New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard was looking to relaunch her brand. As both a novelist and writing instructor, she wanted two unique identities—one to represent each side of her business—with the caveat that the two identities read as related beneath the same brand umbrella.

The Solution: Starting with Susan’s author identity, an archway was utilized to represent a “window” into fantastical worlds. Susan’s request to include mountains and/or sky materialized as a horned moon and star inside a celestial burst element. The same archway was used for “Academy,” Susan’s writing instruction sub-brand, but here, the moon changes to a quill. In both instances, a timeless-looking serif font was chosen and customized for Susan’s name. A carefully positioned tagline paired with the logo calls out author-versus-instructor identity.