Studio Nine was founded by Katrina Knapp in 2018. Katrina is a designer and brand strategist with over 13 years experience, specialising in visual brand identity, and logo design. She has worked at some of the top design and advertising agencies in Auckland before founding Studio Nine. She gained her design qualifications from AUT University, in Auckland New Zealand. Her studio balances playfulness with purpose to deliver work that is both beautifully crafted, leaves a lasting impression and resonates with the target audience. Enough about us — let’s talk over coffee (on us) about creating a beautiful brand identity for your business!

We are small, Auckland based boutique design studio. We specialise in strategy based, logo design and visual brand identity design. The collection of visual elements that serve to represent a brand — it can include logo, colour palette, typography, website and photography. Our big picture approach is simple, listen to our clients, understand their business, and then answer their needs using the power of good design that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. 

We work with a network of talented New Zealand copywriters, photographers and illustrators who help us deliver the best work possible. Don’t worry, we won’t be flicking your design project to a freelancer overseas and getting it done as cheaply as possible. Brand identity pricing can vary widely. As an independent studio with 13 years of experience, we are able to bring agency-level design and expertise to the same project that would have a higher cost elsewhere. 

We are a great fit for businesses and startups who believe that great design has the power to shift people’s perception about a brand, build loyalty and improve sales.

Our capabilities

Brand identity design

Brand strategy

Graphic design

Logo design

Web design

Art direction

Packaging design

Brand photography

1. Initial meeting and briefing

We believe that the most important aspect of our job is to listen, to learn and to explore. At this stage we’ll go over our detailed branding questionnaire with you (and any stakeholders) to define your brand. As you build and promote your business, you’ll need clarity on what it should look and sound like. We’ll explore your vision, goals, audience, how you want them to feel, your company’s personality, unique strengths, positioning and more. Once we have a good understanding of your brand and your needs we’ll put together a design brief outlining the core details and expectations of the project.

2. Brand strategy development

Our next step is to create a brand strategy that will make you stand out from the crowd and give your business a unique identity. Just as an architect draws out a building plan before they start building, we need to develop a brand strategy for your business before we start working on any of your brand’s touch points like a logo or a website.

Whether you’re a brand new company or an existing brand with well-established customer loyalty, having a winning brand strategy is integral to sustainable business success. We will present your brand strategy in an easy to follow document. Your brand strategy may include the following: brand purpose and values, brand voice and tone, brand personality, clearly defined target audience and buyer persona, competitor analysis, brand position, brand personality and point of difference.

3. Visual brand identity design

Once we have the brand strategy completed, we have a blue print for how the visual brand identity should look and feel. A brand identity is an intricate design system. Each element influences the other, but it always starts with your logo, colour palette and typography selection. Every brand’s needs are different, so your brand’s touch-points will be different too.