A Case Study: Hart and Flora
September 28, 2023
Category: recent work
a case study: hart & flora
See how we created a recognizable brand that matched this business owner’s high-quality products and personality!
Shelby Hart of Hart and Flora has always been creative. She started an Etsy shop back in high school and always enjoyed having a creative outlet. However, once the Covid pandemic hit (I know PTSD, right!?) and Shelby lost her job, she had to figure out what her next step was. With some more time on her hands, she was able to lean into her creativity and decided to rebrand her Etsy shop into Hart and Flora. From there, she started creating and selling her signature glassware!
She ended up DIYing her logo, found a color palette she liked, and bought herself a website template to customize. It all looked fine and was working fine but she KNEW it could all be so much better and cohesive. Now that she’d done the hard work of building up her customer base, creating a trustworthy product, and securing repeat buyers, she knew it was time to stop DIYing her branding and actually take the step to invest in custom branding and a new Shopify website design. And that’s where we came in!
Through branding, messaging, and a Shopify site, we created a cohesive branding experience that set Shelby up for long-term success to grow her wholesale business into larger retail stores and expand into other glassware products or even home decor.
The Struggle
Shelby reached out to Brighten Made after deciding her business was worth more than the DIY approach she’d been taking. She didn’t mind her current branding but she knew it could be better! She was also struggling with her messaging and how to communicate that all of her designs are hand-drawn and produced in the U.S. On top of that, she wanted a way to pair the idea of plants and gardening with an iced coffee angle within her messaging to set herself apart from competitors. She was ready for a change and knew that partnering with a brand designer and copywriter was the right move!
While she relied on Tiktok to grow her business in the beginning, the algorithm slowly started to dwindle some of her sales (can’t we all relate?!). So, she was looking to increase her sales conversions and build a brand that would connect with her loyal customers beyond just her TikTok content.
The Goal
A modern, playful, and feminine branding experience that matched the quality of Hart and Flora’s products, flowed naturally with Shelby’s personality and product designs, and made Hart and Flora customers feel happy and inspired to buy Shelby’s glassware.
The solution
For the Hart and Flora primary logo, we started with a whimsical, flirty serif font and further customized it by playing around with the curves and loops to create a more organic, feminine iteration. We furthered the branding typography by leaning into a script accent font to create a refined yet playful touch. By using this refined script, we were able to create that elevated, garden-inspired feel that helped speak to the high-quality glassware owner Shelby was creating.
We further leaned into Hart and Flora’s garden-obsessed meets iced coffee aficionado vibes through illustration. By illustrating all of the floral and plant-inspired elements along with fun glassware we were able to create bold and playful illustrations that helped the brand stand out from any and all competitors. The patterns and illustrations helped Shelby show up strong and cohesive on social media and also inspired a new collection of glassware!
We showcased more of the warmth and comfort feeling of Olive and Pine by creating abstract, artistic patterns that mixed touches of color with neutral tones. Through the custom illustrations and pattern designs we furthered the personality of the brand and helped to create an overall playful, organic, and abstract feel. These patterns and illustrations, set Ashley up for success as she began creating social posts and as we dove into her packaging designs!
The Results
“HOLY CRAP!! THIS IS AMAZING! I knew you were the right fit!! Wow, I just keep scrolling back and forth and back and forth. I just wanted to say thank you x a million. I can't even begin to imagine the work that went into this and then seeing all the deliverables neatly compiled into folders with all the different types labeled. You are a GEM! You really nailed all the details. It is all so cohesive, original, and my personality, I feel like it's a dream. Thank you to your team that helped as well, you guys seem to flow really well!” — Shelby, Hart and Flora owner
Let’s uplevel your brand and #allthethings that go along with it! We’re here to help you with your website design, custom packaging and collateral, and SO MUCH MORE.
So reach out! The magic is waiting.
