Brand identity design concept for the lifestyle brand, The Lime Haus

When a long-time client contacted us to say he was diversifying his business, we jumped at the chance to get involved. He needed a new brand identity design that reflected the upmarket nature of the products he planned to sell.

The brief

The new brand would launch as an online retailer selling premium leather bags. The plan is to expand into homeware and other lifestyle products further down the line.

The client referenced Ted Baker and John Lewis as brand markers, so the identity needed to feel classy and premium. It also had to appeal to both men and women over the age of 30.

The branding needed to work across all mediums, and there were no colour preferences. That gave us a clean slate to start from.

Logo design

As with all brand identity design projects, we started with the logo. First, we researched similar brands to understand where the client wanted to sit in the market. Next, we reviewed direct competitors and compared their positioning. Finally, we checked similarly named brands to avoid any unwanted similarities.

We then presented a range of logo design concepts to the client. Each one met the brief appropriately, and we would have been happy to move forward with any of them. In the end, the client loved the options and found it very difficult to choose.

It was eventually narrowed down, and we had a clear winner (see below)…

The final logo uses a simple, clean colour palette of dark slate blue/grey and cool grey. As leather bags were the primary launch product, we introduced a leather texture as a backdrop to the logo, which added depth and tactility to the overall look and feel.

The next stage

Most branding projects come with a defined list of deliverables. This usually includes a logo, promotional literature, and supporting marketing collateral, followed by assistance with advertising and launch activity.

This project took a different approach. Once the logo design was finalised, it became the foundation. Everything else acted as an exploration of what the brand could become.

This was a true brand identity design ‘concept’, which meant we weren’t restricted in what we created.

Our approach

As this wasn’t an established brand, we didn’t have products available for photography. Instead, we used existing imagery and mock-ups sourced online. Apologies to any leather bag brands featured along the way – we temporarily adapted imagery through recolouring and styling. Rest assured, once the site goes live, it will only showcase official The Lime Haus products.

As mentioned earlier, this project explored the brand’s potential. Think of it as a fully realised mood board, showing the visual direction the brand could take.

Client feedback

The client was very pleased with the final design concepts. Particularly how we had extended the brand to show how it might work across homeware and other lifestyle products.

Look out for The Lime Haus products in a store near you soon.

For more Brand Identity Design projects, click here.