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Fiona Humberstone

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Building the Dream Team

Creative Direction

Fiona Humberstone – Creative Direction

Building a website is a bit like building a house – you need an architect (someone who will create the elevations or the site map), you need a contractor (someone who will build the walls or write the code) and you need a designer (someone who will bring the rooms or pages to life once they’re built.)  We’re in the process of redesigning our website (as if we didn’t have enough to do!) and while we love our contractor who’s been by our virtual side since the day we launched Diane James Home, we wanted a whole new look and feel.  Hence our search for the perfect architect and designer.

Fiona Humberstone - Color Psychology

Fiona Humberstone – Color Psychology

The first time we saw Fiona Humberstone’s website, we fell hard and and we only dreamed that we could work with such a “creative catalyst” from across the pond.  Well, dreams do sometimes come true and after a lengthy questionnaire and a three hour Skype call, we convinced her to join our team.

Stitch - Canon Green Printed Media

Stitch – Canon Green Printed Media

The final step was to find a designer who could work with Fiona’s ideas and create a new brand and website for us.  As easy as this sounds, there are so many uber creative firms out there so we had to trust Fiona to reach out to the ones that made the most sense for us.  And we weren’t disappointed…  All of the proposals we received were unique and each had a specific voice but the one that spoke loudest to us was Stitch Design Co. in historic Charleston.

Stitch - Schermer Pecans Logo

Stitch – Schermer Pecans Logo

Another lengthy brand questionnaire later (if your brand were an object/car/person, what/who would it be?  who would be the ultimate endorser of your brand? you get the gist…) and we’re on our way to re-branding ourselves.  And we can’t wait to see what our dream team comes up with!  Stay tuned…

Stitch - Poppies and Peonies Website

Stitch – Poppies and Peonies Website

P.S.  Fiona has just put the finishing touches on her second book, How to Style Your Brand, due out this May.

Fiona's New Book

Fiona’s New Book

Photo:  Fiona Humberstone and Stitch & Co.

Fashion Friday

Friday Favorite: Mood Boards

Mood Board Galore

Mood Board Galore

Mood boards are the best!  We create one for each seasonal collection we design and begin gathering our inspirations months in advance.  Now that we’ve put our Spring/Summer 2015 collection to bed, it’s time to think about next year’s Fall/Winter designs – who knows what will capture our imagination and fuel our creative fire?  Mood boards are great for any type of project – whether you’re tackling a home renovation, planning a big event or designing a brand.  As a vehicle to get your creative juices flowing, mood boards can’t be beat.

Rose & Indigo

Rose & Indigo – Camille Styes

So we were excited to discover Fiona Humberstone’s blog, The Brand Stylist, and read this recent post.  According to Fiona, “Creating a mood board for your business is both inspiring and massively empowering” and needless to say, essential if you’re launching a new venture or want to rebrand an existing one.

Feminine Edge

Feminine Edge – Breanna Rose

Sorbet Hues

Sorbet Hues – Two Ellie

This month, our e-commerce site, Diane James Home, turns six and we’re working on version 2.0.  It’s a little daunting (that’s an understatement!) and we really do want to change things up a bit, yet keep the online identity our customers have come to love.  Perhaps this is a good time to follow Fiona’s advice and create a mood board for our brand, one that will give us direction and perhaps have us thinking outside the box… or at least the monitor!

Pastel Prettiness - Breanna Rose

Pastel Prettiness – Breanna Rose

Natural Neutrals - Observant Nomad

Earthy Feminine – Observant Nomad

Are mood boards a favorite of yours?  Do you use them for your projects, too?  Happy, creative Friday!

Photos: office, monochromatic, feminine, sorbet, pastels and earthy