Atomicdust

A ton of people dream of writing a book one day. Our next Bright & Early speaker, Pooja Arshanapally, actually made it happen. And as a content marketing consultant, she understands exactly what it takes to figure out your core message and authentically share it to build a following. She’ll be sharing her story, and advice on how to self-publish your own book, this Friday morning as part of St. Louis Design Week! Get more info and RSVP in the comments.

Brand Stories: Crazy Bowls & Wraps Sometimes a rebrand changes everything... When Crazy Bowls & Wraps planned to expand from St. Louis to Ohio, they needed their brand to evolve while staying true to their healthy fast-casual roots. Our Approach: We built the brand around the mantra "Go For The Good," connecting their passion for healthy food with new sustainability initiatives. The visual identity balanced global responsibility with playful elements - using handwritten type, line drawings, and fresh food photography to keep things light and approachable. The Result: The comprehensive rebrand touched everything from menus and packaging to interior design and website, earning recognition from Graphic Design USA's American Package Design Awards and Health + Wellness Design Awards. We loved helping this passionate local brand find its voice as it grew beyond its hometown roots. _______ This post is generated with love by your friends at Atomicdust using a custom marketing automation we built. We'd love to build one for your brand too.

Just launched: a new site for Lutheran High School of St Charles County, right in time for the new school year. The website showcases their academics and student life, supports admissions and makes information easier to find. The details make the site shine: authentic photography, user-focused pathways and animations based on doodles you'd find in your high school notebooks. #websitedesign #webdesign #educationmarketing #designagency

Every August, we head outside to honor our old friend and Atomicdust partner, James. James had a big vision for what Atomicdust could be. He rallied our team to go further, knowing most limits in life are self-imposed—suggestions that can be bypassed, not rules that have to be followed. So Friday, we closed our laptops and climbed Castlewood. We filled our lungs with fresh air. We grilled thick ribeye steaks with fancy butter, ate three-layer carrot cake, and raised our glasses. To James. #wwjdd

When Lightedge merged with Connectria, they could have followed the industry playbook: dense technical jargon, vague promises and enough blue to drown in. Instead, we helped them build something that breaks the rules of tech branding by simply being direct about what they do and why it matters. Turns out clarity (combined with some unexpected visuals) is the real differentiator in an industry full of noise. More in the comments.

Brand Stories: Executive Dining From outdated to outstanding, Executive Dining's transformation shows how strategic branding can elevate a corporate foodservice provider. With roots dating back to wartime food trucks, they needed a sophisticated brand identity to match their fresh approach to corporate dining as they expanded into larger markets. Our Approach: We created a clean, black-and-white logo paired with classic typefaces for sophistication, while adding hand-drawn elements and warm colors for a human touch. Through custom photography and friendly website copy, we moved away from typical B2B bullet points to showcase their people-first culture. The Result: The new brand system extended across all touchpoints - from proposal books to cafe signage - helping Executive Dining compete at a higher level. Their new visual identity and messaging perfectly balanced corporate professionalism with approachable hospitality. We loved how this project let us transform a local legacy business into a modern brand ready for national growth. _______ This post is generated with love by your friends at Atomicdust using a custom marketing automation we built. We'd love to build one for your brand too.

Has a competitor rebrand ever ruined your day (life)? Partner/Account Director Jesse McGowan explains how to decide your next steps—once your heart rate goes down and you stop stress-scrolling their new website. Read more in the comments.

Most office buildings have the personality of a dentist's waiting room. Alberici Constructors' headquarters was already impressive—LEED Platinum, sustainable everything, beautiful outdoor spaces and genuinely cool architecture. But their evolved brand wasn't really living in the space yet. So they asked us for help. Head to the comments to see the full results.

The older I get, the more comfortable I get being true to myself. I know what I like, what I'm good at, what I'm not good at (quite a long list), and how I want to spend my time. This aged wisdom drives my wife crazy. Ha. But staying true to who you are is what makes people like you or not like you—and that's okay. When I'm working with a client on rebranding, it's never about just blending in with everyone else. It's about being true to yourself and being distinct. Design is more readily available to businesses than ever, and I think that's great. But when businesses just become remixes of other businesses, they simply don't stand out. The best rebrands don't make you into someone new. They help you become who you've always been—but louder, clearer and more relevant. Except, some companies get lost in the process. So I wrote about how to rebrand without losing your soul on the blog this weekend. Now, I could have spent the day pulling weeds or cleaning out the garage, but I know what I'm good at. Check it out in the comments. Thanks for reading. Have a great day!

Even if you don't recognize the name, you've probably seen his work—and now Cbabi Bayoc is sharing his story at Bright & Early! A well-known muralist, visual artist and illustrator, Cbabi will talk about his journey (spoiler: Six Flags and Prince both make an appearance), recent projects and some of the issues he explores through his work. It's all happening the morning of August 15, co-hosted by the amazing teams at STL.org and Once Films. Head to the comments to learn more and save your seat.