Sandford
Realigning a boutique agency’s identity after ten years in business
Brand refresh and Squarespace website to reflect a London-based PR and marketing agency’s expanded team and new services.
Project scope
• Brand identity refresh
• Squarespace website design
• Creds document
• Business cards
• Email marketing template
The challenge
It’s not only new businesses that need to think about their brand and how it positions them to prospective clients. Sandford is the perfect example.
Initially set up with a PR-focus, over ten years Sandford had grown its team and evolved into a holistic communications agency for high-end clients such as design, architecture, interiors and luxury brands.
“It was time for a fresh look to reflect our expanded services,” explains creative director and founder Katherine Sandford-Anderson. “We’ve grown the business to offer a full suite of communications services, particularly around digital marketing, but some people thought we still just did PR”.
Sandford was well on the way to exploring how its brand had changed, revisiting its brand values, personality and copy. It now needed a visual rebrand to bring those changes to life. That’s where Beehive Green came in.
A refresh that updates and elevates the brand
Sandford already had some basic visual brand elements. But they needed a complete brand system with a more consistent and considered aesthetic that would work for the business as it stands today and support it as it continues to evolve.
Working with Katherine and digital director Christina Clarke to understand the direction the brand was taking, I defined the visual tone as calm, considered, bespoke, expert and caring. With design-led brands at the heart of Sandford’s client-base, it also made sense to create a look that would appeal to them.
With that in mind, we decided to develop and update the simple identity they already had – logo and brand colour – into a full brand identity that feels luxurious and aspirational.
For the fresh, elevated look, less would definitely be more, featuring minimal design with plenty of airy space and clean lines.
Evolving the logo
Sandford’s existing logo was a simple wordmark, with a single speech mark as part of the design of the brand’s initial, S.
I modernised to fit the current brand and added gravitas by introducing a new, spacious typeface with capital letters throughout.
I restyled the initial S to feature a pair of speech marks, giving balance to the letter and creating an ambigram. The speech marks give a nod to the focus on communications, and make the letter perfect to use alone as a social media logo and favicon.
To bring a more unified look, I created a new O composed of two halves joining at the middle. This symbolises connection and mirrors the styling of the S.
The new logo feels at once contemporary and classic, elevating the brand for the next ten years and beyond.
A calming, aspirational colour palette
Sandford’s existing brand colour was teal, perfect for conveying creativity. I built on this to create a muted, calm palette that underpins the new identity and enhances brand recognition. The extended palette added versatility with other shades of teal, along with a couple of warm, supporting neutrals.
Many of Sandford’s competitors opt for black text, so instead I introduced a dusky grey-blue for text, for the perfect mix of practicality, quality and warmth.
Defining typography – a game-changer
We wanted this new identity to exude quality. To achieve this, I defined a typography system that suggests a high-end editorial feel. The intelligent mix of a classic serif and contemporary sans serif, along with structured type styling, gives the brand’s communications a clear hierarchy.
A new Squarespace website
With the brand refresh agreed, we created a beautiful new website, keeping clarity and simplicity for the user in mind every step of the way. The new site has a clear user journey and reflects the services Sandford offers today, with equal emphasis on PR, digital marketing, social media and brand marketing.
The website was a great team effort. Stunning photography by Nina Mucalov and impactful copy by Emma Griffin brought the brand to life, and Pink SEO’s expertise made sure the site would attract the right clients!
A consistent look
As well as the website, I designed a range of other print communications and digital marketing assets to implement Sandford’s new identity, from new business cards and a creds document, to a refreshed Hubspot email template with editorial style masthead. I also supported the team with training and style guidelines to make sure they could use the new identity and templates easily and consistently.
It’s been a real joy to work with such an enthusiastic, design-focused team, helping them both to celebrate the last ten years and to build strong foundations for the decades to come. I can’t wait to see what they do next!
Client feedback
“From the outset, we knew that Andrea's relaxed, friendly approach was the right fit for us. She listened to our requirements, challenged us and got us to think differently about how we define our brand identity. We finally have a brand that feels right for where we are now, with a fresh, clean look that will appeal to our clients and that take us to the next level.”
— Katherine Sandford-Anderson, Creative Director & Founder, Sandford
