This is where we get to know you (and, more importantly, where you get to know yourself as a brand). When we’re done, we’ll have a gameplan for how to express your brand going forward.

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Having longtime connections with Southern Australia, our good friends at Orange Roasting Co had dreamed up yet another game-changing idea: Remy & Max. Keeping the context of bar & coffee syrups in mind, we designed packaging, branding, and a solid identity to follow suite alongside liquor bottles. As well, a packaging design that benefited the server more than the customer.

Coffee Packaging from Down Under

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Illustrations for a larger series of a Tarot deck that was used for coasters at an iconic Nevada drinking hole we illustrated and will be releasing 2018.

Believing in Karma - Tarot Deck

It's one thing to design skateboards, its another to design skateboards that we'd actually use and be proud to represent. We dove deep into not only our own, but the communities skate culture to make sure that we were speaking the language.

Enjoy The Ride

Environment was definitely a project true to our roots - as an office filled with skate and cycle fiends, we were happy to get our hands dirty with a couple of skate decks.

Enjoy The Ride 

We're fortunate to chase our passions everyday, and grinding this project out with people who were equally passionate made us even more juiced.

Culture First 

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As a company founded in skate culture (pour one out for all the times we've hit the pavement literally and figuratively), Environment was one of the original partners in creativity for Laxalt & McIver. With custom illustration and graphic design, we helped grow Environment's brand through art directed skate decks and tear sheets filled with graphics far cooler than any kick flip.

Environment Skateboards

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Piñon Bottle saw the gap missing in Reno's spine of bars with a focus on varieties of craft beer. With this crystal clear and within a toe's reach - they pushed onward and went for it. A couple beers later, they brought Commence along the way to tackle the packaging as well as establish an identity communicating their craft and the atmosphere in which it lies. Cheers.

Great Brews

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Some of the most rewarding partnerships we've had have come through working with people as wild as we are. Meet Deso, a lifestyle apparel brand that embraces the art of getting lost. We collaborated with them to tell their stories from #wayoutthere through graphic design, custom illustration and tear sheets. Grab some gear, go on an adventure, and tell us your story - or don't... some stories are kept between you and the wilderness.

Spend a Week In The Woods

The Commence designers collaborated closely on the project with founding principal Travis Brown and the team of directors at the the school to realize an identity that inspires and encourages exploration across the school. 

A brand that resonates with students and faculty

Pharos Academy is unapologetically committed to educating Bronx kids. Casting a huge beacon of light and achievement in one of the lowest-performing school districts in New York City.  The Commence designers developed a graphic toolkit of core elements that give the school a high degree of creative flexibility and recognition.

A Guiding Light

The primary mark is built from a combination of monogram “P” and “A” as well as a lighthouse. The name Pharos is derived from the name of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the anceint world.

A monogram and a lighthouse

“The identity draws on Pharos Academy’s values to create a modern design system that reinforces the school’s bold, intellectually curious positioning.”

Pharos Academy Charter School believes in the power of team, or CREW as they call it. Commence Studio designed a set of crests to represent the crew that is the school.

The shields

What creature would you most often find near a lighthouse? A seagull no doubt. The team created a flexible set of designs featuring the fierce sea-loving character.

Charter schools have mascots too

To assist and guide how the Pharos Academy staff and students show up and contribute everyday, the team developed a set of illustrations relaying the values of Radical Inclusivity, Collaborative Curiousity, Storytelling, and more.

Illustrating Community Culture

After establishing the brand identity for Pharos Academy, the team moved forward onto the web design, strategy and development phase of the project.

Showcasing the brand to the web

Our studio worked to create a fully customized framework and design components for the Pharos Academy website. The goal was to create an easily navigated digital funnel for prospective staff members, students and their families.

Getting people where they need to go quickly

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Pharos Academy encourages the unique pathways of individuals and the design studio built the website to match that sentiment through visual storytelling and interactive pages.

Better to be bold

“Unconventional layouts bring a refreshing look to the educational institute’s website without compromising usability, legibility, and professionalism.”

The merchandise designs were inspired by sports branding and streetwear to give a “It’s cool to stay in school” subliminal message to students and staff.

Dressed for success

Banner designs showcase the school’s brand an evoke a sense of pride and familiarity for students passing them in halls each day. 

Brand systems for the halls

Institutional identity and web development for the K-12 public charter school in the Bronx, New York, that draws on the extraordinary, forward-thinking vision the school executes.

Bold in the Bronx

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Black Rabbit Mead Co. partnered with us to create a brand identity and packaging system for their mead. Although their product is produced with honey, they make a significantly less sweet mead than other traditional varieties. It was a goal of ours to carry over this idea to a less sweet, more eerie, and regal look for their brand.

Down the Rabbit Hole Packaging Design

The Lead Designer behind this project, #girlboss Brianna Bullentini reached out to us at Laxalt and McIver to take the reins on creative direction and branding to help take her vision to life. The goal: create a community hub where people can gather, shop, eat, drink and enjoy and do it in a way that acknowledges the history and strength behind each individual shop within the space

Creating Community 

What a city cries for is the means for people to gather easily, inexpensively, regularly, and pleasurably- a place to meet, a real life alternative to television, an easy escape from the cabin fever of the office or home.'

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One thing that stood out to us, was how many different moving parts went into the Basement. How can we create a cohesive look for a clothing boutique, a salad bar, a juice bar, and whatever other shops may happen to go into the Basement.  Also, how does this work together with the installation of the first major retailer in downtown Reno in over 30 years?

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To start creating a cohesive feel, we had to look at the similarities of all the different shops and boutiques that would be filling up the space… and the most common element? Their location. Bullentini was adamant that we bring out the natural feel of the space - a United States Post Office from the 1930’s, thats rad.  A big emphasis was not on covering it up, but rather bringing out the best of it.  Highlighting the historic beauty - bingo we found a starting point. 

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This multifaceted gem needed something to bring out it’s natural elements.  A super buttoned-up, identity wasn’t going to do it here.  Using the shape of the building, in combination with hand-lettered details, we were able to create a logotype that was modern, yet pulled the original historic elements from the space itself. 

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"The hand-lettered details and linework can be seen throughout the space and it provides a contrast of the clean, modern look alongside a historic setting."

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Now, three years since it’s inception - the Basement is home to many different local boutiques, retail stores, and even a gym. It’s captured what Bullentini has set out for it to be - a gathering place for people to come together, and celebrate life. Here's a quick overview of other projects in the Basement the L&M team got to get their hands on:

Working with the Rawbry team, we were first tasked with creating a menu design and bottle packaging that reflected their bold and edgy style. From there, we also helped to create store signage (including a sweet in-store neon sign), print collateral, and eventually redesigned the bottle to be more economical and sustainable as the brand grew and expanded.

Cold-Pressed Juice Bar

Long time partners and friends of L&M, Tahoe Nevada Love is a homegrown team that focuses on the boundless adventures and experiences both in and around our beautiful Lake Tahoe. A lifestyle brand at heart, we helped TNL create products that were both unique and fashionable. Everything from their warm winter lines, bright beach attire, drinkware, backpacks and adventure gear were made to reflect their love for the lake.

Inspiring Adventure 

Paying homage to the post office's architect, Frederick J. DeLongchamps, the branding and identity we established for Chomp combines sophistication, structure, with warm and welcoming vibes. With a focus on quality, organic, and local food, everything from the menu, print advertisements, and promotional assets were consistent in showing their clean and refined look.

Bites By Design 

One historic abandoned building, big dreamers and passionate creatives, and blood, sweat and cold pressed juices later - we’ve got the concoctions for either a 21st century West-Coast horror film, or the start of the workings of the Basement.

A Community Hub Down Under

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The City of Sparks, NV hired us to create an identity for their event, Last Friday. The event focus is historical reenactments of the city's rich heritage that is family friendly.

The Last Friday, For Now

We worked in tight with the Blackbird team to develop a Brand Identity that not only showcased their innovative nature, but their ability to keep ahead of the game with the fast-growing cannabis industry. We continue to partner with this growing company to help showcase their brand through lifestyle and commercial photography, as well as creating promotional materials. Together, we knocked the Blackbird-branded socks off of all the viewers.

Branding a Marijuana Logistics Company

Gravallese Co. products are driven by 100 years of heritage in barbering, by barbers for both themselves and those in the chairs before them.  For products created with meticulously researched natural ingredients, we built an organic brand narrative, and a visual identity that reflects attention to detail.

Building a brand based on tradition and advancement

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Vinnie, the master barber, strives to do better; they’re making more sustainable & plant-based grooming products. Our packaging designs support that effort and highlight each of those key ingredients.  The product photography was inspired by stone masonry, dedication to craft, and the unity between rough and beauty.

Steps towards sustainable packaging

The charm of the Gravallese Co. flagship barber shop isn’t limited to it’s in-person location. We implemented and themed the gravallese.co website to be just as welcoming, accessible, and informative as the shop experience. Utilizing Shopify for fast checkouts and driving sales, we were able to guide their team to launch and start selling online.

The digital storefront, ecommerce

We add personality and storytelling by drawing fierce animal characters paired with raw expressions of the plant ingredients. Perhaps we're all wild animals in need of a little grooming. 

Illustration as information and inspiration

Lid illustrations

We made it clear for customers to find their desired product with bright-yet-earthy colored labels, prominantly displayed ingredients, and themed categories.

Creating product families

Gravallese Co is a brand that appeals to those with and without a beard. Barbers and non-barbers. Speaking the notion that self care and wanting to look your best is available for everyone.

Transparent Product Photos

Gravallese Co. came to us to create their brand identity, packaging design, website, and product photography centered around the refinement of traditional grooming products and self-care. Winning best brand packaging awards regionally and nationally.

Italian Heritage Brand & Grooming Products

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Cingulate is committed to driving innovation across industries to enhance communities around the world. The Commence designers worked with founders Abraham Moyal and Avi Cohen to build a brand identity that encompasses the diversity and integrity of the investment group.

Lending clarity to complexity

Commence designed the brand family for all of Cingulate’s verticals: Ventures, Technology, Commodities, Real Estate, and Sports & Entertainment.

A branded house for investments

For the Cingulate brand, the primary colors chosen are sophisticated shades of gray and black with pop accents of yellow, used throughout typography and in photo treatments for emphasis and to act as a signature of the brand.

Color Palette

With an expansive investment offering across many fields, Cingulate needed a way to speak directly to each client and their unique needs while also giving a clear overview about their mission as a whole.  Commence web designers developed an array of storytelling components and interactive sections to hold your attention and guide the journey through Cingulate’s services.

Tailor-made solutions

Homepage (Video)

Page Transitions (Video)

A diversified growth equity and advisory firm with a storied history of success, Cingulate Group came to Commence for their unique brand identity and website development.

Brand identity for the leading global investment group

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Growing in the high desert of Northern Nevada is difficult, but Future Fresh laughed in the face of mono-croppers everywhere and is now bringing fresh produce to the desert. It was only fitting that we made their brand identity represent innovation, all while keeping it light and simple.

Keep it simple

The Fresh Future logo was designed to represent the convenience and quality of aquaponic farming-- shaping the future of modern agriculture with sustainable, local produce for the community.

Logo Design 

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The Fresh Future color palette was created with inspiration from different crops. Contrasting colors on the warm & cool spectrum leave a lasting feeling of organic novelty.

Natural + Fresh 

We wanted to fully embody what it means to be natural. So we kept it sweet and simple

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To keep your future fresh, your delivery could be no more than a tap away.

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Through re-imagining organic produce in a box, we started creating an enticing and environmentally progressive identity for the Fresh Future Box; the aquaponics solution to the end of the Farmer's Market season. Whether it’s spicy peppers, rich butter greens, or plum tomatoes, we made sure we incorporated all elements of sweet sweet sustainability. Ensuring that they sacrificed nothing when it came to authentically representing their brand promise, we created their brand so it was replete with natural elements and vibrant visuals.

The Future of Community Supported Agriculture

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With close Nevada ties - it’s hard not to find ourselves passionate about the land that we live on. For this partnership, we collaborated with Patagonia Action Works to create a design that best captured the land of the Gold Butte National Monument. Through t-shirts, postcards, and a mural spanning all of the windows at Patagonia’s Reno location -- we were able to help make a lasting impact.

Defending Public Lands

The DVA color palette was created to reflect the central focus of water in their sustainable farming practice

Aquaponics Through Color 

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The Dayton Valley Aquaponics logo was designed to represent the harmony between technology and tradition, and promoting locally grown, ecologically sustainable food.

Harmony in Design 

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With eye-catching transitions and photos of their produce and facility, it invites users to learn more about DVA, sustainability, and what it means to grow fresh produce year round.

Eye Catching

The animations and movement on this site are something you'll want to experience for yourself.

See For Yourself

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Dayton Valley Aquaponics partnered with us to create a brand that represented their bio-fueled take on farming that provides fresh produce year round in the High Desert of Nevada

Rethinking Produce through Aquaponics

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The RetroRocket Coffee logo was created to express the nostalgia and excitement of mid-century space travel that inspires the RetroRocket team to roast delicous coffee. Reminding us to launch our day with gust and coffee, as well as coming back down to Earth to enjoy more, you guessed it... coffee!

It's All In The Logo 

The RetroRocket Coffee color palette was created with inspiration from parts of the Tarantula Nebula and mid-century design. Contrasting colors on the warm and cool spectrum leave a lasting feeling of wonder and nostalgia.

Let Your Mind Wonder

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We carried our space theme across every unique coffee label. From future themed lamps to UFOs themselves, these labels have it all. Paired with the pro tips, snazzy hints and intriguing company summary on the coffee bags, this packaging soars above the rest.

Packaging for the Gods

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No great coffee company is complete without some swag to rep the brand. We designed these classy t-shirts and galactic mugs for any human or alien-alike to show off.

Swag Out

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But, wait… there’s more. Prepare for a website beyond your imagination.

It’s a Rocket Tunes playlist section, it’s a rotating product display, it’s never-ending rocketism wisdom. RetroRocket’s website has it all. Starting with a featured products, scrolling to company ideology and navigating to in depth product pages, it’s an exploration that never ends.

Have It All

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Bringing the coffee buying experience to the next level. Introducing a subscription system for legends.

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You love coffee? Well, so do we. And so does RetroRocket. That’s we made it so you never need to worry about your coffee supply coming to a halt. We built a system that allows any customer to make up to four coffee subscriptions at once. You’ll be able to skip an order, change your payment method, look at delivery dates and view your purchase history too. Every subscription tool is a click away.

Easy as 1,2,3

Yes, ordering from your phone is just as easy. Pick your and your SO’s favorite coffee flavors, the amount you want, and how often you want them, then let your subscription do the rest, forever.

For Coffee Lovers, By Coffee Lovers

We couldn’t forget some brew guide love. Have a question about some brewing methods? We’ve got your back. We created a page all about coffee and brewing tips.

Knowledge Is Cool 

If one brew method is not your style, just swipe right. Every brew guide is complete with equipment, grind size, brew ratio and instructions.

Brewing Has Many Steps

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RetroRocket Coffee is a purely web based coffee brand that has it all. Starting from step one, we created the color palette, brand, packaging and website for this intuitive company. Packed full of space exploration references, sweeping design and unique web experiences, you'll want to know every detail of the rise of RetroRocket.

Launch The Day 

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We created a different illustration and theme for each cookie inspired by occult references and flash tattoo artwork.

Chock Full O'Gluten

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It is not everyday that we are given the opportunity to not only create an identity for a company, but also name it. Here are a few of the top contenders

Kick Ass And Make Names 

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Ritual Baking Co. specializes in unique and decadent cookies baked in Reno, NV. We were challenged with not only creating an identity for this punk rock baking company, but also given the opportunity to help name it. Our team developed multiple directions of identity, each speaking to a different atmosphere of unique, high end junk food.

Beat or Be Beaten Packaging

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We refreshed the look of Coffeebar to match their attitude. Bold, bright, yet sophisticated and refined. With such a growth taking place in the company, and a dedicated, loving fanbase - it was of upmost importance that we complete every action with strategy. Our measure twice, cut once mentality was something we were taking into account every step of the process.

Identity Exploration 

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In addition to Coffeebar’s signature orange, brown and tan color scheme, we introduced some pronounced secondary colors because coffee offers the ideology of comfort and energy of movement all at once.

Step One

Badges are great for everything from identity extension, to website ornamentation, to clothing designs or patches.

More than text and color 

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While we wanted to keep things modern, we also didn’t want to erase the human element. That human element is what differentiates all of Coffeebar’s locations from so many other coffee shops. We thought some handwritten elements would carry that ideology accross their brand.

Handwritten <3

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One of the goals we established when we first met with our pals at Coffeebar was the desire to have a kickass website. We wanted something that highlighted all locations, encompassed everything a customer could look for, stand out above the ordinary and, of course, look amazing.

This is the first page Coffeebar’s customers see. It not only gives them a taste of the custom video components, eye-catching transitions and integrated handwritten elements, but it also highlights the shopping experience and invites them to check out Coffeebar’s individual locations, blog, ideology, spotify favorites and lifestyle portfolio.

Homepage of champions. 

This site starts with the expected. You’ll find the contact, about, culture and shop pages quickly. Then it adds some pizazz. It includes pages dedicated to the senses— photos to look at, playlists to listen to, news to read about and menus to salviate over. As if that wasn’t cool enough, each of Coffeebar’s location pages link to these experiences, displaying corresponding examples of each. Lastly the site finishes off with some truly special surprises, roadtrips and brew guides, but you’ll see those later.

Where can we visit?

Coffeebar has done a fantastic job of keeping their brand consistent throughout each of their locations while making each space uniquely fit into the local area. Our challenge was to do the same thing digitally.

Keeping it all together 

We chose Shopify as the platform of choice. It has a beautiful back-end that gives us the ability to hand-craft the shopping experience, and staff the ease of use. (Added bonus for their top-notch analytics, data reporting and ecommerce insights. )

The shopping experience is well organized into three categories and kicks things off with a couple different suggestions. Each product page includes pictures, its story and a sticky header that displays the most important details 100% of the time as you scroll to explore a product. Which means, yes, customers can add that baby to cart no matter where they are on the page.

Bring in the money 

Its always sweet to see artwork on items people bring with them (or wear on them), because that means theres’s a higher chance that art will touch more souls. Here’s a couple products we merged with our badges and typography as proposals to add to Coffeebar’s online store.

It ends with swag

Being a group of creative professionals, its only natural to be fueled by caffeine and cold brews. Coffeebar is a supplier of just that— not to mention wine, baked treats, good times and great memories with even greater friends. At the start of Summer 2017 when Coffeebar was gearing up to open their 5th location we began a partnership to achieve an enhanced social presence and build a brand new website in preparation for the much-anticipated arrival in Silicon Valley.

Brand Strategy