Stranger | Cake Coworking

Cake is a Boston-based co-working and events space by-and-for women entrepreneurs. The mother-daughter duo behind Cake engaged us to build out a professional brand system for them before they secured funding. Sure enough, we gave them what they needed to give those investors the old razzle dazzle.

Cake is a Boston-based co-working and events space aimed at catering to and empowering women entrepreneurs. The mother-daughter duo behind the whole operation strategically hired us before approaching investors so they would have a professional brand system in place.

WEBSITE

POSTCARD

BUSINESS CARDS

PITCH DECK

CASE STUDY

We started by doing research, then running the co-founders through a few brand exercises and getting to the bottom of their vision for Cake. Together, we determined that Cake wanted to exude femininity, while embracing the broad spectrum that it can be expressed across. Like their co-working spaces, the branding needed to showcase a work/life balance of relaxation and professionalism. Yin and yang.

With their vision in mind, we presented them with three moodboards so they could see how potential design directions could be applied to their brand, while also giving the Stranger team feedback early on in the process.

The Cake co-founders indicated that they were looking for a wordmark rather than a pictorial logo—to avoid being confused with a bakery. Based off Cake's moodboard feedback, we presented first round wordmarks that were primarily chunky, featuring rounded edges to create a soft, bold, and friendly feel.

We also presented three typeface combinations. We presented the combinations in “style tiles,” which use a mock website design to show the typefaces in action. We also used this opportunity to get some feedback on the illustration style so we'd know what tweaks to make moving forward.

Cake loved the revised logo and particularly loved the second typeface combination (Din Condensed and Asap, in case you’re curious) as a complement to the logo. Din is taller and sharper than the other fonts, and together with the rounder, more friendly-feeling logo, the brand stays grounded and approachable.

And they thought the illustration style was perfect. As a part of this project, we created a small set of illustrations for use across all of their collateral.

And they thought the illustration style was just the ticket! We created a small set of illustrations for use across all of their collateral.

With the logo and typeface selections finalized, and the illustration style locked down, we turned to the color palette. After some probing, we found that Cake loved contrasting softer colors with deep, darker jewel tones. The team landed on a bright neon yellow that contrasted well with the cooler blues. And with that, the branding portion of the project was complete.

With Cake fully amped on the brand elements of the project, all that remained was mere execution, feedback, and revision. For each web page and print deliverable, we presented multiple visual directions and went through a few rounds of revisions in order to get everything right where Cake wanted them.

With the project complete, we finished by advising the Cake co-founders on how to print all of their materials and which vendors had the best rates. Cake’s needs hit us right in our sweet spot where we can be most valuable to a client—providing ample research, partnering to form a holistic brand vision, and executing that vision with design that could turn investors’ heads—and we loved working with them.

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