Photo Shoot Feb. 19

We needed to shoot a new photo for the back of the upcoming package, so our package designer helped us find an impressive local photographer. Here's a video of the photoshoot. (No, we're not the models — just trying out the bed!)

Here's the background. One of the things holding us behind is having the perfect packaging for SleepPhones. We've been working on it since last June. Although it's taking a long time, we really have been working on it for all 8 months.

The first company we worked with wanted to completely reinvent everything. Our color scheme since the beginning has been lavender and gray. Although there were no bolder colors, black and white also go well with the scheme. Our headphones, our stuffed animal Sheep, and any advertising collateral we have out were based on those colors. Most importantly, our customers recognize our color scheme by now. If we were to reinvent ourselves, I guess it's better to do it early on with a new color palate. But they didn't really convince us that we needed to go with certain colors. They just gave us lots of choices for a package that costs more, may not have worked well in a retail environment (there was a flap in the front customers were expected to open before purchase), and completely ignored any sense of color cohesion. There were hot pinks in some designs, which is the last color I associate with sleep. After a few months, and a lot of expense, we let them go.

I had met briefly with the biggest local branding firm about 2 years prior about helping us with packaging actually. One of the firm's partners kept me waiting in the waiting room while she chewed out one of the employees. When she met with me, she basically tore apart our product. I took her complaints to heart and have now made the changes she demanded. But she never did get back to me with a quote either. I guess she didn't want to work with a fledgling company.

To find our current designer, I asked our friends on Twitter. Someone suggested that we talk with a PR person working for our local chamber of commerce and happens to be the wife of my husband's supervisor. She was great and pointed us in the direction of one person: Shannon Lake.

After working with her for the past 3-4 months, I think she is probably one of the best in the area. She worked in Pittsburgh for a larger firm previously and then in State College for the previously mentioned local branding firm. After she had her child, she ventured out on her own so she could have more control over her hours. She's extremely professional, has a great sense of style, and does fantastic work quickly. She keeps me in the loop constantly and turned our colors and ideas into a beautiful package.