Branding & Design

Property Management Logo & Website Design

I had the opportunity to work on a Property Management Logo and Website design when they launched.  Preston Trails Property Management is boutique firm specializing in property management for individually owned, single family homes and investment properties.

Property Management Logo Design

The goal with the logo design was to keep it simple.  The inspiration was an old fashioned key.  I was able to use both the initials P and T to create the look of a key.

Preston-Trails-Property-Management-Logo

It was easy to pull a logo mark from this logo for use on social media profiles and the favicon for the website.

Property Management Website Design

The focus of the website design was easy navigation for anyone who visits the website.  We wanted Property Owners and Tenants to both be able to easily access the information they need.  Here is a look at the homepage.

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View our Property Management Logo & Website Design in action:

Visit the Website

Tristrand Therapy ABA Branding & Website Design

Creating a compelling brand identity is important for any business, and for Tristrand Therapy, a provider of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children on the autism spectrum in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, this process was particularly significant. Their logo and website needed to reflect their mission of empowering individuals, equipping families, and enabling success.

It’s no accident that their mission is made up of three goals, which is reflected in both their name and branding.

From the start of the brand design process I knew the color scheme we were using. The client loved the combination of blue, green and orange. The design for the ABA branding had endless possibilities. The final logo design initially started out like this:

Once the logo was finalized the WordPress website design got underway. During the website design process I created a few additional branding elements. Check them out below:

Tristrand merged with another company in 2025. This you cannot view the website live. But, you can head to our portfolio for additional screen captures from this ABA branding project.

View Portfolio

Choosing A Business Name

There is no right or wrong way to go about choosing a business name. In fact, there are so many different options we can’t narrow it down to just one. Instead, we’re sharing what works for us.

To walk you through this process, we’re going to use a business that we launched in the fall of 2019, Simply Noted.

Choosing A Business Name

As KateOGroup has grown over the last few years and the things that we offered needed to be narrowed down. This led to the need to spin our Holiday Card and Invitation business off into it’s own entity.

Step 1: Inspiration

When choosing a business name I wanted it to be a tribute to my mom and incorporate gardenias either into the name or logo. (Gardenias were my mom’s favorite flower.)

First thing I did was write down everything that came to mind about my mom. This included where she was born, her birth month, every where she lived, her favorite flower, etc.

I’ve created a worksheet for you to help you organize your ideas. You can download it here.

Step 2: Choosing a Business Name

With my list of words ready, I started playing with combinations. Looking up available URLs and trying them out on friends. After months of overthinking and getting sidetracked with client work for KateOGroup, I finally had a name!

Simply Noted came from two of my mom’s initials. Mom was constantly taking notes, sending notes and leaving sweet notes of encouragement, thus “Noted.”

Step 3: Getting Started

Once the name is set the next thing on the list is making it official. Buy the domain, register the name with your state, claim social media accounts and start dreaming about the logo. Now for the fun part! But, we’lol cover that in another post!

P.S.

A few years ago I wrote a post that goes over 3 things to consider when choosing a business name. Those 3 things are still very relevant today. Click here to read the post.

The Color Beige

The Color Beige is a relaxing, neutral color that has a calming effect. It is a popular color used in interior design through a variety of textiles. Over the years there has been some confusion of exactly what color beige is. The image below is a representation of our understanding of beige.

Inspiration for the color beige

Psychology of the Color Beige

It is said that if you prefer the color beige than you like the simple and basic things of life. You always choose to be back stage rather than out front for all to watch. Cleanliness, order and quiet are your main goals. You are also considered very dependable and tend to get along with everyone.

Beige has a calming effect. It is so often used by contractors in homes and business that almost all neutral colors are referred to as “Contractor’s Beige.” It is suggested that if you add a beige background or feature to a room to balance out bright colors, in two weeks you will feel a new sense of calm.

Beige in Design

You can see in the image above how our client Agave Custom Homes used a beige color on the walls of the inviting master bedroom. There are quite a few colors in this design however beige balances out everything else.

Finding Beige Inspiration

Visit KateOGroup on Pinterest and see our board titled Beiges. This board is full of inspiration. Nothing but variations of beige. All of the images in the first image are on the Beiges Pinterest Board.

Over the next month we will be highlighting designs by KateOGroup, both branding and website, that incorporate the color beige. Be sure to follow us on Instagram.

Want to learn more about other color features on our blog? Click here.

Why Outsource Graphic Design?

Let’s talk about why outsource graphic design for your business. In today’s world having well designed images that are consistently on-brand is crucial.

Why Outsource graphic Design projects

Large companies often have in house design teams. However, most small businesses can’t afford to hire someone full time. Better yet, why hire anyone at all, when there are tools like Canva that allow you to create your own graphics? Besides, isn’t hiring a graphic designer expensive?

Reasons to Outsource Graphic Design

1. You Bring in an Expert

An experienced graphic designer has the knowledge and tools to get the job done correctly. They know what types of files are needed for print projects vs digital projects. They keep on top of trends in the design world.

Most importantly, they free you up to focus on running your business and stay on top of everything else on your to do list.

2. Save Money & Time

When you outsource graphic design projects you save on the expense of a full time employee. Salaries and benefits can be expensive especially if you don’t have a full time need for a designer. Not to mention you won’t need extra space for a freelance graphic designer in your office.

A freelance designer works on the project you hire them for and delivers in a timely manner. An in-house graphic designer can get sidetracked and bogged down with a long company to do list.

The biggest bonus of all is that rather than focusing on designing graphics, which most likely isn’t your specialty, you can focus on those things that generate revenue for your business.

3. Scalability

An outsourced design partner frees you up to streamline your business and better serve your customers. Both of which allow you to grow your existing business and find new clients.

4. Conserve Resources and Better Utilize Assets

Rather than pouring funds you don’t have into a computer and the programs designers need, you will be able to direct those funds into your business. An outsourced designer will have their own computer and already own the licenses for programs like Photoshop and Illustrator.

5. Get a New Point of View

An outsourced designer brings a fresh set of eyes to your business and brand message. Rather than seeing the bigger picture you can often get stuck on a singular vision as the business owner. An outside designer can help bring a fresh perspective and alternate ideas.

A freelancer can breath fresh life into your brand and projects and create both unique and memorable graphics to help you stand out against your competition.

In Conclusion, Outsourcing Graphic Design Makes Sense

Running a business is hard, when you outsource graphic design you make your life easier. You can easily lower your stress levels through freelancing.

If you’re interested in talking with KateOGroup to see if our team is a great fit for you, we’ve just launched a new monthly graphic design service, click here to find out more. Take a look at our past graphic design work by clicking here.