[gb] Studio / we build web apps. we build brands.

What We’re Up To

It certainly wasn’t our typical type of project, but when client, The Autumn Film asked us to help them out with a music video, we couldn’t say no. As part of the Heart-Shaped Box giveaway by the band, we helped film, edit, and direct the short film, Joy. As usual, we also did the branding, album artwork, and web design for the album itself and the giveaway promotional materials. Check it.

Development continues on the next release of Backstage. See it in action with The Autumn Film’s The Grey EP. Check it.

Currently working with dev wizards
Quick Left to give Little Mountain a totally fresh and completely redesigned site.

What kind of business owner are you? We’re working with Crankset Group to help you answer that question. Check it.

Skip to the pretty stuff

Hi, my name is Grant Blakeman. I run [gb] Studio and this is our little corner of the internet. We’re working on some big stuff, some little things that will be big, and everything in-between. Feel free to poke around a bit or read my blog, if you’re so inclined.

About Us

We do design, branding and web applications development. We’ve worked with big high-tech clients, real estate developers, retail products, non-profits, bands & musicians, and seem to have a penchant for branding new startups and welcoming them into the world.

More specifically, we name companies, do full-level brand consultations, logo design, and web user-interface, site architecture, and layout design. On the web end, we build things with Ruby on Rails, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript and a host of other technologies with funny-sounding names.

Most agencies build things for others. We spend a good chunk of our time building apps for ourselves, our own products to sell, trying our own ideas in the market-place. What does this mean for you?

We know what it’s like on your side of the fence. The work we do and the way we do it reflects this. We’re not just interested in the project at hand, we want our contribution to help your business. You’ll often find us talking you out of things you don’t need, shrinking your budget and keeping you on track so the project doesn’t lose momentum.

Better thinking always beats more features, more copy, more noise.

Better thinking always beats more features, more copy, more noise.

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Project Snapshots

Here is a little peek into our work, process and the clients we’ve helped. Use the arrows to flip through projects.

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Rivendell College

Branding, Logo Design, Full Identity Package Design, Graphic Standards

It’s not often that you get a chance to influence the brand and identity of a new institution of higher learning. Rivendell had their name picked out, but needed everything else. Our task was to create an identity for them that was balanced between the normally stodgy feel a college or university emits and a more friendly feel that would appeal to students.

Starting with the logo, and through all of the print work the basic premise was to keep everything classic, but use a bold color palette and unique shapes to add interest to each piece. We also developed a full graphic standards manual to guide their team in the rest of their communications.

Our task was to create an identity that balanced classic with a fresh perspective to appeal to students.

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Zaca

Naming, Logo/Identity Design, Brand System, Tag line, Retail Packaging Design

You have a great product. You know it, but where do you go from there? That’s exactly where Zaca was at when they contacted us. In fact, they weren’t even Zaca yet – they were two guys with a great product ready to sell and more planned.

We started with a name and then helped them think inside a branding system. Zaca, Be Nice to Your Body – they could organize everything around that – it made sense.

We picked color palettes, designed a logo, and designed their retail packaging, business cards, and a unique free-sample card that they could use to hand out samples of their product and build buzz.

“Everything you guys have done is great! You are very talented and proven to us that you are the best of the best in this industry.”

Design Gallery

We’re not big on simply showing a bunch of pretty work. It’s a bit like the whole “judging a book by its cover” thing. The thinking behind the work is the value we bring to each project over the next guy with some design skills. That said, we want you to be confident in our visual acumen.
So start scrolling. Ooh, pretty…