Almano
Soul driven & handmade

As part of my capstone project for my master’s degree program in integrated design, my team and I were assigned to rebrand a company called Almano. For this assignment, we were asked to research the company’s competition, develop solutions to their problems, compose a mission and vision statement, and produce a comprehensive process and style guide that represents Almano.

Almano is a seasonal subscription based company of handmade goods by local artisans in underinvested communities. It was started by owner Tori Schiff after being inspired to support a community local artisans from Baltimore, Maryland. After meeting with Torianne and understanding her vision, the brainstorming began. The weeks to follow would consist of multiple moodboards, collaborative team efforts, and extensive research on subscription boxes including competition and audience. We believed the brand identity should represent Almano using handmade and natural elements. I was able to contribute my talents in illustration to create all patterns and designs by hand. Almano now has a unique and handmade brand identity to further support their vision and mission.

Every year, an outside panel of judges awards the Erin Kvedar Memorial Seminar Award to a team of students completing the capstone course. For the 2020 year, the Seminar Award was awarded to the Almano team. One of the judges said, “From the colors to the logo to the illustration and the designed elements that this team created, there was a real sense of consistency and vision in the visuals for Almano.”