Pre-Seed Branding - WiB

Geek House Data Dynamics
Aug 6
5 min read

Updated: Aug 18

Service Type

Branding Guide and Website Design

Company Type

Pre-Seed Murder Mystery Game Designer

Date & Length of Project

December 2024 - January 2025

PROJECT OVERVIEW

CLIENT NEEDS

Written In Blood is a pre-seed tabletop RPG startup with a bold vision: to create a self-led murder mystery experience that blends the immersive storytelling of Dungeons & Dragons with the drama and suspense of murder mystery dinner parties - minus the need for a designated host or Dungeon Master. They came to GHDataDynamics with a clear ambition but no brand, digital presence, or visuals to bring it to life.

PROBLEMS TO SOLVE

The concept was strong, but the identity wasn’t yet defined. The founders wanted to capture the tension and intrigue of a murder game, while also weaving in their personal love of lush greenery, vintage apothecary vibes, and an earthy, tactile aesthetic. The challenge was balancing eerie storytelling with visual warmth - avoiding a cliché “gory horror” look while still making it unmistakably murder-themed.

APPROACH

GHDataDynamics stepped in to craft a full branding and digital identity from the ground up. This included creating a complete brand guide - logo, typefaces, colour palette, mood references - and designing a custom-built website that introduces the project while teasing its mystery and style. Every element was designed to reflect the tone of the game while giving space for the brand to evolve as it grows into future product launches and crowdfunding.

CRAFTING THE IDENTITY		Step One was crafting a distinct identity that could live between genres. We created a brand guide that combined deep reds, noir blacks, and parchment tones with natural greens and plant-inspired flourishes. The logo featured nods to ritual, storytelling, and secrecy - visual elements that tied directly into the game’s tone. Fonts were chosen for both legibility and dramatic flair, with a mix of serif elegance and gritty texture to mirror the game’s balance of refinement and mystery.
TRANSLATING IDENTITY		Step Two was all about translating this identity into a digital experience. We designed and built a custom landing page that reflects the atmosphere of Written In Blood while introducing key features of the game. The site includes teaser images, FAQs, and space to grow into future sign-ups, preorder tracking, and story reveals. Care was taken to ensure that the website not only looked beautiful but also hinted at gameplay dynamics and emotional tone, sparking interest with each scroll.
VISUAL CONSISTENCY		Step Three involved testing visual consistency and creating adaptable assets. We ensured that social media graphics, packaging mockups, and promotional materials all worked seamlessly within the new brand system. We also left room for the brand to adapt as gameplay mechanics develop. Looking back, Written In Blood became more than a board game brand - it emerged as a universe in itself, with a visual identity strong enough to attract early fans, creators, and potential backers even in its earliest stages.

DELIVERABLE

ABOUT COMPANY

Written in Blood is a passion project born from the creativity of two friends who share a love for boardgames. What started as playful rule-bending to make their favourite games more exciting evolved into a desire to create their own unique experiences. Their shared enthusiasm for murder mysteries inspired them to design immersive, thrilling games where players can dive into complex plots and unravel the secrets behind fictional crimes.

Drawing from years of hosting and participating in mystery events they wanted to craft something more engaging for fellow enthusiasts. Each game by Written in Blood is a labour of love, combining their experience, creativity, and a deep understanding of what makes murder mysteries so captivating. They aim to make every game a fin, mind-bending challenge where players become the detectives in stories full of twists and surprises.

BRANDING OVERVIEW

Our approach to branding is centred around understanding the client's vision and aligning the brand with their unique identity. We start by evaluating what they currently have in place and gathering detailed insights through a questionnaire. This allows us to get a clear picture of what the client envisions - whether they prefer neutral colours, a witch-themed look, dark and moody tones, or a modern aesthetic. Since the client knows their business best, our goal is to create a bran that they are truly happy with.

Research:

Understanding the client's industry, target audience, and competition.

Identity Development:

Crafting logos, colour schemes, typography, and other visual elements.

Brand Guidelines:

Creating a comprehensive guide to ensure consistency across all platforms.

We also assess what the logo needs to achieve - whether it serves as a strong identifier or fits seamlessly within an existing theme. Often, we draw inspiration from images provided by the client, such as those used in menus or social media, ensuring the branding reflects their location and character. We refine these images, adjusting colours for balance if necessary, to create a cohesive and visually appealing identity.

CLIENT ALIGNMENT

Written in Blood worked closely to capture their unique vision of an apothecary-inspired design. The aesthetic was to evoke a sense of dark mystery, with elements like rich, oil-painted flowers and deep green foliage framing their brand. These natural elements added an earthy, almost antique feel, perfectly complementing the company's love for storytelling and immersive experiences.

Realistic skulls, combined with witch-themed graphics and muted, moody colour palettes, were incorporated to enhance the eerie, enigmatic atmosphere. The design aimed to transport players into a world of potions and spell books, where the unknown lurks in every corner. This approach not only aligned with the murder mystery theme but also reflected the essence of the brand - dark, intriguing, and full of character.

Written in Blood also wanted us to design their website along with the logo, ensuring both elements captured their dark, apothecary-inspired aesthetic. The website design reflected the same eerie, mysterious vibe, aligning perfectly with the brand's vision.

COLOUR PALETTE

The colour palette for Written in Blood features deep, earthy tones that enhance the brand's mysterious, apothecary-inspired aesthetic. The muted green (#739161) bring a natural, grounded feel, while the rich red (#a515151) adds a striking, dramatic contrast, evoking a sense of danger and intrigue. The warm beige (#ceb27c) softens the palette, providing balance and a vintage touch that compliments the overall theme. For the background and text, the dark charcoal (#272425) creates a moody, atmospheric backdrop, while the crisp white (#ffffff) ensures clear, readable content, making the design both visually engaging and accessible.

BRAND STYLE

The oil-painted flowers and leafy foliage are enriched by the earthy green and warm beige, giving them a vintage, natural feel that ties in with the apothecary theme. The realistically drawn skulls are shaded using darker tones like charcoal to emphasize their eerie, lifelike quality, while the deep red is applied subtly to introduce a hint of danger, adding tension to the imagery. The birds, depicted with the same oil-painted technique use the beige and green tones to maintain cohesion and balance

These three styles - flowers and foliage, skulls, and birds - come together seamlessly through the colour palette, creating a cohesive and mysterious visual identity for Written in Blood.

TYPOGRAPHY

We selected fonts that perfectly align with the dark, mysterious aesthetic. The header and "Written in Blood" text us a font called Splash, where the red gives it a striking, blood-spattered look, creating an immediate sense of intrigue and danger. For the subheadings, we chose MEOW, a handwriting flowy font that remains legible while adding a touch of elegance and mystery, complementing the overall theme without overwhelming the design. Finally for the body text, we opted for EB Garamond, a serf front that resembles typewriting, grounding the brand in a classic, almost vintage style, while maintaining readability and adding to the immersive storytelling feel. These three fonts work together to enhance the brand's atmosphere of suspense and mystery.