VSBL

New work for Macatawa Bank making its way out into the world. We had the honor of capturing four client stories featuring how Macatawa's culture and services empower the work they do, and enable the impact they can have on the community. First up, Seth Weener, CFO of Resthaven.

The mission of Safe Haven Ministries is to prevent and end relationship abuse through education, empowerment and community collaboration. They reached out to us for a brand refresh in order to unify each department working within the Safe Haven brand.

We had the fun task of providing the team at Safe Haven with a responsive logo system based on their already existing brand mark, updated standards for color and font use, and additional brand assets to support their goals and needs as an organization. We love to see our good work support others in theirs.

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress, composed of representatives from the thirteen American colonies, adopted the Declaration of Independence, a document that proclaimed the colonies' intent to form a new nation.

The Declaration of Independence, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, outlined the fundamental principles and rights upon which the new nation would be built.

By declaring independence, the colonists pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to secure freedom and self-governance.

As we commemorate that day in history, we acknowledge how far our country has come while recognizing we still have a lot of work to do to ensure "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" for all people.

Local artists need branding too! We were very excited to work with this local ceramic artist to not only name her new business, but create a visual identity for it as well.

Something as simple as a coffee mug or a breakfast plate can have a lasting impact on your daily routines. Preparing a drink or meal can, in itself, be its own “little ritual”. The name reflects the personal impact handmade goods can have on our daily lives.

This logo will be seen on print goods, online, and even imprinted onto Little Ritual ceramic goods. Be sure to follow her on Instagram to keep up with her work!

We loved having so many curious minds on set with us while we filmed for earlier this month.

Here's your reminder to let go of what the final outcome "has" to look like. Let yourself be present and enjoy the beauty of the process. 🎨

We're a bunch of creatives who want to see the invisible made visible. We strive to do good work to help make the world a brighter and safer place for all of us. ☀️

VSBL’s primary focus is in building healthy relationships with clients and creatives to produce the best work we can while enjoying the process along the way.

We're pretty proud of our new color scheme and feel that it represents our culture and personality a bit more accurately than before.

Introducing... REC. red & Crayon Box. ☎️ ☀️ 🖍️ 🧀

We're pretty proud of our new color scheme and feel that it represents our culture and personality a bit more accurately than before.

Introducing...Isle Royale & Ampersand. 🌿 ➰ 🐢 ♟️

We're pretty proud of our new color scheme and feel that it represents our culture and personality a bit more accurately than before.

Introducing...Grand River & Lake Effect. 🐋 🌀 🐟

Happy International Women's Day! 👩🏻‍🤝‍👩🏽 We want to take a moment today to celebrate and honor women for all that they do, but even more than that, all that they are. We feel especially lucky to collaborate with these women, VSBL simply wouldn't be VSBL without them!

Who are the women you want to celebrate today? Show them some TLC and share with them why they inspire you. 👩🏻👩🏼👩🏽

For us, it's about the relationships we get to develop. It's about the human beings we have the opportunity to work with and connect to.

We appreciate our people and the work they do, so much so that we're willing to SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOP!!!

(We won't actually do that - but it's the thought that counts, right?)

Part of the creative process is about getting curious and thinking outside of the box - the adventure of the unknown. We want to explore and go where no man has gone before.

Cats, however, are a different story. 🐈

An ode to the holiday classics that make us feel nostalgic.

Happy Holidays to you and yours, may you be gentle with yourself this holiday season. See y'all next year!

Reach the Forgotten Jail Ministry's main mission is to bring humanity and light to people in dark places that are often stigmatized. We've witnessed the volunteers restore dignity to inmates who have faced so much uncertainty in their lives, by giving them a ray of hope.

RTF needed help with telling their story of the work that is being done in jails throughout Michigan. In addition to producing ministry wide videos for the organization, we are also consulting their marketing and communications team.

Here are a few glimpses at the stories being shared.

It's been fun to look back on projects we did this past year. One of our projects included collabing with Conduit Studio on product photography for the glassware company, Mannerist Goods. They needed some photos of their Everyday Glass for their website that showed off their unique style.

Their glassware is *chef's kiss* and would make a great Christmas gift if you're still looking 😉

How many of us wish that from a young age, we had learned the tools to recognize what it looks like to value ourselves and feel empowered in the choices we make? 🙋🏻🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏼‍♀️

Safe Haven Ministries GERI initiative sheds light around difficult topics such as sexual assault, consent, and other similar topics that many of us struggle to know how to navigate even now, as adults.

We enjoyed working with them to help design a new brand for the GERI initiative and it felt gratifying to do a project that had a greater sense of purpose. The focus of the initiative is to utilize age-appropriate books to address healthy alternatives to violence and other related themes.

The next time you’re at a Grand Rapids Public Library, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the GERI Kiosks that are full of recommended readings! 👀

Our VSBL team would like to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! We wanted to share some of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes and what they mean to us. Hope you enjoy! 🦃🍂

Not many of us think about planning far into the future, let alone, putting together an estate plan. And honestly, why would we? It's not something that is commonly taught in schools growing up.

Fortunately, that is where Alles Law, an estate planning law firm, can step in to help navigate the unknown waters. They take the time to educate you on the legal process of estate planning and help you and your family create a personalized strategy around your priorities. Simply put, Alles Law helps make the unknown less scary and less daunting.

We had the opportunity to take the lead on redesigning their website in partnership with Digital Concrete . Part of our process was diving deep into their old website to gain a better understanding of who Alles Law is, so that we could reimagine a new and fresh design around their existing content.

Take a peek at their new website and while you're at it, maybe book a free consultation for some future planning! 👀

Behind the scenes with Safe Haven Ministries at Samantha Joy Studio. Earlier this month we had the privilege of sitting down with staff members of Safe Haven Ministries to capture their commitment to ending domestic violence along with Tyler Appel and Spencer Haydo of Suspence Pictures.

We are eager to share Safe Haven’s mission of supporting survivors and preventing violence at their annual fall luncheon on October 4th.

Stay tuned as we reveal more footage from our shoot day. Learn more about the impactful work they are doing at Safe Haven!

At VSBL, we prioritize mental health as a core value, which extends beyond offering flexible hours and mental health days. Ensuring that each individual we encounter is cared for, valued, and respected as a human being!

We asked people close to us to describe what they wish people knew about their struggles.

As we share with you, we hope you’ll share as well. Whether reposting the content, sharing your own experiences, or simply having a conversation with someone close to you on the topic of mental health would mean the world to us.

Are you a lifelong learner passionate about graphic design and bringing concepts to life?

We're looking for a digital designer to help support our design efforts for both internal and client facing work. The Digital Designer is responsible for supporting the Brand & Design Director in creating and managing the overall design and visual style for branding, design, and print projects.

Position is 10 hours per week starting at $25/hr. Submit your resume and portfolio to [email protected]

Each month our team gets together for lunch to talk about anything other than work. Today seemed appropriate to visit one of our favorite spots in honor of

We asked people close to us to describe what their struggle feels like.

With mental illness there is no clear cut answer to what it feels like, but the more we listen to those around us the better equipped we are to respond.

We are not just “sad”, we are battling through something almost impossible to put into words.

Months back, our friend Laura Vaughn told us about the glassware company she was starting. We were honored to capture product photography for Mannerist in partnership with Conduit Studio.

Head over to mannerist.com to order your Everyday Glass! They're going fast.

Creative Director: John O'Neil
Art Direction: Andy Madson-Olson
Photography: Paul Genzink