This Signature Experience (fully custom brand + Showit design) was one for the books!! ?

Naomi Phelps is a wedding + lifestyle photographer based in Austin, Texas. She’s been in the photography industry for over a dozen years, and after quite a few moves around the country, she’s finding her pace in ATX.

Naomi is an incredibly fun, vibrant, and kind human who has such a passion for love, in and of itself, as well as photography. On her Brand Development homework, she shared her story with me, and gosh if that didn’t make me want to give her the best dang design even more:

Photos are the one thing you’re left with after your wedding day, after someone passes that can be passed down with stories and memories told about that person, and a type of heirloom that can be shared with generations to come. It’s timeless. It jogs memories. It brings smile, laughter, tears, and so many emotions all at once. To me, it’s everything and to be the person trusted to tell those stories, freeze those moments, and share in the experience and memories … that’s what I am so passionate about and why I love doing what I do.

Her photography style is very authentic and true to color, and she makes you feel like best friends instantly, so I knew immediately that we were going to get to have some fun with her design. Naomi’s goal was to start reaching more high-end couples in the Austin area (since she was still relatively new to the Austin wedding market) that love having fun and value the joyful, candid, full-of-love photos that she captures for her clients.

Something else that I noticed was extremely important to Naomi were her pets. She has 3 rescue dogs, 1 birds, and a cat. That just shows her heart for taking care of those she loves even more, so I absolutely wanted to incorporate all her fur and feather babies in her design. Perhaps my favorite part about this project was that I got to collaborate with the most talented illustrator I know, Lauren Rich, to bring these animals to life! Lauren hand-illustrated each of the pets based on photos Naomi sent us, and then I used them as standalone graphics as well in a pattern I created for her.

My mission was to appeal to the luxury market without losing her personality, and we totally did that! I selected vibrant colors that were anchored by a beautiful navy throughout her design. I selected a serif for her main font that had a romantic feel (I mean just look at those “f”s ?) and balanced it with a wide sans serif for her secondary font in her subheadings and buttons. Combining things that don’t typically go together, like luxury and bold/fun, is all about balance after all!

One last tiny detail – Naomi is a Disnerd (huge Disney fan) just like me, so I had to add some hidden mickeys to her website! There’s one hidden mickey by itself on each page of the website, and then a couple in her floral patterns in the background, pop over and see if you can find them all ?

How did you feel about your visual identity before we started working together?

I had no idea what my visual identity for my business was. I had no direction or any kind of vision. I just knew I needed someone who could take my thoughts, style, and personality, put it all together, and take it to a whole new level.

How do you feel about your brand now that our project is complete?

My brand is 100% me and my style of photography. If I could take me and put it into a brand, this would be me in a nutshell. I couldn’t have asked for a brand more true to me and my business!

How would you describe your experience working with J. Ashley Innovations?

Easy, smooth, and fun with open, quick, and honest communication! I felt completely at ease and myself with you, and trusted the process. I felt like you guided me… literally held my hand (virtually) through everything and kept me on track.

What do you love most about your new branding and/or website?

What isn’t there to love?! From the logos and colors to the custom patterns and illustrations of my fur and feather-babies, this website is a dream. It’s exactly what I didn’t know I wanted and so much more. I wanted real, genuine, authentic, and joyful that would be my forever brand and site and it is that to the T.

What would you say to a friend who was on the fence about investing in my design experience?

Why are you on the fence? If you want someone who gets you, can represent what you do and who you are, and make it so you’re not some cookie-cutter business, then you want Jordan.

Why did you ultimately choose to hire me?

It started with the feel and look of your own website. It spoke to me. Then I felt that between your “About Me,” Instagram, and our Zoom call that our personalities and likes were very much aligned. Lastly, when you told me who your ideal client is, I knew you were IT.

I couldn’t recommend Jordan with J.Ashley Innovations enough. If you want someone who gets you, can represent what you do and who you are, and make it so you’re not some cookie-cutter business, then you want Jordan. She’s worth the investment!