We believe in the power of creative ideas to change and connect the world.
Welcome to the first edition of Figment, our way of keeping in touch and sharing with you our current collection of thoughts and projects. Here at Fig Industries, we know how powerful it is to connect in a meaningful way so we hope that after reading Figment, you feel just a bit more connected to our curiously creative team of designers, thinkers, and marketers.
If you’re not familiar with our agency, we believe in the power of creative ideas to change and connect the world. Since 2000, we’ve been creating positive change for our clients and our communities. As a woman-owned Certified B Corporation, we work with brands and businesses who value excellence and want to help shape the world around them.
In 2005, we planted the seed for a small but mighty communications platform called Fig magazine—where we shine a light on small businesses in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania, where our studio is based. Fig has told these stories of small business for 18 years (and counting!), and it is my most rewarding career accomplishment to date—all of it rooted in our team’s love of community and connection.
Thank you in advance for reading Figment and getting to know us. To keep our curiously creative team in mind, enjoy the poster on the center spread of this edition. If you’re looking to launch a new brand, establish your place in the market, or take things to the next level, reach out! We’d love to work with you. Together, we can make your brand memorable.
Deborah Brandt, Founder & CEO, Fig Industries
THE FIG INDUSTRIES TEAM, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
Back row: Will Teodori, Senior Designer; Deb Brandt, Founder & CEO; Meredith Michel, Digital Content and Events Coordinator; Heather Stoltzfus, Senior Designer; Lisa Farina-Lopez, Operations Manager
Front row: Kaylee Masullo, Designer; Cara Walker, Managing Editor; Jaimie Russo, Account Manager; Jason James, Creative Director
What’s in a name?
Choosing the right name is not just important—it could make or break a brand or organization. A great name is emotive, engaging, culturally sensitive, and sometimes provocative. It has the power to convey a message before anyone sees your logo or reads your messaging.
At Fig Industries, we approach naming with a proven process that is informed by the past while looking to the future. With our help, you can give your brand a head start with an intentional name that is concise, enduring, and withstands the test of time.
STEP 01: DO THE RESEARCH
We believe the client knows their brand best. In our discovery phase, we work closely with our clients, digging deep into the purpose and mission behind their new venture, unearthing helpful nuggets to inform a name that has a personal connection to the founder as well as their target audience.
STEP 02: GET CURIOUS
We love this part! We work our magic with a whiteboard, a word list, and a room of creative thinkers. During this part, no idea is a bad idea so we spend time testing out each direction until we have a handful of winners. We’ve found that the path to the best name is rarely a straight line.
Our Services
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
Annual Communication Planning
Internal Communications
Media Relations
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Brand Naming
Messaging & Statement Development
Visual & Logo Development
Brand Architecture
MARKETING
STRATEGY & DESIGN
Integrated Marketing
Campaign Planning
Content Marketing & Copywriting
Publication Design
Collateral Design
Web Design
Digital Design
Left: Our team loves to mix in old school exercises with our modern design & marketing practices, including flipping through a 375-page vintage Webster’s Dictionary for naming inspiration.
Right: We love to put pen to paper (or marker to whiteboard) and gather all our ideas in one place. By physically making connections within our word list, we can organically and strategically arrive at the best options.
STEP 03: PUSH THE BOUNDARIES
The iteration phase is when we refine, revise, and rethink each proposed name collaboratively with our clients to ensure every word and even every letter is just right. Then it’s off to the trademark attorney before we begin crafting the brand story and visual language for the newly established brand.
DOROTHY PARKER
Urban Legend
HOW WE HELPED:
• Brand Development
• Publication Design
• Marketing Roadmap
• Website Design & Social Strategy
• Packaging, Collateral & Signage
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
C. Emlen Urban was a prolific architect in the 19th and 20th Centuries, with most of his 700+ commissions built in Central Pennsylvania. Despite the mark he left on history, no comprehensive work on Urban had ever been published. When local architect and historian Gregory J. Scott, FAIA, approached our team with his manuscript on Urban,
Coming alongside author Gregory J. Scott and photographer Matthew Tennison on the creation of Urban Legend: The Life and Legacy of C. Emlen Urban , the Fig Industries team brought the needed expertise and process to the project. We set a foundation for success by establishing the brand for the publishing company, the messaging around the company’s purpose, its visual identity, and its online presence. The name Egg & Dart Books is a reference to an ornamental design motif used in architectural moldings and utilized by Urban himself in his designs. The logo includes an artistic rendering of the motif alongside a stylized word mark. With this foundation in place, we created a detailed roadmap with major milestones, a pre-sale plan, and a launch strategy.
For Urban Legend , a hardback coffee table book, we settled on a minimalistic and timeless design, while adding textural details throughout. Researching Urban’s architectural style, his sketchbooks, and even his handwriting, we immersed ourselves in his aesthetic. Every detail mattered—typefaces,
paper stock, finishes, and, of course, how we positioned the photography and the writing. We also introduced key elements to showcase Urban in an interesting way and intrigue the reader. This included translucent vellum inserts of Urban’s original building sketches, a foldout timeline of every known commission completed in his 52-year career, and a custom-illustrated exterior box to hold the finished product.
For the book’s launch, we executed a robust marketing campaign that created excitement and far exceeded pre-sale expectations. Our team also designed launch materials including pop-up banners, bookmarks, buttons, and signage to elevate the consumer experience. The post-launch plan continues to drive traffic to the website through print and social media advertising.
Building the Urban Legend world was an all-hands-on-deck experience for our team and a highlight of our year.
it was a project unlike any we had tackled before. However, our expertise in print design, brand identity, and publishing made us the ideal partner to bring the works of Urban to life through the book, titled Urban Legend , and bring Urban’s story to the community through a strategic marketing plan.
CURIOSITY
we value
PERSPECTIVE
COURAGE
We never stop learning as we seek beauty in the world around us.
We believe true growth emerges from embracing the uncomfortable.
We listen with intent so we can see the world from different angles.
We bring our best to every endeavor, promising good and delivering great.
A winning hand
Our team is proud to do meaningful work every day, and it’s only possible because we have exceptional clients. To show our appreciation each year, we design something special that showcases our capabilities and shares a little bit of love from us to them.
This past holiday season, we designed custom Fig Industries playing cards, bringing to life our core values by illustrating the animal we felt embodies each value. Surrounded by flourishing fig leaves, the monkey, lion, hawk, and peacock represent the curiosity, courage, perspective, and excellence we bring to our work every day.
Interested in partnering with us? Become a client in 2024, and you’ll receive your own Fig Industries custom deck.
