Modern Coffee, Beauty’s Bagels, and Donut Savant. #votewithchendesign
Happy Election Day! We’re feeling grateful, empowered, and hopeful. Our collective commitment to make our voices heard continues beyond today, and we pledge to keep showing up and speaking up for justice and democracy. Wear and share your “I Voted” stickers proudly, and be sure to tag us and #votewithchendesign.⠀
