Rock Paper Plant — Nick Fabiani

A new, vibrant identity to meet the moment.

Rock Paper Plant is a women-of-color owned small business based in Washington, D.C. They sell plants, workshops, and kits. They hired me to design a new, robust brand system that would allow them to stand out better in a crowded space, increase their shelf- and feed-presence, and help them take advantage of a moment for unexpected growth.

Capturing genuine joy.

Alicia and Cielo, co-founders of Rock Paper Plant, are two of the most honestly and genuinely joyful people you will have the pleasure of meeting in your life. It infuses everything they do, but especially the products they make for Rock Paper Plant (check out their felting kits and air plants) and comes through in their in-person and virtual workshops. This probably played a big role in their sudden and unexpected growth at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. As people locked down, Rock Paper Plant was there to provide activities and plants — just what folks needed. But their existing identity didn’t reflect who Alicia and Cielo are or what they wanted the brand to be. In our first brand workshop, that’s what became clear — Rock Paper Plant is the result of their joy and positivity, and the identity should capture that. It should be the one thing their customers take away when they interact with their products.

Make it maximalist.

We explored, iterated, and tweaked before landing on this final concept: A logo and design system that captures the vibrant energy of the co-founders in brightly-colored, hand-cut elements and patterns. This flexible system has been applied across digital, print, and packaging needs. We worked together to develop a new suite of packaging and stickers, print cards, and digital materials. We were lucky enough to get Rebecca Price to join the team to extend the identity into a beautiful social experience. Brent & Jo Studio developed Rock Paper Plant’s new website using this identity.

Say this, not that.

In addition to developing a refreshed visual identity, we also revisited and developed Rock Paper Plant’s first tone and voice guide. This has helped Alicia and Cielo ensure that the key underlying principles of the new brand — joy, authenticity, and a little bit of snark — come through in every customer interaction. These guidelines have already been deployed in developing new marketing materials, new guides for kits, and infusing their social media platforms. (Check out their “Hey Fronds” content…insert chef’s kiss.)