Last fall, near our Seattle office, a quaint t-shirt shop opened its door. Their logo was well designed. The name was catchy but tasteful. This "hole-in-the-wall" was something different.
When a new business goes in, I always examine their marketing material. Sometimes their logos are comprised of half dozen system fonts. Sometimes they're part of a chain or have a major backer and every detail is cared for.
This t-shirt shop was out of the norm. The branding was well-done, but the storefront... well, it wasn't suitable for Starbucks. I walked past it a dozen or more times before finally going in.
The "Desteenation Shirt Company," is certainly not your average business. NWSource describes the founder, Matt Morgan, this way:
Morgan, a former graphic designer, built Web sites for such prominent local talents as Pearl Jam, Cameron Crowe, Death Cab for Cutie and Heart. In doing so, he not only honed his Web building skills but "learned how to sell T-shirts like nobody's business." Tired of seeing big business glorified on T-shirts, Morgan's motto is a simple one: "Re-brand America, brand local, support your own community." Desteenation partners itself with individual businesses that strike a chord in the hearts of locals.
Fast-forward a few months, and now GD does the "techie stuff" for Matt. Together, and within the next couple months, we'll be launching an updated desteenation.com.
-Forrest
PS. Desteenation now has a new location in Fremont.
