A Brand Design Case Study for Huckleberry Creek: Naming a Brand Built for Adventure

How Strategic Brand Design Helped a Handmade Toy Business Find Its Name and Direction

Before Huckleberry Creek had a name, it already had heart.

Dawn was creating thoughtful, handmade toys, play mats, and learning tools for nature-minded families and homeschoolers. Her work encouraged curiosity, imagination, and time spent outdoors. The products were there. The values were there. What was missing, at that point, was a name and brand that could hold it all.

Huckleberry Creek Logo Stamp. Designed by Logodentity™

This brand design case study shares how naming a small business became the turning point that allowed the rest of the brand to take shape.

Brand Design Case Study Overview

A Creative Business Without a Name That Fits

Before the rebrand, Dawn’s business was called HP Boutiques. The name had supported her early work, but as the business grew, it no longer reflected what she was creating or who she was creating it for.

Her products were rooted in nature and learning through play. Families weren’t just buying toys. They were buying experiences, stories, and tools that encouraged exploration. The name, however, didn’t communicate that world.

At the same time, Dawn wanted her brand to feel more cohesive across her shop, product photos, and social media. She was ready for something that felt personal, intentional, and built to grow with her business.

Designing the Brand Around a Story of Hiking & Huckleberries

Before there was a brand name, there was a feeling.

As we talked through Dawn’s business, she kept coming back to the kind of childhood experiences that shaped her love for learning and play — slow nature walks, time outside, and picking huckleberries along the way. Those memories weren’t just nostalgic. They reflected the same values she was building into her toys and learning tools.

We began with brand strategy, grounding the work in Dawn’s values, her audience, and the business's long-term vision. From there, we explored naming directions that could hold that sense of curiosity and connection to nature, not just describe what she sells.

Two name concepts were developed, each with its own story and direction. One felt instantly right.

Huckleberry Creek sounded like an invitation. It brought to mind berry-picking, outdoor adventures, and the kind of gentle, hands-on learning that Dawn wanted to encourage through her work. It gave the brand a sense of place — something families could imagine stepping into.

Once the name was chosen, the rest of the brand followed naturally. The visual identity, illustrations, and patterns were designed to feel warm, playful, and rooted in the natural world, supporting the products without competing with them.

Stationery designs that extend the Huckleberry Creek brand into everyday moments. Designed by Logodentity™

A Brand That Invites Play and Exploration

The finished brand created a clear world for Huckleberry Creek.

The logo system, illustrations, and patterns support the sense of adventure behind the name. The visuals feel hand-crafted and story-driven, giving Dawn a flexible system she can use across packaging, stationery, and online platforms.

Instead of feeling pieced together, the brand now feels like one cohesive story that families can step into.

Illustrated brand pattern that brings the Huckleberry Creek story to life in the packaging experience. Designed by Logodentity™

Making and Sharing With More Ease

After the brand launched, things started to feel simpler.

Instead of piecing things together each time she needed to post or update her shop, Dawn had tools she could actually rely on. The Canva templates made it easier to share what she was working on without starting from scratch, and the photo presets helped her product images look more consistent across her marketing efforts.

Even the smaller details, like packaging and stationery, became part of the story her brand was already telling.

Then, when Hurricane Ida unexpectedly delayed the project, the brand system supported her throughout. We quickly created a shipping delay banner to keep Dawn's customers informed during evacuation and recovery.

"If you are in need of any branding for your business, Ashley does a great job listening to your needs and developing a brand strategy that fits where you want your brand to go. She created an adorable custom logo for my toy brand and even included a sketch of my “mascot” in the background design! She also went above and beyond when she created a shipping delay banner for me after a hurricane hit our area and we had to evacuate." — Dawn Hessel, Huckleberry Creek

Instagram post templates designed in Canva to make sharing Huckleberry Creek’s story easier and more consistent. Design by Logodentity™.

Naming What Comes Next

Sometimes a business doesn’t need to change what it makes. It needs a name and brand that can carry the story forward.

This kind of work is for business owners who feel their products are already meaningful, but their visual brand identity hasn’t quite caught up. Through the Brand Voyage™, we help clients slow down, find clarity, and build brands that feel grounded in who they are and where they want to go.

When you’re ready to name what comes next, we’d love to help.

*This project was completed in 2021 and remains a favorite example of how thoughtful brand strategy can shape a growing business.