Malley Design

“The way we’re wired is to be outside,” Jeff says. So no matter how many hours you spent burnt out behind your screen of choice, nature will always feel alluring.

With Sauna Water’s all-natural, often-foraged ingredients, nature felt like an art direction that was both obvious and smart. But instead of pine trees and smoke billowing out of saunas, we chose something subtler. Is it a body of water? Maybe. Light coming through a heap of steam? Buy a can or 12 and tell us what you think. Like sauna itself, it’s less something you understand and more an atmosphere you experience.

The colors double down on the vibes. We kept them grounded in colors you’d actually see in nature while turning the volume down on saturation. The can gets your attention, alright, but it doesn’t have to shout at you to do it.

The logotype is Scandinavian-influenced, with geometric serifs that are beautiful, but in a sound and useful way. Accompanying fonts introduce subtle curves that strike a balance between premium and organic, while giving it a more welcoming touch to pair with the stoic logotype.

Case Study link in bio.

NEW WORK: Reed Warren had gotten pretty far.

After starting out with a mergers and acquisitions firm, Reed realized that the valuations that made these transactions possible were imprecise at best, sketchy at worst. He built iTValuations to provide M&A consulting for IT service firms with a data-driven valuation model that stood up to scrutiny from anyone involved in the transaction.

But like all our favorite clients, Reed and the iTV team had their sights set higher. They were a founder-driven company focused on one-time valuations for IT companies. They wanted to become a tech company offering transformation for IT businesses at crossroads moments.

A brand that looks like a scale-up and sounds like a splash. We’ve done that plenty before. Transformation was the core promise, after all, and one possible theme took that literally. Initial concepts borrowed heavily from the digital world and relying on blues and greens.

But if you’ve been to any IT conference, you’ll see a sea of blue and techy elements that made this theme tricky to pull off while standing out. What if we didn’t go blue? What if we didn’t lean on abstract digital elements? In other words, what if we didn’t play it safe?

Flying is not only Reed’s passion, but a surprisingly common hobby among IT company owners. And if you sit with it for a few seconds, the metaphor clicks into place. iTValuations was offering a suite of services to accelerate company valuations with surprising speed. And you’ll never take to the skies without a flight instructor to guide you. Show you the plane’s vitals. Point out the flashing red lights. Teach you how to get to 30,000 feet.

The logo mark is a “V” with an arrow pointing upward and onward to symbolize both flight and the exponential growth that iTV seeks to deliver.

Their offerings are many, so we built icons for each service using the arrow as a core building block and let the abstract forms create the feel of a tech-startup on the rise. And since the launch in 2024, that’s exactly what iTValuations has been.

“There’s a shortage of agencies who listen carefully and thoughtfully collaborate. Malley sought to understand us and nailed the delivery, all in a tight timeline. Can’t imagine working with a better group.” — Aaron Mahl, Executive Vice President Business Development

• 112% Increase in Monthly Recurring Revenue
• 123% Growth in VaaS Clients
• 295% Increase in IT Tax Advisor Service

Full Case Study: https://malley.design/work/itvaluations/

How do you create a memorable experience that takes you back to earlier eras? It can quickly devolve into a parade of atomic starbursts and boomerang curves that don’t evoke the kind of nostalgia that people actually love about a retro feel.

Jazz is a staple sound at Potluck, so when an image from our moodboard reminded Kelsey of a 50s Jazz Club, we wondered about bottling up that sophisticated aura into the brand.

Our customized typeface for the word aims to strike a balance between the exceptional quality of Potluck’s curated selection while nodding to the playful whimsy of the 50s. To balance its sophistication, we paired it with a utilitarian sans serif and warm pink and brown colors to create the feeling of a premium brand with a reach wide enough to connect with the cost-conscious.

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