A distilled brand system that aligned owners, staff, and partners around who Maple & Ash is — creating a unified framework for decision-making and elevating every expression of the brand
Challenge
A lack of cohesion in how the brand, its audiences, and its design aesthetic were understood across the business
Opportunity
A chance to define the brand’s archetypes, voice, and visual language so teams and partners could operate with clarity and confidence
Approach
A concise system outlining the brand’s principles, audience nuances, and storytelling framework to unify decision-making and execution
IMPACT
60% ↓
time spent correcting partners who didn’t understand the brand3x
faster alignment on decisions, storytelling, and brand execution$20.3ᴹ
annual sales supported through stronger brand cohesion#24
ranking on Restaurant Business Magazine’s Top 100 Independents list“They came to us for videos. Listening showed us what they actually needed — and that became the priority.”
the real problem
A project that began as a simple request grew into the clarity the business truly needed — revealed by listening, questioning, and understanding what was underneath the surface
CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE
Stakeholder conversations exposed alignment gaps no video could fix
The work shifted from making assets to defining what the business actually needed
We distilled the brand’s character, voice, and audience truths into a usable system
Owners, staff, and partners gained a shared north star for decisions
Listening didn’t inform the design — listening was the design
Let’s Build What’s Next — Together
Client — Maple & Ash
Role — Creative Director
Services — Branding, UX Strategy, Experience Design, Systems Thinking