Not Your Run of the Mill

June 6, 2022

Not Your Run of the Mill

Brand design for Mill Town

The Standard Coosa Mill was once an icon of Chattanooga’s manufacturing might. Neglected at the heart of the Ridgedale neighborhood—a shell of the building has stood for decades, empty and in disrepair— a stark contrast to Chattanooga’s celebrated city center just two miles North East.

Benwood, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, and Collier Construction have formed a partnership that will soon revitalize this abandoned 20-acre parcel. Through a sustainable redevelopment model, Milltown will deliver a unique Mixed-Use and Multi-family community—boasting contemporary office space, ground-floor retail and dining, coffee, single family stand-alone homes and townhouses, community center, public plaza, green space, and more.

With a long history of partnering with Collier Construction, Matt Greenwell led the project to help name and brand the new development. The history of the place and the buildings helped provide inspiration both names — Mill Town for the development, Coosa Mill for the redesign of the factory — as well as for the design. The diamond shape of the now defunct Standard Coosa Thatcher Mill provided the foundation of the Mill Town mark. Bright bold colors and typography were selected to stand out in the environment.

Along with all the new homes being built in the Mill Town development is the anchor structure of the old factory, Coosa Mill. The refurbished water tower provided the inspiration for the abstracted enclosure of the Coosa Mill logo, which mirrors the geometry of the Mill Town logo.

While very much still a work in progress, the Mill Town identity is slowly beginning to take shape. Signage, wayfinding, promotion and web design are helping to build this new and exciting development in the heart of the city.

Learn more about Mill Town here.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design Direction: Matt Greenwell; Design: Matt Greenwell, Mark Slawson, Emily Ricks, Liz Tapp, Noah Marlowe.

To the Rescue

February 18, 2022

To the Rescue

Logo for Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus

In 2000 volunteer firefighter James Wessel helped his local fire department purchase a used firetruck. When the truck broke down on its very first call to a house fire and the house was lost completely, they went back to the salesman who brokered the deal looking for compensation. As it turned into a lengthy legal battle, James decided that he could do better. He founded Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus in 2001, buying, fixing and selling one fire truck that first year.

In the twenty plus years since then, the company has grown by leaps and bounds — buying, fixing and selling hundreds and hundreds of vehicles every year. But as the company’s reputation and brand equity has grown, the original logo began to lag behind, not adequately expressing their integrity and expertise.

After a failed attempt at logo redesign a few years ago, we were asked to come the rescue. We created a new logo that embraced their rich heritage but also would take them into the next era of growth. We developed a flexible logo system that could accommodate all the many applications: digital, print, apparel and more.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design: Mark Walter; Illustration: David Webb.

Be Green, Be Good

January 21, 2022

Be Green, Be Good

Green for Good Logo

The Green for Good idea was spawned from Startup Week CHA, in which entrepreneurs were invited to pitch ideas to the city for ways to inspire better recycling practices. Brian Wright’s Green for Good was one of four ideas chosen by the city and awarded grant money to pilot the program and assess the results.

The Green for Good concept is a threefold plan: identify fun, inventive ways to recycle in the home, school, and at work. Businesses and organizations on the Southside that will be participating in the pilot program for the month of January. The Green for Good team will be collecting the recycling on a weekly basis.

Proceeds from the collections will benefit Habit for Humanity. Each participating business will compete to win a Green for Good prize pack.

Widgets & Stone donated a logo to help the cause get off to a good green start.

Creative Direction & Design: Paul Rustand.

Growing the Mission Médicos

November 11, 2021

Growing the Mission

Médicos Mission Fund Logo and Identity

Clínica Médicos was founded in 2015 by Dr. Kelly Rodney Arnold to make quality, comprehensive healthcare accessible to Chattanooga’s underserved Latino community regardless of insurance status, language, pregnancy, age, or gender. In six short years, from their clinic at 1300 East 23rd Street, it has realized that mission by providing outstanding care and empowering the next generation of medical professionals through education and hands-on training.

Now, Clínica Médicos is growing. Dr. Arnold and her colleagues have acquired a new facility at 1148 East 23rd Street — a former automotive garage across from the Sculpture Fields at Montague Park — and will soon offer a fuller range of medical services, including mental health and counseling, dentistry, and more.

To bring this vision to life, they have created the Médicos Mission Fund, a new non-proﬁt, 501c3 organization that will fund the growth of a new campus, outstanding educational experiences for our physicians and high-quality medical services and equipment for the families who rely on Clinica medicos.

Widgets & Stone helped to create a logo that pairs perfectly with the Clínica Médicos identity and dovetails into print materials as well.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design Direction: Liz Tapp; Design: Liz Tapp, Noah Marlowe; Photography: provided by the client.

The Future is Now

July 1, 2021

The Future is Now

Social media designs for Future Capital

Future Capital (by ProNvest) offers a suite of financial tools that takes the heavy lifting out of planning and investing for retirement by automating the day-to-day work of managing your retirement accounts. Their technology gives you access to institutional investment advice and management at a low cost.

While Widgets & Stone was helping develop designs and illustrations for an explainer video for ProNvest, we were also creating a graphic style that could easily move to their new brand: Future Capital.

The sharp and fresh illustrations we created paired perfectly with the expanded ProNvest / Future Capital color palette to create an inviting set of social graphics for the experienced members of the ProvNvest team to spread the word about their state-of-the-art account analysis tools.

Design Direction: Liz Tapp; Design: Liz Tapp and Travis Hitchcock; Illustration: Travis Hitchcock; Animation: Liz Tapp and Travis Hitchcock.

A Sea Change for Education

May 18, 2021

A Sea Change for Education

izzi web redesign

For almost 40 years, Izzi Early Education (formerly IHSD Inc.) has provided the highest-quality education and family services to ensure that all children in the San Matteo County, California community get the care they deserve.

Izzi believes that every child and every family deserve access to high-quality early child education. Their comprehensive early care, education, and family services ensure that all children, regardless of circumstances, get the care they need, where they need it.

Stitzlein Studio (founded by the creative team of Joe and Leslie Stitzlein) had recently led Izzi’s rebrand, and they approached Widgets & Stone about designing and building a website for the non-profit.

The new web design includes a revamp of their current content along with microsite news and information pages for 11 locations. Our design team built animated SVG files to help keep the site mobile friendly and make use of the colorful vector shapes Stitzlein Studio created.

The new design showcases Izzi’s comprehensive program and service offerings, as well as the unique spirit that is behind Izzi’s approach— a surging confluence of culture and purpose, of hope and need, of talent and ambition, of will and willingness, of optimism and opportunity.

Visit the izzi web site here.

Creative Direction: Joe & Leslie Stitzlein, Stitzlein Studio; Design Direction: Liz Tapp; Design: Liz Tapp and John Le; Writing: Mark Gibson and Austin Howe; Photography: Joshua Chun and Izzi Staff.

Painted Ridge

January 12, 2021

Painted Ridge

Logo design and typography

Located just 10-minutes from downtown Chattanooga, Painted Ridge is Greentech’s newest pocket community of single-family homes. Residents will enjoy the short commute to downtown Chattanooga and quick access to shopping and restaurants.

Painted Ridge will have expertly designed community features, including; blue water ponds and water fountains, shared green spaces, walking trails, lamp-lit sidewalks, and more.

The developers were inspired by the beauty of US National Parks and drew inspiration from their names for the community. Widgets & Stone pulled from the visual vernacular of the National Parks signage and wayfinding to create the logo and identity.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design: Travis Hitchcock.

RockPoint Bank Brand Identity

October 15, 2020

“Our City Deserves a Local Bank”

RockPoint Bank Brand Identity

The founders and shareholders of RockPoint Bank believe it will fill the void left by the disappearance of truly local Chattanooga financial institutions. The newly planned bank will not only bring critical lending decisions back home, it will conduct every aspect of its operations in the best interests of local business owners, entrepreneurs, and their constituents.

Widgets & Stone worked closely with the team of founders, led by Hamp Johnston, Camille Daniel, Kerry Riley and Patrick Jensen to walk through the naming and branding process for the new bank.

The result is a dynamic mark, inspired by the region’s landscape and the city’s skyline. The symbol calls to mind upward movement, sailing and flying – an expression of the bold and adventurous endeavor of starting something new.

The capital campaign began in early 2020 and has certainly faced some challenges with COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns, but the founding group has tremendous confidence in their position, purpose, and prospects. Their enthusiasm has RockPoint rapidly approaching their goal. Widgets & Stone looks forward to bringing the brand to life when the raise is complete and the bank is established in the community.

https://www.rockpointbank.com/

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Designer: Travis Hitchcock.

Brock Identity Design

October 7, 2020

We’re On It

Brock Identity Design

Brock provides customized equipment, manufactured parts, purchase parts, and on-site services for hot mix asphalt plants. On-site services include equipment installation, tear-down, relocation, and maintenance of asphalt plant equipment in the field.

When owner Ben Brock purchased JBK Enterprises, Inc., he helped to bring in a team of experts with over 178 years of combined experience in the industry. He wanted the new company’s brand identity to express that expertise and so he turned to Widgets & Stone for help.

Our team created a bold identity that is built to last. The crisp blue and black custom type design that works effectively – whether stamped on machinery or viewed on a smartphone. Visit their site here.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design: Travis Hitchcock, Stephanie Fast, Mark Slawson; Photography: John Le, George Bairaktaris.

We’ll Risk It for the Brisket

August 30, 2020

We’ll Risk It for the Brisket

Shirt designs for Charlie’s BBQ & Bakery

Established in Ridgedale, TN in 2018, Charlie’s BBQ & Bakery is a locally owned and operated neighborhood barbecue featuring southern “grandma” styled desserts.

During the COVID lockdowns in 2020, owner Elizabeth St. Clair asked Widgets & Stone to cook up some ideas for t-shirt designs she could use to help the business while the restaurant was closed. Our team was more than happy to help contribute some fun shirt ideas.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand, George Bairaktaris; Design: Brad Dicharry, Mark Slawson.

Novafloor 2020 Portfolio

June 8, 2020

Explore the Possibilities

Novafloor 2020 Portfolio

Novalis tapped Widgets & Stone to update their catalog design — hoping to keep the clean and clear design we introduced last year but also add an element that might spark creativity for the viewer, both DIY and professional designers alike.

The resulting design for the catalog incorporates vignettes of material boards — Novalis’ product paired with complimentary design materials as well as collage pages that pair room scenes with potential paint pairings and inspiration imagery.

Widgets collaborated with photographer Grant Dotson to capture the materials board vignettes, Adams Lithographing brought the piece to life using a subtle soft aqueous and deboss on the cover, as well as hitting each vignette and collage with spot UV gloss, creating a contrast to their matte Sappi Flo paper backgrounds.

See a video of the printing effects by clicking here.

Design Direction: Liz Tapp; Design: Liz Tapp, Stephanie Fast, Travis Hitchcock; Photography: Grant Dotson; Printing: Adams Lithographing

Networking Magic

April 17, 2019

Network Transport

Web site design

Network Transport offers truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal transportation services, along with warehousing for customers of all types. As an asset-based operation they have a competitive advantage in the industry. Not only do they manage and maintain their equipment, they also have a vast network of over 15,000 qualified local, regional, and national carrier partners.

Network Transport saw impressive growth as a company due to the excellent quality of their service – but their web site was not reflecting that quality to customers. Widgets & Stone designed a beautifully simple site that presents the Network Transport brand in manner that reflects their expertise and service.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Designer: Athene Ruiz; Writing: Jacob Biba.

History in the Re-Making

April 9, 2019

History in the Re-Making

Logo for Healy & Co.

Healy & Company, LLC is a boutique commercial brokerage firm with a national reach based in Chattanooga, TN. With deep roots within the community, (since 2002), Healy & Company has been among the top producers in the region in commercial transactions.

Widgets & Stone redesigned the Healy & Co web site in early 2018. When the company decided to shift away from its main identity being associated with SVN, owner John Healy asked the team at Widgets to create a logo with a sense of heritage and history. The team created a unique look that is sure to stand out in the competitive landscape of contemporary logo styles.

Designer Travis Hitchcock developed a vintage line rendering of the company’s offices and paired it with a customized version of the LHF Whistler typeface.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design: Travis Hitchcock.

Have a Seat

March 20, 2019

Have a Seat

Web site design

SeatMyTrucks is an advertising agency specializing in truck driver recruiting. They provide services like: Hiring Guidelines, Recruiter Compensation, Database Marketing, Tenstreet Use, Driver Pay, Onboarding Processes, and of course, Advertising Strategy.

Widgets & Stone created a straightforward and handsome web design to help the company launch.

Design Direction: Liz Tapp; Design: Travis Hitchcock; Writing: Jacob Biba.

Easy is Golden

April 19, 2018

Easy Is Golden

Menu Design Update

Featured on Art of the Menu, where they wrote “the simple one-color printing gets the job done here thanks to a handsome golden board with a wide and elegant fastener. The logo gets some generous space to look pretty and the typography is minimal and nicely executed.”

Click on images for a larger view.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design: Mark Slawson, Travis Hitchcock; Production: Range Projects.

Simpatico

November 9, 2017

SIMPATICO

Shift volume 3

Shift magazine is an exploration of inspiration from J+J Flooring Group. Designed to change perspectives and spark new ideas, Shift is about color and creativity, bold decisions and beautiful statements.

This issue takes on Simpatico: the quiet moment when the unknown becomes the trusted familiar. Here, harmony springs from unexpected pairings of pattern, texture, tone and color, movement and emotion, like the unspoken, yet shared experience, of a stranger turned friend.

Widgets & Stone designers Liz Tapp, Stephanie Fast and Mark Slawson worked closely with J+J designer Brian Daniels to create this issue.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design + Art Direction: Liz Tapp; Design: Mark Slawson and Stephanie Fast; Writing: Jacob Biba; Photography: Geoff Knight, Dotson Commercial, ThinkChromatic.

Leading the Way

November 9, 2017

Leading the Way in Commercial Real Estate

Web design for Healy & Company

Healy & Company, LLC is a boutique commercial brokerage firm with a national reach based in Chattanooga, TN. With deep roots within the community, Healy & Co. is consistently among the leading commercial real estate firms in the greater Chattanooga area and successfully represented our clients in hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions. Since 2002, Healy & Company has been among the top producers in the region in commercial transactions.

After collaborating with Widgets & Stone to remodel the Elkins Building, developer John Healy asked our team to update his web site. We produced a straightforward Squarespace site to present the company and its services in the most direct manner.

Visit the site.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand; Design Direction/Design: Liz Tapp; Photography: Dotson Commercial.

Cold Comfort

September 29, 2017

Cold Comfort

Norspring: Naming and Logo

Norspring Center for Rejuvenation was founded in 2017 in Chattanooga, TN by a group of health and business professionals with one common goal: to offer new methods for overall health and wellness that provide complete whole body rejuvenation through innovative therapies – including cryotherapy. Combined with other therapies, Norspring’s offerings are advanced and effective ways to use the natural recovery power of our bodies. These innovative therapies enhance wellbeing and can provide improved performance, increased vitality and overall revitalization.

The NORSPRING name was born from the idea of hygge and the renewal of life in the springtime. Hygge — pronounced, "hoo-gah" — an approach to living that embraces positivity and enjoyment of everyday experiences, said to be core concepts of attitudes to life in the Nordic region. Hygge is the idea that even in the cold Norwegian winters, Norwegians experience warmth and coziness in their homes.

26 Tools and Widgets & Stone worked together to create a name and logo for the new cryotherapy company that reflects their values and goals.

Creative Direction: Paul Rustand, Caleb Ludwick; Design: Brad Dicharry.

One Small Step for Design

September 26, 2017

One Small Step for Design

One slightly bigger step for brand

After seeing very successful sales of several “vintage inspired” collectible tin products, the MoonPie® marketing team thought that its retail packaging might benefit from the same design treatment. With the company’s 100th anniversary approaching, drawing inspiration from the past felt quite appropriate.

But the MoonPie marketing team was also wary about making any redesign too dramatic, as it had seen sales slump years before during a complete design overhaul. They asked Widgets & Stone to create a new look that felt both vintage and similar to what MoonPie® customers were used to seeing on the shelves.

The creative team took small steps to make the design simpler and more historic in feel, while helping take slightly larger steps to advance the overall brand style.

Creatie Direction: Paul Rustand; Design: Travis Hitchcock.

Now in Hi-Fi

September 12, 2017

Now in Hi-Fi

Logo update for Clyde’s

When the Monen Family Restaurant Group founded Clyde’s in the old Clyde’s Auto Shop building, they simply hoped to make a great local restaurant and bar. But when they saw how popular it was, they decided to transport the concept to other cities (like neighboring Nashville). But in doing so, they found they needed to draw a distinction between their Clyde’s and the well-established Clyde’s Restaurant Group on the east coast. So they changed the name to Hi-Fi Clyde’s.

Since Widgets & Stone had created the original Clyde’s concept (a flexible system based on the existing Clyde’s Auto signage), we were asked to update the logo. So of course we kept it right in line with the brand personality that makes HiFi Clyde’s so awesome.

Click on images to see a larger view.

Design: Travis Hitchcock.