Project Overview
JustFoodForDogs is a pioneer of the fresh pet food movement. Since 2010, they have been cooking whole ingredient, human-grade food for dogs in their storefront kitchens across the United States, and leading the pet space with lab research to back their health claims. By 2024, JustFoodForDogs were brushing elbows with emerging competitors in the expanding fresh pet food space, and I joined as a Creative Director to support their brand evolution, growth marketing efforts, and product innovation.
Original Brand Identity
Proficiencies
Design research
Competitive analysis
Brand identity design and proof
Illustration
Copywriting
Consumer testing
Mood & Inspiration Exploration
Direction: The Grow Lab Minimalist
A creative direction so confident and unburdened by graphics and copy, it poses the question:
If we lead with whole foods from each recipe, what more needs to be said about JustFoodForDogs?
Direction: The Kitchen Cook
A creative direction rooted in the beginning of JustFoodForDogs’s story: Founder Shawn Buckley’s kitchen. Featuring raw, natural materials and whole ingredients actively being prepared reminds us of how simple but profound fresh feeding truly is. This direction also celebrates one of JustFoodForDogs’s major points of difference:
With nearly 100 storefronts and products to support DIY, JustFoodForDogs is the only fresh pet food that can authentically claim the kitchen setting.
Direction: The Playmate
A creative direction that leans simplistic without compromising energy and personality.
What could we do with the space that extraneity once occupied?
Direction: The Macro Manager
A creative direction hyperfocused on what the product does without compromising how the label looks. “Show me the data”, but make it look good in my carefully curated fridge and pantry.
Can we inspire mindful dog feeding by first inspiring mindful human eating?
Design Exploration
Ingredients: Ground beef, oats, kale, carrots, long grain brown rice, joy, vitality, candor, integrity, simplicity, resilience, and adaptability.
Proposal: The Best Friend
The identity I proposed was the result of all 4 creative directions carefully blended together and checked against JustFoodForDogs’s original identity and company values.
Unique guardrails I followed:
Maintain a visual recall to the original logomark
Honor the color analysis performed, which suggested committing to a color palette consisting of primarily blue, teal, and purple hues
Retain the clarity of the logotype
Challenge the company’s comfort zone with a solution that balances personality and familiarity
