Heather Elder is an Atlanta-based designer and illustrator.
Heather Elder is an Atlanta-based designer and illustrator.
OrcaSong is a not-for-profit botanical farm in Washington state. As a member of this very small and very ambitious startup, I was art director, designer, illustrator, signmaker, product management assistant, and more. Its greater mission is to share the healing power of plants through wellness products that in turn support the farm and its community initiatives.
In my time there, the logo had 3 main evolutions. The first was a placeholder that was more traditional for a botanical farm. The second logo was one that aimed to present OrcaSong not only as a farm, but also as a spa product line, a botanical extract line, a destination, a wedding venue, an event space, a non-profit climate institute and more. The overarching concept needed to embody the overall uplift that anything OrcaSong would deliver. Finally, for the third logo, the business strategy had transitioned to focus only on the products, with an emphasis on their being farm-made.
I was able to bring my handmade sign-making skills to wayfinding and promotional signs on the ground at the farm, contributing to the “down-to-earth-elegance” of the overall brand.
With the botanicals grown on the farm, we created products with an apothecary feel. The need for sanitizer was immense during the start of the pandemic, so we created a line around hand sanitizer and skincare that looked as naturally-based and efficacious as the ingredients inside.
The first round of products featured simple illustrations with a more open design to convey the simplicity of the formulations. For the second round, to catch more eyes on retail shelves, we decided to make the bright botanical illustrations the main star of the labels. This upgrade resulted in the line being picked up by a local grocery store chain.
I concepted, wrote and designed marketing materials across the gamut, from printed sales collateral to e-commerce web designs, email campaigns and social content.