Often clients will ask us to use a specific design aesthetic or style (vintage/retro comes up fairly often) before a project has begun. We work to to avoid arbitrarily choosing a style simply because we, or the client, like the way it looks. Although true objectivity is theoretically impossible, when approaching client work we always aim to be as objective as possible. Sometimes we use a specific style to strengthen certain connotations, other times we may use it to stand out from the crowd. When we design a brand identity we start by determining a design strategy. We identify the client’s goals, values, and audience; we also survey and research competitors. The style later becomes one piece of the puzzle that ultimately works with all the other brand attributes to effectively achieve the goals outlined in the design strategy.