NBLA
Recently, we underwent a rebranding exercise which included a very significant change for our studio – the change of our name from Nathan Burkett Design to Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture (NBLA). We felt our name should more accurately represent what we do and the qualifications we hold.
After a comprehensive vetting process, we engaged the highly regarded design studio Pop and Pac to develop a logo along with a brand identity that represents the quality of work we strive to do as a studio. Creative Director, Mauris Lai, talks about their creative process for the rebranding and rationale behind the new designs.
Why did NBLA initially engage Pop & Pac?
Nathan engaged Poc and Pac to create branding in line with their new name, comprising of logo, marquee and a comprehensive set of visual marketing collateral to support the brand’s new look and feel: stationery, website, promotional material and signage design.
In Nathan’s own words, “We wanted a brand that would reflect the understated quality and sophistication of the work we produce. NBLA is a studio for the time-poor; clients in need of an intuitive team who can quickly grasp their dreams to deliver a sensational outcome that exceeds their expectations.”
How did you get to know the persona of the business and the qualities you wanted to emphasize?
We have a thorough briefing process involving a brand identity questionnaire that’s been specifically constructed to understand the business, its customers, core offerings, strengths, challenges, values etc.
We work very closely with our clients through this process because their answers form the foundations for our creative strategy and concept design.
How did you set about transferring this into a visual representation?
Our design process consists of five stages – Creative Strategy, Concept Design, Design Development, Final Artwork and Production Management.
A component of the brand identity questionnaire is geared towards our clients’ interpretation of their brand and what they want it to represent. Answers to a carefully selected series of questions help us form a persona that’s visual, physical and emotional.
For example, we ask our clients to compare their brand to a country, a texture and something from nature. For those questions, Nathan’s responses were ‘Netherlands’, ‘Cobblestone’ and ‘Peacock’, which all represent class and refined taste, yet also a confidence in style that doesn’t necessarily conform to the conventional.
As part of our Creative Strategy phase, we invite the client back to the studio for a brand workshop. We present our understanding of the brief and take the client through our proposed strategy and creative territories. The creative territory presentation is done in the form of mood boards and preliminary sketches. Collectively, we then decide on the creative territories prior to commencing design concept.
What’s the design rationale behind the new branding?
It speaks to the work of NBLA, who’s work speaks for itself. It shows the sophistication of the designs and a feeling of quiet confidence. NBLA is an expert in its field – a studio clients can trust.
It’s contemporary and understated, reflecting the quality, innovation and precision NBLA delivers with each landscape design. It’s not locked into a style but offers diversity and ability to adapt to client and site.
Have a garden design project you’d like to discuss with NBLA? We’d be happy to help. Call the studio on 03 9095 8344.