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Justen Hong of Visual Lure Wins Prestigious Award from LogoWave

Posted on September 20, 2019

Logo Wave 5, 2nd Place Award Winner - Lucky Mutt logo design

Justen Hong, founder of Visual Lure, a St. Louis-based branding and design firm, has been honored with a distinguished award from LogoWave, a respected platform recognizing excellence in logo design and branding. The award highlights Visual Lureโ€™s exceptional creativity, attention to detail, and commitment to delivering outstanding design solutions. The LogoWave Award serves as a testament to Visual Lureโ€™s ability to create impactful, memorable logos that resonate with audiences and elevate brands to new heights. The award was presented in recognition of world-class logo design, showcasing Visual Lureโ€™s ability to blend aesthetic appeal with strategic vision.

โ€œWe are thrilled to receive this recognition from LogoWave,โ€ said Justen Hong, Founder of Visual Lure. โ€œThis award validates my hard work and dedication to delivering designs that not only look great but also serve a clear purpose in helping our clients build stronger brands.โ€

LogoWave winners are selected by an internationally acclaimed jury that carefully reviews each logo entry. Craftsmanship, memorability, and innovation are key criteria, recognizing only the best designs across various industries. Visual Lure was selected for its innovative approach to design and its ability to meet the unique needs of clients in todayโ€™s competitive marketplace.

For more information about Visual Lure and to view the award-winning designs, visit https://logowave.com/project/second-place-wave-five/.

About LogoWave:
LogoWave is an industry-leading platform dedicated to recognizing and celebrating outstanding logo design and branding. Each wave, LogoWave honors the best designs from around the world, setting the standard for excellence in the design community.

Branding for Revolutionary New Cleaning Scrub Gloves

Posted on October 8, 2018

The Heavyweight Scrub Gloves is a revolutionary new cleaning product that is about to disrupt the cleaning industry. These scrub gloves, using a patent pending design, allow users to control the range of abrasiveness โ€“ the harder you press, the more abrasive it becomes. When used properly, it will easily remove bugs/dirt/grime from surfaces without scratching, allowing you to effectively clean almost anything. It gets in all the nooks and crannies your hand can fit, doesn’t require the use of chemicals, and is long lasting.

Heavyweight came to Visual Lure early on in their development process and we’ve had the pleasure of helping them with their logo & branding, brand messaging & strategy, packaging, and website.

The Heavyweight Scrub Gloves Logo

HWSG professional product photos


 

Logo Design Options

Below are the initial logo options we presented to the client:

initial logo design options


 

Final Logo Lockups

After a couple rounds of minor revisions, below are the final logo lockups we delivered:

final logo design lockups


 

Brand & Graphic Standards Guidebook

Below are a couple pages from the brand and graphic standards guide. It provides guidelines on logo usage, brand color palette, brand typefaces, backgrounds and more – to ensure a seamless and consistent use of design elements.

 

HWSG brand guideline book


Package Design


 

PACKAGE DESIGN OPTION

Below is one of the unused proposed package design options. It was designed to focus exclusively on automotive/motor vehicle detailing, as that is one of the best uses of the gloves.

 

HWSG packaging design option

FINAL PACKAGE DESIGN

Below if the final label/package design:

 

final HWSG packaging design


 

Professional Photography & Videography

Professional photography and videography provided by Chris Malacarne. Below are a handful of the deliverables he supplied.

 

HWSG professional photos


 

Sell Sheet

Sell sheet design targeting the automotive cleaning and detailing market:

 

HWSG sell sheet design


 

WordPress Website with E-commerce

Below is the new website we helped launch using the Unicon WordPress theme. We typically do not work with pre-designed themes, but since they were such good clients, we assisted them with the website. We also helped activate WooCommerce, implement their payment gateway, andย install their SSL certificate to make it an e-commerce website. You can visit the new website at hwscrubgloves.com.

HWSG responsive WordPress website design


 

Learn more about our services featured in this post:

Learn more about our
Logo & Branding Services ยป

Learn more about our
Graphic Design Services ยป

Learn more about our
Package Design Services ยป

Learn more about our
WordPress Websiteย  Services ยป

 

Branding a Global Amusement Operations Company

Posted on September 12, 2018

ICON Global Partners is an international amusement operations company that personally guides owners, investors and operators through the entire design, development, implementation, servicing and maintenance process. Their main focus is in developing markets, and they work with clients who aspire to be world-class in a time when service and safety expectations are continuously increasing.ย  The company is lead by two industry leaders, Chris Perry and Tim Mow.

ICON came to Visual Lure for branding guidance and logo development, graphic design services, and WordPress website design and development. Below is some of the work we completed for ICON:

 


 

Initial Brand Exploration

When we are creating a new brand from scratch, exploring and defining the brand is an important first step before any design work is completed. This can be done through conversations or by filling out a brand framework form.ย  Here is ICON’s brand positioning and messaging:


Brand Promise:

Proactive, transparent, personalized (hands-on) service from concept to opening, and beyond.


Brand Positioning:

  • Helping the leisure and amusement developer to success by listening and providing comprehensive support and technical assistance throughout the development process.
  • ICON wants to be the company of choice for those aspiring to achieve international standards of safety and service for their amusement facility in developing markets.
  • ICON is an operations speciality company for amusement facilities that aspire to be world-class in developing markets.

Master Positioning Statement:

  • What: The only amusement operations speciality company
  • How: that will hand hold (lead) through the entire process
  • Who: for owners/investors and operators
  • Where: in developing markets
  • Why: who aspire to be world-class
  • When: in a time where service and safety expectations are increasing globally

Target Audience:

  • Owners and investors of potential amusement facilities and mixed-use developments globally
  • Existing operators looking for assistance with a future redevelopment or looking to improve their operation
  • Amusement suppliers/manufacturers that are involved in projects which have not yet defined who the operator is
  • IP companies (Cartoon Network, Cirque du Soleil) that are involved in amusement operations that would like to have clearly defined design and operating standards for their brand
  • Hotels that are adding aquatic elements and want to ensure they are safe and operationally efficient

Brand Mission:

ICONโ€™s brand mission is to help others who (aspire, have a desire, have a drive, want, arenโ€™t afraid of the journey) to become (iconic, world class) in their market.


ICONโ€™s Thought Process:

  1. Where can we lead our customers (so that our competitors canโ€™t follow)?
    By developing strong relationships and partnerships that are built on trust, transparency and hard work. Personalized, client-centric commitment focusing on direct interaction and solving potential issues before they become problems
  2. How can our brand help customers help themselves?
    By working hand in hand, we are teaching people how to think differently
  3. What new forms of value can we deliver?
    Working hand in hand in partners in an economical way (by being based in the region) By being more than an operator and representing our clients in our own areas of expertise
  4. How can our brand become a platform for creating customer opportunities?
    Volume of key clients in region. Building brand awareness by the success of client base
  5. How can our brand become a richer context of living?
    Safer, more enjoyable facilities, with better service. Partner for future projects with an easier path of development/openings. By taking the stress burden off of the owner and/or driving higher profits through experience, knowledge and efficiency.

Brand tone of voice (Brandโ€™s personality):

  • Confident
  • Personal/Genuine
  • Local
  • Helpful (solution focused)
  • Passionate

What does ICON do better than their competition? What makes ICON different?

  • ICON is based in their target region (Southeast Asia, which reduces travel costs and makes us easier to communicate with vs. having to speak with someone in North America or Europe)
  • ICON is personally involved vs. passing the work to a project manager or hiring someone other than the leaders of the company
  • ICON’s operators have recent operating experience in some of the most recognized water parks in the world.
  • ICON is not afraid to get their hands dirty and work with clients onsite
  • ICON offers multiple solutions through their own resources (one-stop shop)
  • ICON prefers a client representative approach in which they will interact with other consultancies on the clientโ€™s behalf

 

Final Logo Design

Here is the final logo. It features a globe made from waves – as water parks represent the core of their business. We also added a swoosh/splash under the mark to give it a sense of playfulness and motion. The typography is heavy and arched from the bottom to give it an “iconic” feel, and gradients give it a sense of depth – making the mark more fun, which is what this company is all about.

ICON logo design

Logo Explorations

Below are a handful of logo design explorations we presented. The client requested that we use a globe, and they preferred the color blue – because a majority of their business is water park related.

ICON logo explorations

Business Card Design

 

ICON business card design ICON business card design

 

Website Design

Designed and developed in WordPress, the new ICON website is a fully custom, simple, clean, and easy to maintain theme. Even though itโ€™s a pretty simple layout, we added a wave to the sticky header so that it didn’t look like a cookie cutter theme. The site is of course fully responsive, rendering beautifully on any type of device or screen. Additional features include: easy to apply column short codes for layout flexibility, an RSS industry news feed automatically pulling from an industry news resource, and an accordion services section.

We also installed andย configured WordFence for added security, and WP Rocket for improved load-time speeds giving the site an A rating on both GTmetrix and Pingdom.

ICON responsive web design

ICON website design tablet

Visit the ICON Website ยป


Learn more about our services featured in this post:

Learn more about our
Logo Design & Branding Services ยป

Learn more about our
Print & Graphic Design Services ยป

Learn more about our
WordPress Web Design & Development Services ยป

 

Package Design for Disposable Vaporizers

Posted on July 16, 2018

Nui is a California based cannabis company that will soon be launching two disposable vaporizer products. One called Sunrise – that has an uplifting feel, and Sunset with a more relaxing effect. Before coming to Visual Lure, they had worked with a handful of designers on multiple packaging options, but were unsatisfied with the results. During our initial conversation, they explained that they wanted the packaging to be “simple, upscale, classy and discrete”. They didn’t want it to look like a cannabis product. In one of the owner words: “if you saw it on someone’s desk, you wouldn’t know what it was”.

We approached the design in two ways, one simple and clean, and the other a little more eye-catching.

 

The Clean & Simple Design Options

Below are the two ‘simple & clean’ options we presented. We used an orangish-red color to represent Sunrise, and a deep purplish-blue to represent Sunset. We incorporated sun illustrations in both – one with arrows on them to show the sun moving up and down, and the other with the sun in different locations on the label.

NUI packaging design, full label 3

NUI packaging design, full label 2

Nui simple & clean package design options

 

The ‘Eye-Catching” Design Option

Even though the client wanted the design to be more subtle and discrete, it still needed to be eye-catching in order to stand out from its competitors. Below is our more eye-catching design we presented. We incorporated tropical flowers as the company name, Nui – means great in Hawaiian. We also used a simple illustration of a sun, one above Sunrise and one below Sunset.

NUI packaging design, full label 1

Nui eye-catching package design option

Are you about to launch a new product?

If you are about to bring a new product to market and need help with professional branding and package design, contact Visual Lure today for a FREE quote. Don’t waste time and money hiring sub-par or entry-level designers. Get it done right the first time, and make sure buyers won’t reject your product due to poor presentation. Looking for additional packaging information, this will help:ย  Learn more about our package design services ยปย  |ย  view more of our packaging projects ยปย  |ย  contact us with for FREE design quote ยป


How did you find us?

On a side note: Are you a business owner? If so, do you know where ALL your leads are coming from? If not, you NEED to know. How else can you measure the success of your marketing efforts and dollars. This client found us on Behance, an online platform that showcases creative work from around the world. The cost for this lead: zero dollars. Only the time it took to prepare and place projects on our Behance portfolio page.

 

Logo, Branding and Website Design & Development for the St. Louis HERO Network

Posted on June 21, 2018

The St. Louis HERO Network is a non-for-profit online directory that promotes local first responder and military owned businesses. In addition to the business directory, users can find a help wanted section that features an up-to-date list of local police, fire and EMS departments that are currently hiring, training and classes that are offered by local fire responders (such as CPR and stroke life support), real estate listings, and a calendar of events. It also features a HELP A HERO section where you can make a donation to a local fallen first responder’s family.

The HERO Network came to Visual Lure to help build a website along with a logo and additional collaterals. The new logo features a badge, an arch, and a HERO ribbon. Icons were also included to represent the four types of members. The color palette was inspired and pulled from typical fire responder related colors.

As for the website, it was developed in WordPress using a fully custom, responsive designed theme. The back-end is extremely complex as it integrates e-commerce memberships, an approval process, member listings that can be edited, ad listings with payments, donations, an event calendar, database feeds that automatically organize and populate the directory, custom post types and more.

You can check out some of the designs below, or visit stlheronetwork.com to learn more about the network. The official launch date is June 22nd, 2018.

St. Louis Hero Network Logo guide STL Hero Network Business Card 2 STL Hero Network Business Card STL Hero Network Launch Party Flyer STL Hero Network Responsive Website

Learn more about our design services featured in this post:

Logos & Branding ย  | ย  Website Design & Development ย  | ย  Graphic Design

 

Visual Lure Project Featured in St. Louis AIGA Design Show 23

Posted on June 19, 2018

Ever since I joined the St. Louis AIGA, while still studying Graphic Design at SIU Edwardsville, I would go to their Annual Design Show every year to see all the world-class design work coming out of Saint Louis. Eight years ago, I entered what I thought was one of my best logos, but it didn’t make the show. It discouraged me, and it wasn’t until this year that I decided to enter another piece. I am honored to share with you all that my project was selected, and one of my professional goals has been fulfilled.

When I received the email that read “Congratulations, your work has be selected to be in the AIGA St. Louis Design Show 23!” I was both excited and oddly relieved. I think the relieve came from a sense of accomplishment as I’ve had this goal for over 18 years. It also represents the second check mark off my “top three professional goal list”. While still in college, I used to dream of having a logo published in a book called LogoLounge, having a project in the AIGA Design Show, and lastly having work featured in Communication Arts.

To date, I’ve had 31 logos published in 7 different LogoLounge publications, and I can finally say that I’ve had a project in the St. Louis AIGA Design Show. I just have Communication Arts left. I share this not to brag, but to hopefully inspire other graphic designers as design really is a skill that is honed and crafted. You definitely need artistic skill and creativity, but everything else can be learned and improved upon with practice and dedication. A slight obsession with design, color, type and space helps, but if you have the foundation, you really can become a good designer. When I compare my portfolio coming out of college, to my work today, it really does confirm this statement.

This years judges included: Su Mathews Hale – a senior partner at Lippincott, Justin Ahrens – principal and creative director of Rule29, and Ilene Sandler – designer/owner of Treat Street Studios.

About the Project:

Bear River Brewing is a branding project we did for a Tampa, Florida craft beer brewer. Visual Lure actually came up with the name which is based on his son’s, Barrett (which they call Bear) and River, hence Bear River Brewing. The logo depicts a bear rowing a canoe down a river carrying a huge beer bottle with palm trees in the background as a nod to Tampa. One of our favorite pieces is the beer taps which are shaped like canoe paddles.

Bear River Brewing LogosBear River Brewing Identity DesignBear River Brewing Packaging Design

View the Entire Project ยป