The first thing we addressed was creating a logo. Jim wanted the brand of his company to be fun but professional and convey a sense of value. After creating some initial designs and refining them we created the below logo mark.

The logo gives the sense of fun with motion, the seal style of the design hints at the fresh aspect of the restaurant. From there we created Grateful Greens’ identity designs including business cards, letterhead and envelopes. Jim liked the idea of using modernized Art Nouveau style graphics in the identity. The final designs you can see here.

Once the general aesthetic was established we created their menus which you can download by clicking Here. Grateful Greens offers customers the ability to create their own chopped salads. It was important to make sure the steps in creating salads were laid out clearly to make sure visitors knew how to get the final product they really wanted. That’s what design does, it helps clarify process which can be crucial for a restaurant like this.

Next we created some advertisements for them as well. Advertising is critical for any restaurant, here it was important to make sure the message is clear of what Grateful Greens is all about and what makes them different than other restaurants in addition to basic information as well.

Once the restaurant opened we wanted to make sure people could find restaurant information while we were building the site so we created a landing page to monitor traffic and collect email addresses. Here the site needed to be straightforward, fast and have the information visitors want easily accessible.

PowerBand Graphics also provided the tools that Grateful Greens needs to collect email addresses and send email campaigns. Email marketing can be a great tool for restaurants to send out information on promotions, news and events. Check out the site yourself at www.gratefulgreenssalad.com and sign up for their newsletter. Better yet, stop by the restaurant! It’s located at 1451 O Street, Suite 200 Lincoln NE. It’s delicious, healthy and a fun place to eat. It might just be your new favorite place!

From there we turned our attention to his business cards, envelopes and letterhead. David often writes on the backs of his business cards, so while the real estate can be used to showcase photos of his work, it was also printed with a matte  cover to allow easy handwriting.

From there we worked on the advertising pieces for publications that Pro-Scapes promoted itself in. Again, we wanted to keep the aesthetic consistent but also showcase photography of finished landscaping work while still provided plenty of information about the services offered.

Finally we worked together to create a professional web presence for Pro-Scapes. This is a site that features all of Mr. Hastreiter’s services and is also flexible and easy to update with photos and updates for recent projects that they’ve accomplished.

David was a great client and after getting to know him and seeing his work firsthand, I can also easily say that he’s a great landscaper and business owner as well. If you are in need of commercial or residential landscaping services, visit his website and contact him. You’ll be glad you did!

After interviewing them and getting to know their business it was obvious that they are very well respected in Lincoln and take their customer support for their clients very seriously. PowerBand Graphics created an original, modern ecommerce website design that effectively used the layout to allow flexibility to promote products and allow clients easy access to all of the information they need.

After working with them to refine the design to the point where Husker Headquarters was happy with it, we coded it, imported the products and provide ongoing training and support for the business. The site went live this week. If you are a Husker fan and want some gear to show your support, check it out here!

Heartland Professional Home Energy Raters is a Lincoln Nebraska startup that approached PowerBand Graphics to provide branding, website design, marketing collateral and even tradeshow signage for the business as it started out. After meeting with the owner Kari Beckenhauer, learning about her business and getting a feel for the passion she has for her industry I felt fortunate she chose me to help.

Heartland Professional Home Energy Raters is a business that specializes in rating the energy efficiency of existing homes in addition to working with home builders to ensure the homes they build are energy star rated and can sell them as such. They do not endorse or promote products, services or companies so you can trust their word that they’ll suggest changes that will benefit you and your bottom line.  They’ll provide suggestions on how you can save money on utility bills while making your home healthier and more comfortable.

What was great about working with Kari, is that she knows firsthand the troubles that homeowners go through in keeping their home efficient to save money, increasing their home value and decreasing their environmental impact. This kind of knowledge about her business and market is invaluable to creating a meaningful and affective brand. We immediately began conceptualizing ideas and doing extensive research into her market and customers. We created concepts that conveyed the emotions we were looking for, she didn’t want to be seen as a cheesy operation. Her business helps homeowners and there should be a sense of trust in her opinion and expertise.

After examining and revising the options we settled on a logo design and brand message. From there we created the identity pieces for the business. Next we examined website concepts to create a creative and professional web presence for the business. The website had to appeal to multiple markets. Not just the homeowner but the home builder as well. Careful thought went into the copy, the structure of the website and the message the site would convey to visitors. Below is a screenshot, or you can check it our yourself here:

From there we created an email newsletter so that Kari could use PowerBand Graphic’s own easy to use email marketing service to keep in touch with her clients and let them know of recent projects and simple tips they could use to make their own homes more efficient.

From there we created advertisements that captured the qualities of everything we’ve established in Heartland Professional Home Energy Rating’s branding so far. We created what PowerBand Graphics calls an Advertising Kit. This kit establishes a variety of print ads in different sizes that will help establish a consistent and professional brand in whatever publications or methods they decide to advertise in.

We even went so far as to create graphics for tradeshow banners and standees for a local Homeowner Convention. It was great working with Kari on all of these projects to establish a professional, consistent brand image across print, web and any other marketing needs they had.

Creating this consistency helps establish trust, professionalism and a uniqueness that increases the value of her business as whole. If you are a homeowner who is looking to increase the value and comfort of your home, create more independence from energy utilities in addition to helping the environment, you should give Kari at Professional Home Energy Raters a call. Your home and your wallet will thank you.

December 2010′s cover featured NBC Bank here in Lincoln. Don’t forget to check out the handsome guy in the lower right corner:

January 2011′s Cover Featured JMISKO:

February’s cover featured the Strictly Business crew themselves:

March 2011′s Strictly Business Cover showcased TCW Construction here in Lincoln:

April’s 2011 cover featured the fantastic food at Greta’s Gourmet:

And finally May’s cover featured Shane and Sunny themselves!

E-Pass is a local service that provides exclusive membership to receive “elite” specials at various drinking establishments around the Lincoln Nebraska area. E-Pass is now accepted at 9 locations with more to come! Including sports bars, restaurants, clubs, and Lincoln’s hottest spots for live bands.

This business was started by Jason Gayed, a local small business owner who had an idea for a discounted card similar to what you may find for restaurants but aimed at drinking establishments and clubs. After meeting with him it was clear he had done his research and realized that with this startup image was going to play a large role in attracting sales. Jason did not want something that would be viewed as cheap or cheesy. To attract both the drinking establishments and the people to buy the card this service needed to be high end, fun and professional. No product names had been finalized at this point and PowerBand Graphics was up to the challenge of working with Jason, researching different options to create a brand that met his goals.

The first step was researching what was out there, comparing ideas and concepting directions we could go. Sketches were made, typography was experimented with and names were tested. Here’s just a sample of some of the concepts that were created:

From there, Jason and I worked to finalize the concept and aesthetic of the company. The company would be known as Elite Pass Nebraska with the main product being the E-Pass. The business identity should convey nightlife, classiness and exclusivity for the card holder. The card itself would be traditional on the back side but the front would be vertically oriented so the user could wear it in a lanyard. This lends itself well to events where an E-Pass holder gets in free or are exclusive to cardholders.

Once everything was finalized, brand guidelines were given to Jason. These multi-page guidelines included primary logos, alternate logos and directions on when to use each. It includes social media images, and print files so the card, logo and everything else can be replicated in as high quality manner possible. PowerBand Graphics will always be ready to help create work for Elite Pass Nebraska but having this material on hand makes the business owner’s life easier and more independent.

It was a pleasure working with Jason. His business plan has been well thought out and there are some great specials with E-Pass. You can contact him or purchase yours via his website.

In a market like Lincoln’s, it’s important to find a way to differentiate what makes Comfort Chiropractic different than other Chiropractors. What makes Comfort Chiropractic unique and how can we use design to promote those qualities? First of all Dr. Kallio and his staff provide more than just Chiropractic services. Along with that core, there’s rehabilitation, nutrition counselling and physical strengthening they provide for their customers. They have a modern yet warm and inviting facility. It was clear that traditional and possibly cliche chiropractic aspects like spinal images weren’t going to do this business and the people who work there justice. Their old branding seen below, while serviceable, was not reflecting the best parts of the company.

PowerBand Graphics met with Dr. Alex and discussed what market he wants to target. We went over how he wants the business to be viewed in the future, not just how it is seen now. PowerBand Graphics interviewed some of Comfort Chiropractic’s clients to get outside perspective of the best traits the business has. The consensus was that Dr. Kallio and Comfort Chiropractic have unmatched physical technique, is a business you can trust and goes beyond just Chiropractic to help. After creating many different concepts we finalized his brand and logo along those lines. The heart represents health, wellness beyond just chiropractic and also evokes pleasant feelings. The lines wrapping the heart symbolize care and support. After considering many different color iterations we finalized a combination that feels warm, friendly and modern. All qualities of the business.

With that base aesthetic established we worked together to create Comfort Chiropractic’s identity designs. The branding and design pieces were created to make the company feel approachable and modern. This helps establish it as someplace you want to go, not just a place to go when you are in pain.

Comfort Chiropractic strives to become synonymous with quality chiropractic care in Lincoln Nebraska. By crafting a brand that showcases that as well, the business clarifies the message to current and potential clients. Design is all about clarification and emotion, if your business relies on those things at all then you need to consider professional branding as well!

October’s featured business for the cover was SuperSaver.

And for September, the magazine showcased Cornhusker Bank and PowerBand Graphics created a design that best used the branding and aesthetic that the bank is already known for.

As always, it’s great to work with the crew at Strictly Business. Their commitment to businesses in Lincoln and Omaha is incredibly as well as their tireless efforts to promote them. If you don’t know of them, check them out!

Denise has a fantastic brand concept. By building her company around herself and establishing herself as the expert, she created a very memorable and unique image. As anyone who’s visited my blog can attest, creating a personalized brand with your company is a smart technique. No matter how much your competitors may try to emulate you or your services, one thing they’ll never be able to duplicate is you!

Her original business designs were solid but they did not fully capture that fun and personality that The HR Lady exhibits. Here’s an example of how they looked. It’s straightforward and to the point but nothing about it screamed “HR Lady”.

After some talking she decided that it was time to leverage her look, company name and personality into a new brand. PowerBand Graphics sat down with Denise and discussed what qualities she wanted to promote and what areas in her field she thought needed to be improved upon. She wanted to change the perception that Human Resources is something in business that is troublesome or painful. Denise wanted to highlight the fun and problem solving abilities that her profession can provide. After researching her field, concepting ideas and working with her on revisions, we finalized her new brand.

“Human Resources Made Simple” while it’s true there’s nothing simple about what she does, The HR Lady works to make things simple and fun for her clients and their employees. Once her logo was established we created basic design and identity components. This included everything from business cards to letterhead and envelopes. All of those pieces working together should be professional, clean and highlight the core themes of the The HR Lady brand.

The HR Lady has become a recognizable face around Lincoln even without creating a brand around her. This kind of design will help make her that much more memorable. It’s easy to implement, iconic and is an investment that will be worthwhile for years to come!