Project Details
Dominion Hemp
Dominion Hemp is a company specializing in sustainable hemp bedding for a wide range of animals, from horses in stalls to small animals, poultry, and even zoo animals!
Project Type:
Slide Decks & Sales Sheets
Client:
Dominion Hemp LLC
Target Audience:
Operators of farms and Zoos and farm/animal supply stores.
Programs Used
Power Point, Illustrator, Photoshop
Fun Fact:
Dominion Hemp liked the first two PowerPoint presentations I did so much that they had me do a specialty zoo pitch deck as well.
A Fresh Look for an Clean Animal Bedding
PROJECT BRIEF
After creating banners, brochures, and various design materials for Dominion Hemp, they reached out to revamp their outdated pitch deck and create brand-new sales sheets for trade shows and client meetings. Their goal was to breathe new life into the old pitch decks, making them more aligned with their fresh, new brand and transforming them into something memorable. They needed a deck for horses and farms, retail, and a special version for zoos. Additionally, they required two sales sheets, one focused on horses and another for general animals.
From Scratch to Success
Design Challenges
The main challenge with the sales sheets was that they needed to be designed almost entirely from scratch. The owners had a competitor’s example they liked in some areas but disliked many others, so it was an almost from-the-ground-up process. The sales sheets had to be clear, concise, and capture the benefits of the bedding in a way that anyone could quickly grasp—even with just a glance.
The pitch decks presented an even greater challenge. My client contact mentioned that the old ones were difficult to present and were so outdated that the presenters had to stop and explain every single slide and what was wrong with it. The previous decks were poorly laid out, confusing, and full of dense text. Some of the charts were so unclear that I had to really take a good long look at them for a while just to figure out what they were trying to communicate! Plus, one slide was overloaded with talking points about hemp, which made it feel like a boring, forgettable section, if this was half the presentation as I’d been told, it certainly wouldn’t leave a lasting impression.
Simplify, Visualize, and Animate
Design Solutions
When clients are uncertain about what they want, sometimes the best solution is to present a variety of ideas and see what resonates best. I created 5 or 6 different logo options, narrowing it down to three semi-finished designs. The first was the vintage car-inspired logo with a hexagonal pattern, as requested. It wasn’t my favorite, and I was relieved when the owner also decided to move away from it. I took the opportunity to explain that while vintage cars may appeal to some, the high-end kitchen and cabinetry clients they were targeting likely wouldn’t connect with that aesthetic. My other options were simpler and more direct—one featured a monogram-style WB/WBB logo, and the other incorporated a willow tree, brook, and house. Initially, the client wasn’t sold on these concepts, but after showing them to a few clients and his wife, who all loved the designs, he realized the appeal. The “Willow Brook House” logo was a hit, especially with the female clients who often made decisions on kitchen, finishing selections, and the companies that provide them.
Client Success and Personal Satisfaction
OUTCOME AND REFLECTION
Dominion Hemp has quickly become one of my favorite clients to design for, thanks to their openness to new ideas and their detailed, fun projects. Designing these sales sheets and pitch decks was an absolute blast. One of my favorite things in design is simplifying complex concepts into a format that’s easy for the average person to understand. It’s the kind of challenge that really tickles my brain and makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.
If I were to do it all over again, I’d probably stick to the same design approach but would have been more diligent about sourcing high-res images. Some of the photos weren’t quite up to par, and I had to replace several with stock photos. That said, the client was thrilled with the final product. They even started using the pitch deck in meetings before the proofing process was finished! They told me the animation was a total showstopper—when they presented it for the first time, the client asked to see the benefits section again just to watch the animation. That’s what I call a win!
