Brand Strategy & Design
a robust brand strategy for a business consultant with a empathetic approach, that captured their expertise and prepared them for the next chapter of success.
Cultivate Business Solutions helps organizations untangle complex business problems through a pragmatic way so that they can fall back in love with their business. Her reputation was built entirely on results and referrals but there was one issue.
“Right now, people seeking me out for work, but it feels like someone’s arriving at your door when you are still in your pyjamas”
Her success meant that she didn’t have the time to dedicate to her own business, struggled articulating a vision and committing to an aesthetic. She was ready for a strategic approach so that her brand prepared her for future opportunities and attracted value-aligned, local clients.
The brand was a complete blank slate with no logo, colour palette, or visual language. What Gina did have was a clear sense of her values, and a business name that was chosen with intention. I walked Gina through an introspective briefing process that helped us develop a unique business position and visual identity that is an authentic reflection of Gina and Cultivate Business Solutions.
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Brand Strategy & Design, Logo Design
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Clean, fresh, warm, minimalist, refined
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Business Consulting
Project Scope
This was a full brand identity build from the ground up. The scope included a logo system, secondary icon set, brand pattern development, a complete colour palette, typography system — all delivered within an eight-week timeline.
Beyond the visual assets themselves, the in-depth brand manual I created protected Gina’s investment and ensured that she could use the brand confidently on her own.
Every deliverable was designed to work as a modular system: the individual elements can function independently or together, giving Gina the flexibility to apply her brand consistently across a website, slide decks, business cards, email signatures, and future marketing collateral as her business continues to grow.
The Cultivate Business Solutions logo is a modular system made up of an icon and wordmark that can be used together or independently, repositioned and scaled across any context without compromising integrity or recognizability.
This was a deliberate strategic choice, not just a aesthetic one. The Cultivate Business Solutions brand needs to live across a wide range of touch points — from a small website favicon, to a corner mark on a slide deck, to a header on a business card.
A logo that only works in one configuration creates inconsistency over time, and inconsistency erodes client trust. A modular system ensures that no matter where the brand appears, it still looks and feels like the same brand. This reinforced visual consistency makes a business look established, credible, and intentional.
strategy notes
Colour is the fastest communicator in any brand system. Before a potential client reads a headline, they've already had an emotional reaction to the colours on the page. For Gina's audience (business owners dealing with stress, uncertainty, and high-stakes decisions) the palette needed to signal a calm authority rather than urgency or performance.
Deep greens and blues communicate trust and stability. Earthy ochre, off-white and mint bring a crisp freshness and approachability to the system. Working together, this palette positions Cultivate Business Solutions as a brand that feels both professional enough to take seriously and human enough to want to work with.
The Cultivate Business Solutions icon is made of concentric circles, inspired by tree rings, water ripples, and topographic maps. It communicates growth, resilience, and depth without relying on obvious visuals or generic plant-like imagery. This abstract approach makes the brand feel intelligent, memorable, and credible, while staying fresh as design trends evolve. It’s also completely unique in Gina’s peer landscape, helping her stand out within her industry.
strategy notes
Cultivate Business Solutions is a people-first brand inspired by fresh thinking, and the simplicity of nature. It honours clients as the expert, and after working together they’ll find clarity that feels like stepping outside and taking a deep breath of coastal air. The brand visually communicates this transformative story through a sensory, outdoor-based lens.
Hand-drawn inky, imperfect icons add an honest and human element to the brand. These icons are inspired by the Pacific North West and share a common theme of growth and cultivation. These icons are completely unique to the brand and efficiently communicate abstract concepts and support the brands storytelling.
“I feel like I have something to build from.”
"I was worried I wouldn't be able to articulate what I wanted my brand to feel like — but Shaylyn asked exactly the right questions that helped me better understand what I was looking for, and paraphrased back what she heard to make sure we were aligned.
Her process is the perfect balance of streamlined and personal; I could go back and re-watch her recorded explanations as much as I needed to, which worked really well for me as someone who needs time to process.
Now that the project is complete, I feel like I have something to build from. A woman recently looked at my business cards and said, 'Wow, I love your branding' — and how great is that?!"
Gina sandulo | cultivate business solutions
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I’m Shaylyn, a (one of a kind) graphic designer who builds brands that connect with people above all else.
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