My new branding and website is live!

What a wild ride it's been these last 16 months! Bushfires, droughts, floods, more floods, a pandemic and, my wife and I welcomed our daughter into the world, so it's been extra crazy!

To celebrate my sixth year in business I gifted myself a new name, visual identity and website!

So, in between projects, I have invested time in the development of my brand. All the content has been re-written. My services are up to date, there's more projects like Infuse Health and Reflections Holiday Parks. I also launched a brand photography subscription service, Brand Hunter Club, where you can subscribe on a monthly or seasonally to keep your brand's photography fresh.

Lastly, I really challenged myself with the website, the website is built from scratch using Webflow, an incredibly powerful CMS (content management system) website builder. It's everything I wanted in a website – fast, SEO friendly, responsive and beautiful, reflective of me and my personality.

While it's been busy, I had time to interview myself.

So, who are Snapper Studio?

Snapper Studio is me, Martin Sully. I felt that my previous business name Martin Sully Design didn't really fit my services. I'm a storyteller, using branding, design and photography together to communicate my mission and vision. Read all about me.

How did you go naming the brand?

I'll be honest, harder than expected! I ran a lot of names which were either too long, too obscure or didn't have available URLs and social media handles.

I loved the idea of the journey that customers are taking, and migration is built into my life. I grew up in the UK, spent a year in New Zealand and finally ended up in Newcastle, Australia - so just like a fish, I've moved a bit. Coincidentally I also fell in love with a font called Tuna. Which lead to Snapper Studio. I love how the alliteration rolls off the tongue, it's short and snappy and rolls off the tongue.

What fonts did you pick?

There's nothing wrong with Bebas Neue or Helvetica. But picking a font that represents an emotion and gives you the flex to be able to create an impact is the goal!

I loved picking my new fonts. It's my favourite part of any visual identity design. I needed two fonts. One for the logo itself and strong supporting family that is used everywhere else.

I picked Fontsmith's FS Benjamin for the logotype - a flared serif typeface. Its letterforms are precise, delicate and punctuated with chiselled angles. I can imagine it being inscribed into stone on old European buildings. I love that, as it picks on my British background, whilst being contemporary in feel.

To complement this, the supporting font is Neue Kabel. It's the dominant typeface across the website. It's an incredible sans-serif font originally from the 1920s, remastered for modern print and digital use (read all about reshaping a lost classic). It's legible but packed full of personality. 

What do you do?

I do three things which integrate beautifully together. I create brand identities. I design with the brand identities in place. And, I'm a storytelling photographer.

Anything exciting you've designed lately?

Other than the new studio branding and website, I've brought a coffee roaster brand alive, read all about the project on the project page – Grey Matter Coffee Roaster. 

What can we expect from your new blog?

Firstly I'll be using it to write about topics that matter and that I feel designers can help influence. It gives me a space to use my voice, but also focus on how I can help your business – without the hard sell. 

First up, I've finished off a brilliant post on How to plan a rebrand in 3 steps. It's a pretty comprehensive list of what questions you should be asking yourself if you want to plan a rebrand.