Donovan WaterWorks Brand

Brand identity design for a community-focused plumbing company, to include: market research report, moodboard, primary logo, alternate logos, color palette, and brand guide.

The client needed a brand identity for a woman-owned and -operated plumbing company based in Baltimore, Maryland. They had little idea of what kind of visual brand Donovan WaterWorks needed, so I was given full creative control.

I began this project by speaking with the founders of Donovan WaterWorks to understand what their goals, priorities, and values were in starting this business. Next, I conducted extensive market research, from which I produced a market research report that provided a visual overview of the top industry competitors.

I then used my knowledge of the market and the founders' goals to develop a brand document that identifies the brand archetype and provides a brief overview of the Caregiver archetype. Finally, I created a mood board that would serve as the visual inspiration for the brand identity.

I went through dozens of logo ideas and iterations, beginning with sketching by hand and then vectorizing the best hand-drawn logos in Adobe Illustrator. I worked in close collaboration with the founders to select the best option.

The clients loved the finalists so much, they had a difficult time choosing a favorite. Once a logo direction was chosen, I fleshed it out with alternative logos. Below you can see the full logo, the logomark, and the stacked logo.

Next, I fleshed out the brand identity to include a full color palette, typography choices, and graphic elements, such as a "pipe wave" pattern and long thin modular pipes. I compiled these elements into a single image for approval by the client.

Once again, the client loved it. I took everything I'd designed to codify a visual brand identity in a three-page guide that the client would continue to use for the next four years, as this brand guide served as the basis for dozens if not hundreds of projects.

The final 3-page Donovan WaterWorks Brand Identity Guide, above, may be downloaded here.

Shortly after this brand identity was finalized, I used it to design this trifold membership brochure.