The brief
Smile Create Repeat needed more than a logo — they needed a world. As a brand-new subscription box in a space that skews either mass-market crafty or intimidatingly fine-art, the challenge was carving out something in between: playful and approachable, but with genuine artistic credibility behind it.
The kind of brand that feels like it was made by someone who actually makes things — because it was.
"Not crafty. No popsicle sticks, no Elmer's glue. This was a brand for people who take their art seriously, even when they're just starting out."
My role
Differentiator
As an award-winning artist, I wasn't designing for a creative audience — I was part of it. That authenticity shaped every decision.
Responsibilities
Full brand identity, packaging, web, social, ads, illustration, video production, print collateral
Brand direction
Playful and approachable, with genuine artistic credibility — not the craft-store aesthetic the category defaulted to
Full scope of work
Logo & identity
Built from the ground up
Packaging
The unboxing experience
Website
Full site design
Social media
Ongoing content system
Advertising
Paid & organic campaigns
Illustration
Watercolor, pen & ink
Video
Monthly demo series
Inserts, guides & collateral
The creative direction
The visual language leaned heavily on the actual product. Rather than generic lifestyle photography, we let the art supplies do the talking — showing subscribers exactly what was in the box and what it could do. That honesty built trust.
Alongside product photography, original traditional illustrations in watercolour, pen and ink ran throughout the brand, giving it a handmade warmth that stock imagery never could. A monthly demonstration video series became one of the brand's most distinctive assets — showing subscribers not just what they received, but how to use it.
Logo, color palette, typography system — built from zero
Box design — every surface of the unboxing experience considered
Social — art, tips, humor, UGC and products
Monthly demo videos — how to use your new supplies
Results
Seven years is the result. A brand that lasted — that grew, evolved, and held together across every touchpoint from the box to the inbox to the feed — is proof the creative foundation was built to last.
"Getting featured by The Art Sherpa wasn't a PR campaign — it was the brand doing its job. When your creative is authentic, the right people notice on their own."
Tony Luongo
Creative director & designer, Smile Create Repeat