The Design Cypher

Marion’s Gelato – Branding and Custom Logo Design Project in Mt. Pleasant

We recently had the pleasure of creating a branding package and custom logo for Mt. Pleasant, SC based Marion’s Gelato. Marion began her new company in an effort to give people a healthier alternative to ice cream. She planned to source local, organic ingredients. She wanted to offer something fresh and without preservatives, such as the the ones commonly found in mass produced ice cream, in your…

Design Cypher improves SEO for MasterTech Environmental Services of Myrtle Beach

Capitalizing on brand awareness through SEO for MasterTech Environmental of Myrtle Beach

MasterTech Environmental of Myrtle Beach recently launched its franchisein Myrtle Beach. While the brand is established in the Northeast, it is a newcomer in Myrtle Beach. MasterTech Environmental of Myrtle Beach needed to enter a new market by developing a strong online presence with locally-focused content…

This year the fine folks over at Charleston Beer Week (CHS Beer Week) enlisted the services of Design Cypher to help them come up with a unique logo and branding identity for the 6th Annual Charleston Beer Week.

Deemed as a “Beercation Destination” by CreftBrew.com, Charleston, SC has become a mecca for beer fans from all over. Couple this with Charleston’s reputation as the “Culinary Capital of the World” for the fourth year in a row, and it is no wonder that people hold the Holy City in such high regards in protecting the pearly white gates of indulgence in culinary pleasure.

The Story: Charleston Beer Week Logo and Branding

When designing the visual identity of this year’s fest, we felt like we had paths: continue with the tried and true of past logos, or go in the complete opposite direction. We chose the latter.

While Charleston continues to win various awards and accolades, we understand that it is the people that truly make the city great. People from various walks of life, backgrounds, races, and religions work together to bring the world some great beer from some great breweries. We wanted to visually showcase this within the logo and branding design.

Tattoos have long been a staple of the culinary industry as adored by many chefs and back-of-the-house workers. These blue-collared workers are synonymous with the men and women of the beer brewing variety. Brewmasters and their staff are the backbone of any great beer, and we wanted to showcase the craftsmen who bring it all together. These individuals take pride in their work, dedicate tireless hours to perfecting a recipe, and deserve recognition. That is what we sought to do with traditional Americana tattoo design in the Charleston Beer Week logo.

The Execution: Charleston Beer Week Logo and Branding

The Charleston Beer Week logo and branding elements needed to look good on posters, postcards, t-shirts, glasses, Untapped Badges, and even temporary tattoos.

A special thanks goes out to Chrys and the rest of the photographers at @chsbeerweek for the images.

Noodles Tattoo Logo / Branding Project

When Emil Spengler, owner of Illinois-based Noodles Tattoo, reached out to us via Instagram about possible logo designs for his shop, the Design Cypher team was immediately excited. Emil and his shop specialize in traditional American tattoos with with Asian influences, styles that both cover the bodies and influence the work of Andre and Brenden, the Design Cypher’s principal graphic team.

Emil wanted to redesign the shop logo in an industrial, thick-lined design style that honored styles of the past but still felt fresh. Plus, it needed to feature a badass American Bald Eagle. We couldn’t have been more stoked for this one.

However, after jumping into the project through various sketches, mood boards, and back-and-forth with the client, it became apparent that the usual approach to identity design might not work with this particular project. Emil had a vision, and it was our job to bring it to life.

Initially, we looked at the project as a straight logo design. What we should have been comparing it to was a branding and identity opportunity. Stickers, hats, t-shirts, hoodies. Noodles wanted to explore these options, and we wanted to deliver.

What we came up with is something unique to Emil and the Noodles Tattoo brand. The designs capture the essence traditional design while building on the established look of the Noodles Tattoo shop. In the end, we’re really happy with how these designs turned out.

If you ever find yourself around the outskirts of Chicago, we recommend you pop in, pick up some merch, and get tattooed! You can find Emil and Noodle Tattoo at 28w289 Warrenville Rd., Warrenville, IL 60555, or give them a ring at 630-393-2770.

If you ever find yourself in the need logo, branding or identity work, drop us a line and let us know how we can help!