branding / identitywhite whale coffee company. new England based and run by two of the coolest dudes around. check ‘em out, the coffee’s good!
The white whale brand
Collaborators
Paul D. — Sr. Designer
Madeline S. — Engagement
Jeremy M. — Partner
some background
Our clients Ashley and Josh are the kind of founders who pour themselves into everything they build — smart, scrappy, and not afraid to have a little fun along the way.
After building and selling a successful digital agency, they knew what it took to launch from scratch. But this time, it wasn’t another digital agency — it was small-batch coffee with big character.
We’d worked with them before, so when they reached out, it felt less like landing a new client and more like picking up where we left off. The challenge: create a brand that captured their New England roots, love of coastal living, pun-filled sense of humor, and adventurous spirit.
Together, we built an identity and packaging system that feels grounded, approachable, and built with intention. Our process was collaborative, full of laughs, and puns that shaped a brand as warm and genuine as the people behind it.
let’s get started!
We used a tried-and-true methodology to create the brand, although sped up a bit to meet the client’s timeline. First we created a set of sliding scales to better understand who they are and, for lack of a better term, their vibe. Once we had that solidified we put together a set of moodboards to make sure we were all headed in the same general direction (as a bonus we also added in some copy directions and ideas we had for moments of delight).
the brand mark
We sketched, and sketched, and sketched. We reviewed internally and sketched a bit more. We met with the client and shared all our thoughts and feelings together to decide on a handful of favorites. We took those favorites and brought them into illustrator to see how they translated and how they could expand into a system.
work in progress
More to come soon!
Ashley (Co-owner)