All posts by Oblique Design

Client Spotlight: Say Less Productions

Shannon Costello Düster started Say Less Productions after experiencing firsthand how the typical Hollywood production company can be exclusionary towards women and marginalized groups. Based in Boulder, Say Less Productions focuses on restorative justice, giving voices to those who would be ignored by the mainstream production community. Her production company focuses on telling the real stories of women in male dominated spaces, especially those in athletics.

Oblique Design is a women-owned Boulder design agency, so our values and experiences aligned with Shannon’s and we were excited to partner with her to create a brand identity that represents her vision and Say Less Production’s purpose in the film industry. We started the process by having an in-depth review of Shannon’s strategy, core values and mission. Then our Boulder design team created logo design options that stayed true to Shannon’s vision while also letting Say Less Productions stand out among competition. 

The final logo focuses on the brand identity, bringing forth attributes like being simultaneously minimalist and having subtle sophistication. Shannon wanted to express how you can say more…by saying less. This is the core nature of the marginalized women that Say Less Productions focuses on. Our logo design incorporates large quotation marks positioned next to a lower case wordmark reading “say less”. The quotation mark meets the letterforms at their x-height creating emphasis, denoting that the “say less” is not something that is simply read or written, it’s read with conviction. The typographic treatment is in all lowercase to further emphasize an approachable feeling of understanding and compassion. Finally the word “less” is a light grey which allows the “stay” in black to stand out. 

We are currently in the process of designing a website, along with other marketing materials to provide her company the awareness it deserves. The entire team at our Boulder design agency was excited to get behind this client and help the organization grow and succeed.

Client Spotlight: Queens of the Court & ReJoyce Academy

The importance of giving back to the community is not something lost on Joyce Walker. Her ReJoyce Academy is a Seattle based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local youth in more ways than just basketball. For Joyce, the organization is a way to instill her life lessons and hard-earned wisdom into the next generation of young girls in Seattle’s racially and ethnic diverse Central District and beyond.


Continue reading

Products of our Surroundings

There’s no doubt that with any creative endeavor, inspiration serves as an important aspect of the concepting phase. Good design doesn’t exist in a vacuum and great ideas do not just appear out of nothing. We tend to pull sources of inspiration from all around us; the places we go, the people we meet and the media we consume. Whether on a conscious level or subliminally, our surroundings have a creative influence on the work we do.


Continue reading

Brand Identity Systems

In previous entries, we’ve examined the ways that a brand extends beyond a logo. Your brand is the emotional response it creates in a person and the catalyst for this response is the elements within your brand’s identity system. The key to successful brands is clarity and cohesion. These are all achieved by having a strong system in which to implement your brand. Today we want to talk about what a brand identity system is and examine some of the elements that make up a system.


Continue reading

Off The Press: Big Renovations Coming to Dutch Clark Stadium

For over 70 years, Dutch Clark Stadium has been a staple of the community in Pueblo, Colorado. Named for Earl “Dutch” Clark, professional football legend, pioneer and Colorado native, the stadium has served as a vital community space for generations of Puebloans. Since opening in 1950, Dutch Clark Stadium has served the Pueblo School District (D60), hosting football, soccer and track and field. According to StadiumTalk.com, the stadium ranks as the 14th largest high school football stadium in the country.


Continue reading

Is AI Design the Future of Design Projects?

By now I’m sure most of us are familiar with the growing trend of artificial intelligence creative platforms. Whether it be image generators like Lensa or Dall-E or writing generators like ChatGPT, AI technology is coming into the mainstream and it’s creating a lot of controversy, especially in creative fields like art and design. Aside from science fiction ideas of an AI controlled dystopian society, there are very real concerns with artificial intelligence replacing jobs in creative fields.


Continue reading

BAD BREAKUPS: Adobe & Pantone

Breakups are never easy and oftentimes leave a third party stuck in the middle, whether that be children or a shared friend group. In this case, those of us who work in creative fields find ourselves in the middle of a tiff between two industry giants Adobe and Pantone. Back in December of 2021 Adobe announced that it would be removing some of the pre-loaded Pantone color books from its suite of software applications.

Continue reading

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: Honey Rock Landing

Nestled in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area lies the Honey Rock Landing orchard. Cultivated by owners Colby and Leslie Barrett, the location along the Gunnison River provides the fertile soil in growing some of the sweetest fruits in the entire state of Colorado. In using regenerative growing techniques, the Barrett family places sustainability at the forefront. It’s these values that resonated with the Oblique team and we’re proud to have been able to create a visual identity that reflects these standards.

Continue reading

Using UX Design Principles to Boost SEO

I’m sure this is not the first time you’ve heard about the importance of good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your brand’s digital presence. According to media company Fleishman-Hillard, 89% of customers begin their purchasing process via search engine. No matter the industry, if someone is looking to hire a vendor for architecture, construction, design or to purchase a new product, their journey most likely begins with a need and that iconic, minimalist Google page.

User Experience (UX)is carefully researched design decisions that guide a user to quickly and easily get what they need. In a similar manner, search engine results work the same way. So how can these informed design principles be used to optimize your brand’s search engine results?

Continue reading