BRANDED!

I've been talking to a lot of people about branding lately, and mostly in relation to web sites. It's time for me to do some web site revamping, and I have no idea where to begin.

The new banner here on Dazed and Confused was a good first start. It's colorful and confusing -- perfect for Dazed and Confused. And now it's time to make my site more sophisticated. But where do I start?

The site was based on the first book cover. The wooden sign with the iron work, the blue hue, the brick. But now the second book cover is PURPLE! And goodness knows what color the next book cover will be -- it probably hasn't been conceptualized yet, let alone painted, so I've got some time to figure out what I want next.

In the meantime, it bothers me that there aren't many graphics on the site. So I asked myself, what do I think of when I think about Tricia's Haven't Got a Club bookstore? COFFEE! And what do people drink coffee out of? A disposable cup. And isn't it handy that my husband happens to be a former graphic designer? And doesn't he just LOVE to please me by acting on my crazy ideas???

You'll be surprised to know that the coffee cup logo for Haven't Got a Clue (in perspective) actually came BEFORE he did the flat version. I love it because it picks up on the green walls in the description I've given the store.

As I said, they drink a LOT of coffee at Haven't Got a Clue And now when I write about it, I'll see the coffee cups in my mind. And now when readers go to the web site, they'll see a brand associated with Tricia's store, too.

Cool, huh?