Mothershed Design Co.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m in charge of sales and graphic design at InkRabbit Printworks. We’re a printing and design company that produces posters, stickers, banners, decals, and so on.

What challenge were you trying to address with Mothershed Design Company?

Our company was previously called World’s Best Banners. We started 15 years ago as a banner company but within the first two years, we started producing a lot more products than just banners but felt stuck with that name.

Recently, we had started working on a project with a web designer and decided it was a good time to change our branding, name, and image. The challenge of the project was to show our diversity. We didn’t want people to think all we did were banners. We wanted to show that we can print, install, design, and do much more.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mothershed Design Company handled our rebranding efforts from start to finish. We started with an in-person meeting that lasted two hours. During this time, we discussed and covered everything about our business including what we do, who are customers are, and what we want to project to our customers. We held a whole strategy session during that meeting. It was mentally challenging because it was a lot, but it was exactly what we needed to do.

After that, Mothershed Design Company got to work and sent over a mood board as well as different ideas and thoughts on how they were going to proceed in finding our new name. They did some research to see what was available and then after talking to us, narrowed the options down to six.

We then chose three names. Their team explained and described the strengths of each name, and we selected InkRabbit Printworks. From there, they started designing the logo and finalizing the mood board.

What is the team composition?

We only work with Megan (Co-Owner) and Josiah (Co-Owner).

How did you come to work with Mothershed Design Company?

Our web designer is friends with Megan and Josiah so he recommended them to us. I went on their website and was impressed by their work. There’s a store down the street where we do our shopping, and Mothershed Design Company did their logo.

Their work was excellent so I didn’t feel that I needed to look elsewhere. After an initial phone call, I liked their vibe and how they described their work process. We decided to pick and stick with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from October–December 2019.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Mothershed Design Company took everything we said in the two-hour meeting and put it into a format we could use and present to our customers. Not only did we get a logo, but we also got a full-on branding package including business cards and Excel sheets. These are all assets we can use on our website and any other future marketing products. Now, we feel that we can keep everything uniform — we never had that before.

How did Mothershed Design Company perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great at project management. Their team was very responsive to all of my questions. Every time we got an update, it’d come with an email and some graphics or a video. Mothershed Design Company recorded videos describing what they did and why they did it. It was very helpful to see the thinking that went into their design choices. They’re very detail-oriented.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was very attentive. They really listened and gave us exactly what we were looking for. I never thought we’d change our name, but they did such a great job pitching it and explaining why it’d be a good fit for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. They offer to do everything. This didn’t happen, but they would've gone back to the drawing if we said we didn’t like something. They did amazing work and a good job overall. I think very highly of them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

At that first meeting, I asked them about 30 questions. Make sure to be as detailed as you can; really try to look at every aspect of what you’re trying to achieve. Then, be sure to present it to them, and they’ll do a great job of getting you exactly what you want.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Mitaka USA imports and distributes medical imaging technology, primarily from Japan, for surgical use. Our products focus on the lymphedema surgical market and our flagship product, the MM51 Microscope, natively resolves at twice the power and magnification of any extant surgical microscope. I am the Vice President of the company and manage our sales force, oversee marketing and operations.

For what projects/services did your company hire Mothershed Design Company?

We needed a full brand overhaul in order to compete with megaliths like Stryker and Medtronic.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a fresh look that was a departure from the sterile and cold branding of many surgical device companies but one that retained the serious and intellectual nature that the industry prides iitself upon.

How did you select this vendor?

We did a lot of research and based on Mothershed's sterling reputation and a strong word of mouth recommendation from the CEO of Zerosun productions we made our choice without hesitatioin.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We employed Mothershed for a full brand overhaul and website redesign.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with Josiah as well as Meg. Had I not known better, based on their productivity and thoroughness, I would have thought there were at least a dozen people working on the project. With Mothershed, you get the productivity of a large team but the flexibility and adaptive nature of a small closely-knit team.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have received more compliments on our website and promotional materials since our brand refresh than I would have ever thought possible. Following the refresh our sister companies in Europe, Chile, and China all borrowed and imitated aspects of our branding. The website generates so much traffic that it comes up in searches for products we can only sell in the US when those products are searched for in countries all over the world!!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was seamless. They delivered an outstanding and on-time product every single time. No one at Mitaka works on marketing full-time and it seemed like it would be quite the diversion to do a full-scale brand refresh but the Mothershe team was so effective and efficient it hardly put a strain on our normal activities at all!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

When working with Mothershed I was most impressed that Josiah and Meg had such keen creative ability coupled with a level of efficiency I would have thought only a large team capable of!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I cannot think of a single area that Mothershed Design needs to improve upon!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of Monarch; a branded merchandising agency located in Chicago and Denver. I am responsible for the overall success of the company and strategic direction.

For what projects/services did your company hire Mothershed Design Company?

Monarch was coming up on it’s 10 year anniversary and our brand wasn’t reflective of the company we had become anymore. We needed to elevate our look, message, and voice so our branding was relevant to what we were putting out in the world.

What were your goals for this project?

1. Refresh our brand identity to better represent our values and offerings
2. Design a logo for Beyond the Imprint, a Monarch sub-brand, to showcase inspiring content, innovative ideas, and empowering educational opportunities to promote our brand as a source of community and creativity
3. Have new digital and print identity collateral for both brands that we could use moving forward

How did you select this vendor?

Mothershed came as a recommendation from an employee who had work with them in the past. After reviewing their work, it was clear to us that they were the best fit due to their versatility of design. We were confident that they would be able to pull out what was needed from us and create impactful branding.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Mothershed spent a substantial amount of time with our team to understand what Monarch was really about after being in business for almost a decade. We went through a series of exercises that allowed us to freely express our brand essence. After they had all the information they needed they provided us with three designs and took the time to explain to us what was behind each concept.

This was extremely helpful to us as we were looking for an entire rebrand, not just a new logo. They explained what they envisioned each concept which gave us the opportunity to make a meaningful decision. Once we decided on a concept they built out the entire brand including patterns, die cuts, collateral, our sub-brand, and even named our icon!

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with Josiah and Meg which was pivotal to both the creative process and keeping things on track. Josiah took our feedback and delivered amazing designs as well as took the time to explain what each design meant and the reasons behind the elements while Meg asked the right questions for clarity and kept the project on track.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since rolling out our new brand we have been featured in two industry presentations, have been able to more effectively train employees on how to communicate with our clients using our brand voice, we have also had an amazing response from our clients who ask us to make more Monarch swag so they can wear the brand.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was seamless! There was a clear process that Mothershed laid out for when we would meet and what those meetings entailed so we could show up prepared.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was so impressed with the level of detail and thoughtfulness that went into our design. As well as the thoroughness of each design element. Thanks to Mothershed we understand the purpose of each brand element for Monarch, our sub brand, and our icon which allows us to be more effective with our marketing efforts. I also loved that they took the time to teach us how to use our print collateral; they were truly a part of our team for the duration of the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

From my perspective, my experience was exceptional. I wouldn't change a thing!