Branding + Identity

Brand guidebooks for global companies

As a contractor for Landor Associates, a branding agency, I help to produce brand guidebooks for some of the world's leading brands. I've assisted with the branding of eight global companies to date.

Partnering with Landor's in-house teams, I work to develop comprehensive visual identity systems (logo suites, typography, color palettes, photography styles, etc.). I design and write guidebooks (50+ pages) that explain the visual brand strategy, and detail how to design with the elements to communicate effectively. I also produce exhibits and mockups (both design and copy) to model potentially branded pieces.

Much of my produced work is under NDA, but feel free to ask for more details. (I just may reply vaguely.)

Logo, identity, and stylebook for study center

PROBLEM
The Child Study Center of New York is a nonprofit that provides educational support for preschool students with special needs. Its executive director wanted a fresh, modern logo and visual identity that would show the organization's inclusivity, playfulness, and friendliness.

SOLUTION
I designed a trio of cheerful, childlike faces in vibrant colors, which could be applied playfully in multiple contexts, and produced a style guidebook. Unfortunately, the project was dropped after a change in organizational leadership.

Logos and applications (examples in design tutorial)

PROBLEM
InDesign comes with three basic frames: the rectangle, the ellipse, and the polygon. It's easy to think of these as the only shapes for holding photos, colors and text, but with a few clicks, these frames can be easily repurposed to create a wide variety of shapes for holding content.

SOLUTION
I produced a tutorial on how to modify frames in InDesign and design them to reinforce the meaning of the content. I created the examples for all applications, including the logos and branded collateral for fictional companies. This tutorial was published in InDesign Magazine.

graphic design tutorial example by Maya P. Lim

Logo and packaging for tea company

Free-form frames created with the pen tool can be used to contain text.
The effect is natural and literary, looking like a range of mountains and torn paper.

Logo and excerpt of brand guidebook for interior design company

A window graphic symbolizes exploration and openness while emphasizing the interior space for this interior design company.
The frame can be used to contain textures and highlight photography.

Logo and home page for weaving cooperative

A shape reminiscent of a loom and sunsets (motifs in Homer's The Odyssey) or a yarn ball and needles is created with a basic Pathfinder operation.

Logo and About page for stone carving company

This About page features a table-like form that also looks like a mountain (quarry) and sunrise…suggesting the time-intensive process of working with stone.

Logo and activity kit cover for children's education company

Two corners of a rectangle are modified to form book-like covers, into which faces and bright colors are placed.

Logo and usage guidebook for plant research lab

PROBLEM
The Borevitz Lab is a team of plant scientists who use cutting-edge technologies to develop gene-based solutions for landscape issues. With its expanding production of digital media, the group needed a logo to convey its work themes while being distinctive at any scale—from smartphones to auditorium presentation screens.

SOLUTION
I designed a logo inspired by computer motherboards and forest trees, representing the lab's commitment to researching natural systems with technological tools. The logo shows trees in different growth stages supporting each other, representing the lab's highly inclusive, collaborative spirit. The shape of the B mimics the shape of an SD memory card, a staple for the lab. I also produced a logo usage guidebook.

Templates for "branding toolkit" app

PROBLEM
Adobe Spark Post is an app that enables users to design branded graphics in seconds. For the launch of a grid-based design feature, we wanted to offer templates for users to remix.

SOLUTION
Since the target user was small business owners needing marketing design solutions, I felt that each template needed to appear branded and should reflect typical marketing needs for that user group. I produced a set of 20+ templates that were diverse in branding styles and could be easily customized, working within the constraints of the app's design and typographic tools.

Click to visit the Adobe Spark Post website

Snack branding and packaging (example in design tutorial)

PROBLEM
Patterns can add branding, texture, tone, style, and even deeper meaning to a design. Many designers might not realize how easy it can be to design patterns, and how they can be applied to a wide variety of contexts.

SOLUTION
I produced a tutorial on how to create patterns in Illustrator, and designed all the examples for applications, including this packaging and logo for a line of cheese crackers. The tutorial was published on CreativePro.

Branded collateral (examples in design tutorial)

PROBLEM
Designing for paper and screens doesn't have to mean flat design. But adding dimension to a design can easily veer into Tacky Territory (think: drop shadows, bevels, halos!).

SOLUTION
When the subject matter relates to reflections or shadows, using a subtle text reflection can set an elegant tone to a brand's visual style. I produced a tutorial on how to create text reflections in InDesign and designed several examples of branded marketing items with more advanced techniques. This tutorial was published in InDesign Magazine.

Menu (example in design tutorial)

PROBLEM
Graphic design can help companies to build their brand and convey their ambiance. But elegantly designing info-dense materials such as menus can be challenging.

SOLUTION
Using the example of a restaurant being rebranded as a more upscale establishment, I produced a video tutorial describing some common errors in menu design, and showed how to create a more upscale look with basic typographic and layout principles. The tutorial was published on Adobe Create.