Week 3B: Developing the Brand

    The fictitious business I am hoping to build is a travel agency that caters to neurodivergent individuals.  Travel, particularly international travel, can be both exciting and daunting for those on the spectrum.  Navigating airports and meeting people in different parts of the world may seem easy for neurotypical travelers, but can be a major impediment for the neurodivergent.  I discovered through my own tourism journey that traveling with fellow autists who understood the unique way my brain operates made travel in foreign locales exciting instead of terrifying.  My travel companions and I hope to help others see the world they way we do.

    The tentative name I have given our business is ExplorAble, emphasizing the "ability" aspect of the word to highlight our company's promise to make travel accessible.  For a tagline I am opting for a quote I use on my own personal travel social media: "Big Adventures Are Possible."  I used to be terrified of wandering big cities.  I thought it was impossible for me to be in an unfamiliar place comfortably.  Once I learned how to work with my brain instead of trying to force it into the neurotypical "tourist" boxes, I realized that I could go anywhere and do anything I wanted to.  I want my customers to understand that this isn't an impossible goal for them.

    It took a moment to come up with a possible logo, but I settled on the silhouette of a bird taking flight from a tree. Aside from the usual iconography of birds traveling, I wanted a solo bird to put the image in clients' heads that solo travel is possible.  I also wanted to use the tree to illustrate leaving one's home to go somewhere far away. Everything is meant to evoke taking a big, exciting leap with confidence.

    For the main meat of the site I landed on a color scheme of teal and burnt orange.  Not only do I personally find these colors calming, but they also evoke combinations that speak to travel: sun and sky and sand and sea.  Font-wise I want to use a straightforward Helvetica, making the text easily readable.

    Hopefully these initial design ideas can help me fine tune an actual site should my business become a reality.  While it is certainly easier to hire a design firm to create one's business profile, it's great to stretch one's own creative muscles.  Doing it oneself lends a greater air of investment in one's own business in my opinion.  There's nothing wrong with getting help with one's weaker areas, but if possible, I believe in a real Do It Yourself approach.  It helps me learn to take big leaps of my own.