Introduction:

As the COVID-19 pandemic took its relentless grip on the world, businesses large and small faced significant disruption, shortages, and staff sickness. Yet, amidst this gloom, many found an opportunity to dust off their old hobbies. Freed from the tyranny of nine-to-five schedules, people discovered the pleasure of monetising their passions from the comfort of their homes.

A surge of entrepreneurship swept through America in 2020, seeing a 24% increase in new business applications over the previous year. Up North, Canada took a different route, with less enthusiasm for new business ventures. One of the brave hearts who bucked the trend was Shannon Kelly, a Vancouver-based artist and ceramist, launching her small enterprise amidst the whirlwind of the pandemic.

As her artistic prowess flourished and her network expanded, Shannon faced a daunting challenge - the fear of her business being swallowed by the anonymous marketplace, diluting its unique identity. As conventional business models seemed increasingly fraught, young entrepreneurs like Shannon started seeking innovative, unconventional solutions to their challenges. The focus shifted towards empowering Inhabt to negotiate stronger B2B terms, without forsaking the brand's ethos or profitability.

Brand Strategy:

Now, more than ever, sustainability resonates with customers. The ethical and environmental footprint of products holds sway in purchasing decisions, and this trend is keenly felt in Inhabt's primarily female clientele in the US, closely followed by Canadians. With the pandemic coercing us into a more home-bound existence, the desire to curate a beautiful living space is also seeing a significant rise in online sales.

Analysing the preferred brands of Inhabt's target audience offered us valuable insights into their aesthetic leanings. The sea of serif fonts and the neutral palette was as ubiquitous as it was monotonous. Recognising the unique appeal of Inhabt's artisanal, ethical, and female-led ethos became the lynchpin of our brand strategy.

We delved into the annals of human history, drawing inspiration from the enduring quality of ceramics. The task at hand was to portray Shannon's creations as a part of our collective cultural legacy and curate a brand experience that mirrored the timeless nature of ceramics. To realise its potential as a cultural influence, Inhabt's perspective needed a shift - from being a local enterprise to a global purveyor of artisanal craftsmanship. Shannon's request for a distinctive, custom logo and a versatile but subtle colour palette echoed our sentiment and fortified our approach.

Visual Identity:

While the modernist movement greatly influenced our concept, we also strove to infuse a contemporary freshness to the brand. We revived a Gothic type for Inhabt's logo, honouring Shannon's timeless creations and vision.

For the colour palette, we chose earthy, natural hues inspired by the resplendent landscapes of Scotland. These colours beautifully encapsulated the brand's minimalistic ethos. Created with a view to cater seamlessly to both B2B and B2C requirements, Inhabt's identity emerged as clean, refined, and distinctly modern, appealing to a discerning audience seeking unique, bespoke solutions.

The multicolour packaging was an extension of the brand's palette, adding a touch of refinement and underscoring the founder's creative flair. It also set Inhabt apart from its competitors, usually veering towards white, subdued tones. One of the most effective ways to underscore the uniqueness of a product is to emphasise the human touch in its creation. For Inhabt, we used a hand-drawn line as a bridge between the past and the present, forging a brand that, like its products, promises to endure through time. The chapter of Inhabt's role in history is still being written in the here and now.