Johny’s Bling

Johny’s Bling is a semi-fictional brand offering handmade jewelry and home accessories, created mainly with 3D printing or laser-cut wood and cork. The brand is “semi-fictional” because Jonas “Johny” actually exists, though he only creates pieces as a hobby and usually gifts them to friends and family. Jonas wanted to take the next step and sell his designs at design markets or online, but he needed cohesive branding to represent his products. As someone who loves browsing Etsy and local art markets, I immediately felt connected to the project and its creative, personal spirit.

I began with an in-depth analysis, studying small Austrian brands with similar handmade products to understand how Johny’s Bling could stand out. From this, I developed a clear brand identity, a SWOT analysis, and user personas. The first design task was the logo, which went through several iterations before I chose a simple, minimal version. This balanced the brand’s otherwise colorful and lively look, ensuring it stayed modern and cohesive. The design system focuses on warm, vibrant colors to express creativity and personality while setting the brand apart from the often neutral aesthetics seen at craft fairs. Distinct geometric shapes symbolized the product diversity, and the green accent acts as an eyecatcher.

Building on this system, I designed social media posts, packaging concepts, and a detailed brand manual. The packaging was eco-friendly and cost-effective, tailored for a small business. The mockups for the earring packaging and cardbaord box where modified and modeled by myself in Blender, since I couldn’t find any fitting existing mockups.

What began as a simple assignment evolved into a complete brand identity. Johny’s Bling grew into something colorful, authentic, and full of character. This project allowed me to dive deeply into branding and discover how strategy and creativity intertwine. Looking back, there are small things I’d change, but I’m proud of how the project turned out. It was both a creative challenge and a personal journey that showed me how fulfilling it can be to bring a brand to life from scratch.