Gladwell is a mobile ice cream company that I founded in Chicago. It was an amazing adventure!
The Gladwell Company was a response to the dying art of customer service. It was a return to a time when a product delivered on its promise. The entire experience was designed from the ground up: from the brand inspiration, to the tricycle; from the ice cream recipes to the final packaging. No detail was unaccounted for. Simply put, Gladwell delivered tasty frozen treats from the friendliest ice cream man you'll ever meet!
↑ Here's a small sampling of the ideas that were explored.
↑ I learned about the science of ice cream while attending the University of Wisconsin's Ice Cream Course.
↑ Early concepts for treats and brand elements. Simplicity was always the goal of our flavor and color combinations.
↑ I art directed the Gladwell logo, with one of the guiding principles being "Modern Nostalgia." The wordmark was drawn by Laura Mesegeur, who recommended we use Arboria as our accompanying typeface.
↑ Packaging graphics and dielines. (I particularly enjoyed typsetting the Nutrition Facts labels.)
↑ Quality control at the press check. I now understand the ins and outs of the laminated polypropylene flexible printing process.
↑ Each treat was isometrically illustrated with component callouts.
↑ So many ice cream sandwiches. Keeping track of them was a full time job.
↑ In-progress tricycle mockup.
↑ Crisp clean uniforms were a key part of our customer-focused approach. I often referred to it as a 21st Century update to the Good Humor Man.
↑ Diagrams were used to communicate clearly with our logistics partners. Ice cream is particularly sensitive to temperature fluctuation, so holding a constant temp was key to maintaining the quality levels we wanted to achieve.
↑ I also created guides to illustrate our ordering options with key vendors.
↑ Having a responsive website was important, especially because of the mobile nature of our business. See for yourself at www.thegladwellco.com.
↑ We were fortunate to receive several glowing reviews from Zagat, Chicago Magazine, Dining Chicago, Thrillist, and the "Hungry Hound," Steve Dolinsky. Here, we're featured in Timeout Chicago. Photography by Martha Williams
↑ Our fans loved to share photos of Gladwell on Instagram. Social media is a powerful thing.