Project scope: End-to-end branding, including naming.
Services: Research, brand strategy, naming, verbal identity and visual identity.
The context
MIMAI began with an idea and a passion for newborn photography.
The founder had a clear interest in the kind of photography she wanted to pursue and was ready to start building her business. At that stage, the immediate need seemed straightforward: create a logo for her new brand.
But turning a passion into a business involves more than choosing a name and designing a visual identity. Before investing in the brand, there were important questions to explore: Who was the intended audience? What was happening in the market? How were other photographers positioning themselves? And where could this new business find its own place?
The opportunity was to move beyond the initial design request and build the foundations of a brand that could give the idea direction and prepare it for launch.
The challenge
Starting a business around something you love is exciting, but personal passion alone doesn’t define a market proposition.
MIMAI needed to understand the environment it was entering, explore the needs and expectations of its potential audience, and identify opportunities to differentiate itself within a specialised photography market.
At the same time, the business needed a coherent identity that could express its proposition and give the founder a clear foundation from which to develop her work.
The challenge was to connect the original idea with a strategic understanding of the business, then translate that direction into a distinctive brand.
The approach
We approached MIMAI as an end-to-end branding project, starting with research and strategy before developing its name and identity.
01. Research & Brand Strategy
We began by exploring the competitive landscape, the target audience and the broader context of newborn photography.
This research helped examine the market the founder was entering, the demand beyond her personal interest in the discipline, and the characteristics that could distinguish her business from other providers.
From there, we developed the brand’s strategic foundations, defining its positioning, purpose, values, personality and narrative.
The goal was to give the founder more than an understanding of what she wanted to offer: a clearer view of the business she was building and the place it could aim to occupy in the market.
02. Naming
With the strategic direction established, we developed the name MIMAI, giving the business a distinctive starting point for its identity.
Naming was part of the broader brand-building process, rather than a decision made in isolation. It connected the idea behind the business with the identity that would represent it to its audience.
03. Verbal Identity
We developed the verbal identity to translate the brand’s strategic foundations into a consistent way of communicating.
This established a framework for expressing the brand’s personality and proposition, helping MIMAI communicate with greater clarity and maintain consistency as the business developed.
04. Visual Identity
Finally, we translated the strategy and verbal foundations into a cohesive visual identity.
The work established the visual elements needed to represent MIMAI as a recognisable brand, creating a system the founder could use as she introduced and developed her business.
Rather than starting and ending with a logo, the visual identity became the expression of the decisions made throughout the branding process.
The outcome
MIMAI moved from an early business idea to a developed brand with a clearer strategic direction and the foundations needed to launch.
Clarity before launch. Research and strategy helped the founder better understand the market, her intended audience and the opportunities for differentiation.
A more defined business proposition. The project connected her original passion with a clearer understanding of what the business could offer and how it could position itself.
A complete brand identity. Naming, verbal identity and visual identity brought the strategic direction together in a coherent brand.
A foundation to build on. With the brand’s foundations established, the founder could focus on developing her photography business with greater clarity about what she was building and how to present it.
More than a logo for an idea
MIMAI illustrates why branding can be valuable before a business even enters the market.
For entrepreneurs, a branding project can be an opportunity to step back from the initial idea, understand the context in which it will operate and make more informed decisions before investing in its identity.
The process doesn’t replace the founder’s expertise or guarantee market demand. It provides a framework for exploring the opportunity, defining the business and translating its direction into a brand.
Sometimes, the first thing an entrepreneur needs isn’t a logo. It’s clarity about the business they’re setting out to build.