Case Study: Rachel Rawson Photography
Project
Client: Rachel Rawson Photography
Services: Marketing Strategy, Website Design & Development, Logo Design, User Experience (UX)
Industry: Photography
Project Type: Freelance project completed through Crafty Penguin
Context & Brief
Rachel Rawson Photography is a growing photography business with a passion for capturing beautiful moments and telling stories through imagery.
Rachel approached myself, Louise through Crafty Penguin looking for both a professional website and a logo that would represent her brand and personality.
Rather than jumping straight into design, we began by discussing exactly what she wanted from her website, her wider business goals and how her brand could support the next stage of her business growth.
The aim was to create a visual identity and website that would showcase her photography, reflect her personality and provide a platform that could evolve alongside her business.
The Challenge
Photography websites need to strike a careful balance between aesthetics and functionality.
The project needed to:
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Create a memorable logo and brand identity
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Showcase Rachel's photography in a visually appealing way
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Reflect her personality and style
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Be simple for visitors to navigate
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Clearly communicate her services
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Provide a platform that could evolve as her business grows
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Support future additions, including new galleries, content and business updates
Most importantly, both the logo and website needed to feel authentically Rachel.
Strategy
At Crafty Penguin, I believe that strategy should lead creativity.
Before creating any designs, Rachel and I carried out a deep dive into:
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Her business goals
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The customers she wants to attract
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The types of photography she wishes to promote
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Her personal style and how this could be reflected in her brand
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The overall user journey through the website
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How the website could continue to support her business in the future
This strategic approach ensured that every design decision had a purpose and that the finished logo and website were not only visually appealing but also aligned with Rachel's long-term ambitions.
Logo Design
Alongside the website, I also designed the logo for Rachel Rawson Photography.
Rachel wanted the logo to be personal and reflective of her character as a photographer. The starting point for the design was a photograph of Rachel herself holding her camera, an image she felt perfectly captured her personality and passion for photography.
Using this image as inspiration, I created a logo that would become a recognisable representation of her brand while maintaining a clean and timeless style that could be used across digital and print media.
The logo was designed in Adobe Illustrator, allowing me to create scalable vector artwork that Rachel can continue to use as her business grows.
This project was also significant for another reason: it was the first time I incorporated AI into part of my design workflow. AI was used during the early ideation and iteration stages to help explore different approaches and refine concepts more quickly.
However, AI was not used to create the final logo itself. The final design was developed and produced entirely by me in Adobe Illustrator.
As both a marketer and designer, I find the relationship between creativity and AI fascinating. Used thoughtfully, AI can help accelerate the creative process and explore ideas, but human creativity, judgement and craftsmanship remain at the heart of producing meaningful and distinctive brand identities.
The result is a logo that feels authentically Rachel, personal, professional and ready to grow alongside her business.
Website Design & Development
Working closely with Rachel throughout the project, I designed and built a website that showcases her work while creating a seamless experience for visitors.
Key features included:
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Clean and modern website design
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Portfolio galleries to showcase photography
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Responsive design for desktop and mobile devices
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Clear navigation and user journey
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Brand-consistent styling and imagery
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Flexible structure to allow for future growth and updates
The project involved regular collaboration and feedback, ensuring the final website truly reflected Rachel's vision.
Outcome
After many hours of planning, design and development behind the scenes, the website is now live and helping Rachel showcase her growing portfolio online.
The project doesn't end here, however. A website should evolve alongside a business, and I continue to work with Rachel as we develop the site further, add new content and support her business as it grows. This ongoing partnership ensures the website remains an effective marketing tool and continues to reflect Rachel's latest work and ambitions.
Take a look at the finished website here: www.rachelrawsonphotography.co.uk
Takeaways
This project reinforced something I strongly believe: A successful website and brand are about much more than aesthetics.
By taking the time to understand a client's goals, audience and ambitions, it's possible to create a digital experience that not only looks great but also supports long-term business growth.
This project also gave me the opportunity to explore how AI can support the creative process. While the final logo was designed entirely by hand in Adobe Illustrator, using AI during the ideation stage helped me think differently and experiment with new approaches.
Working with Rachel has been a fantastic example of how strategy, creativity, technology and collaboration can come together to create something meaningful.
Tools Used
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Marketing Strategy
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Website Design & Development
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Logo Design
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Adobe Illustrator
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AI-assisted Ideation & Concept Development
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UX & User Journey Planning
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Content Planning
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Graphic Design
Need a website or brand that grows with your business?
This project is a great example of the type of work I do through Crafty Penguin, combining marketing strategy, graphic design, branding and website development to help businesses tell their story online and achieve their goals.
You can find out more about Crafty Penguin at www.craftypenguin.co.uk.