Disco Paws
The
Concept
I developed the branding for “Disco Paws”, a 70s disco-themed pet grooming salon. The concept merges a vibrant and playful disco aesthetic with the world of pet grooming, resulting in a unique and imaginative brand. I chose a high-contrast, disco inspired color palette and the Mochita Display and Poppins typefaces to encapsulate the theme. The project included designing a cohesive set of materials including a business card, price list, gift certificate, window display signage, and a product kit. The challenge lay in balancing the nostalgic flair of disco with modern design principles to create a memorable and effective brand identity.
Role
Branding & Packaging Designer
Tools Used
Illustrator, InDesign
Length of Project
7 weeks
The Name, Color, and Typography
Selecting the right name for my 70s disco-themed pet grooming salon was crucial — it needed to be catchy and concise. “Groove Grooming”, “Disco Paws”, “Disco Tails”, “Disco Fur”, and “Barkin’ Beats” were some names I brainstormed, but after the logo exploration, I chose “Disco Paws” as it felt inclusive, appealing not just to dog owners but to all pet lovers.
The color selection process was equally intensive. Inspired by the vibrant hues of the 70s disco era, I wanted the palette to be reflective of that time. After many versions, I settled on a cool-toned purple, a bright red-pink, a lively turquoise, and a creamy hue. These colors perfectly encapsulated the bright, bold spirit of disco with a modern twist.
Typography was another crucial aspect, limited to just two typefaces. Poppins, a versatile and favored sans serif of mine, was an obvious choice for its compatibility with various designs as the complimentary font. For the main typeface, I researched designs and fonts that resonated with the 70s flair. It was a process of trial and error, filtering out several options that didn’t align with my vision. Ultimately, “Mochita” caught my attention. Its bubbly, fun, yet legible style had the exact playful energy needed for Disco Paws.
Logo Iterations
Developing the logo for Disco Paws was a journey marked by an unprecedented number of changes and iterations, more than any other project I’ve worked on. This process was enlightening, teaching me to pay close attention to details like scalability and the logo’s core purpose. In this unique case, I broke away from my usual approach of starting in black and white, understanding that color would be a critical element right from the outset. The vibrancy and choice of hues were essential to embody the disco spirit and appeal to the target audience of Gen Z and Millennials (ages 21-40), as well as anyone with a fun, bubbly personality – pets included.
Experimenting with title case and uppercase, I found that a lowercase logo resonated best. It not only captured the playful essence synonymous with the disco era but also perfectly mirrored the fun and lively tone that is a key part of the Disco Paws brand identity. The final design is something I’m truly proud of, encapsulating everything Disco Paws stands for. The logo features a stylized dog that also cleverly resembles the body of a cat, ensuring inclusivity for all pet lovers. The inclusion of soundwaves adds a touch of disco, while simple shapes ensure scalability and a modern feel.
Additionally, I created a suite of secondary logos designed to complement any color background used in the brand’s collateral.
Brand Collateral
Business Card
Disco Paws is anything but ordinary, and this ethos extends to even the smallest brand collateral, like business cards. Initially, my layout concept was simple – something striking on the front and a neatly arranged info section on the back, ensuring the logo had enough space without making the card feel crowded. When it came time to add color to the business cards, I already had a version of the logo in place, though it wasn’t the final design yet, on both the front and back sides.
For the final design, I developed an engaging pattern blending the logo with its soundwave elements. This addition transformed the business card from ordinary to exceptional. On the back, I replaced the standard dotted line separators with what I call “soundwave breaks”, a symbol I consistently used across the brand. This subtle yet distinct touch further anchored the business card’s design to the Disco Paws brand, ensuring that even the business card echoed the salon’s playful and distinctive character.
Gift Certificate
The initial design of the gift certificate was visually overwhelming, failing to present a clear order of information. To address this, I structured the final layout to allocate two-thirds of the space for neatly organized information, which significantly improved the visual hierarchy. I relocated the logo to the left side to create a more balanced composition. Incorporating the soundwave elements from the logo not only unified the design but also injected a playful, brand-specific character into the certificate.
Price List
Although I went through many iterations, the changes I made were minor to the price list. Presented with layout options, I settled on a 4” x 10” template, which better matched my vision for a clean and organized presentation. Each revision, although subtle, played a significant role in enhancing the design. I shifted to lowercase for category headings to infuse a casual, approachable vibe, fine-tuned the spacing for ease of reading, and opted for small caps to distinguish service names clearly. A touch of Disco Paws’ characteristic soundwave element at the bottom rounded off the design, seamlessly tying it to the overarching brand theme.
Window Display
The window display came a long way from the first vision I had. Initially, the design began with the bare essentials: the logo placement and a developing tagline that needed finessing. As I progressed, the challenge was to strike a balance between attention-grabbing and informative without descending into visual chaos. After several iterations, I found harmony in the design. The final window display features an eye-catching pattern derived from the logo, complemented by a revamped, engaging tagline and clearly presented store hours.
Product Kit Packaging
Designing the product kit was filled by learning and iteration. After laying down the basic layout, I went beyond the established brand assets. This included introducing a new design element in both the product kit and the window display, which you may have noticed. Although it was well-intentioned, I learned a lesson in the value of brand consistency. I was concerned about repetitiveness from the constant use of the same logo assets across all branding materials. So, seeking a fresh approach, I drew inspiration from psychedelic patterns, attempting to infuse the logo’s soundwaves with a more organic, ripple design… but it strayed too far from the brand’s identity.
Embracing the principle of consistency, I refocused my design efforts on the established brand elements. The layout for the product kit underwent several transformations: from a simplistic start to a more complex yet still unrefined middle, and finally to a polished end product. The final layout struck the right chord (pun intended), balancing creativity with the brand’s vibrant and playful personality.
Products from the Kit
The brief tasked me with designing six unique products for the Disco Paws kit. Initially, my designs were fundamental, with the disco theme subtly present in the lava lamp-inspired shampoo and conditioner bottles. The rest of the items – clippers, a hair comb, a bow tie collar, and wipes – were functional yet lacked the thematic punch.
Listening to feedback, I stepped away from using perspective in the designs, as I’d have problems with the logo and type on an angle. The product shapes became more thematic and imaginative in the second iteration. The pet dish replaced the bow tie collar, fitting more naturally into the theme, and the wipes packaging adopted a funkier style.
By the third revision, each product had evolved to fully embrace the disco vibe. The clippers and comb got a groovy makeover, and the pet treats container added to the collection, completing the set with its own funky twist. For the layout, I ensured that the brand’s playful personality shone through—a striking logo, a creative tagline, clear product information, and the signature soundwave element dancing across the packaging.
Reflection
Reflecting on my journey as a graphic designer, the Disco Paws project holds a special place in my heart and remains one of my favorites to date. My time pursuing a BFA in Design was filled with numerous classes where I sharpened my skills, but one class, in particular, stands out. It was in this class that Disco Paws and several other portfolio projects were born. The course was challenging, marked by tight deadlines and a strict professor, yet it was incredibly rewarding. More than just design skills, it taught me how to effectively juggle multiple projects simultaneously. And, instead of working on each component one at a time, I learned to tackle various aspects of a project together, revising and refining everything as I went along. This approach pushed me beyond my perceived limits, and in hindsight, I am profoundly grateful for this experience.
Working on Disco Paws was an experience I truly cherished. The project captivated me to an extent that I would
”extend” the product line, incorporating additional brand collateral and possibly expanding the range of services if it was a real brand. This project evolved significantly, and through the process of receiving and applying constructive criticism, I found opportunities to refine and perfect my designs. It’s a project that not only grew in scope but also in depth, reflecting my own growth as a designer.
A point to note: the Mochita font used in this project was the free personal-use version, chosen for a purely conceptual and personal class project. Additionally, I’m aware of a pet service store in Astoria, NY with a similar name. My project, with its unique branding, was never intended to undermine their established identity.