Yellow Zest

This was me exactly 1 month ago.

Life has been so hectic and so demanding that sometimes it’s hard to slow down and really appreciate everything that is going on.

Between client meetings, invoicing, training etc, there is a core part of our work which is design. And not designing pretty things, cohesive branding collateral type of thing. But designing with intent and purpose.

When this client approached us to deliver a branding project to help educate NI children in schools about the African continent, I knew I was being given a huge responsibility. It was up to us to bring to life a major topic and an incredibly important project which would be used by the Education Authority in schools in Northern Ireland.

I dove deep into learning everything we could about such a vast and diverse continent. The end result was so much more than I thought possible! The texture in the patterns, the logo, the colours, everything was designed with meticulous care and intention.

So today I took 5 minutes to remember what we delivered and I couldn’t help but feel so grateful for the trust and opportunity. I cannot wait to see the project applied in our schools! To think my own child might use the content we produced one day is only one of the many reasons I really enjoy what I do! I cannot wait to get involved in more projects like this.

A myth: “Great work speaks for itself.”
Spoiler alert: It doesn’t. 🤐

If it did, every brilliant technician and meticulous founder would be a billionaire. The reality is that customers make decisions under a cloud of uncertainty. When they don’t know who your are and understand exactly what you do or how it helps, they don’t dig deeper, they just leave.

They don’t choose the “best” option. They choose the path of least resistance.

If you’re losing to a worse competitor with a better elevator pitch, you don’t have a product problem. You have a clarity and reputation that problem.

Is your message simple enough for a 5th grader to understand? Be honest. 👇

Let’s build a better Belfast together! We are a Bronze Supporter of the Belfast Business Promise through Belfast City Council 🤝✨

We are proud to stand alongside a fantastic network of 70+ businesses like Storybox | Gifts with Purpose and East Belfast Enterprise who are working to drive positive economic and social impact across our city.

From day one social corporate responsibility has been part of our core values. We have been focused on community through East Belfast Business Meet Up, building a better Belfast and helping local companies grow. By joining the Promise, we are committing to:

- Provide fair wages and contracts (paying the Real Living Wage) 
- Support the local and social economy
- Protect our environment and tackle climate change
- Offer opportunities into work and pathways to employment
- Recruit inclusively across diverse communities
- Improve training, engagement, and well-being in the workplace
- Pay promptly on supplier invoices
- Work in partnership with our communities for positive impact 

Anybody can join this movement, regardless of your business size or sector! We highly recommend checking out Belfast City Council website and joining the Belfast Business Promise.
 
👉 Head over to belfastcity.gov.uk/businesspromise to learn more!

Most businesses talk endlessly about what they sell. Boring. 🥱

Clients aren’t loyal to your “innovative features”, they’re loyal to the way you make them feel about themselves. Because people don’t buy FROM you, they buy INTO you.

If your brand disappeared tomorrow, would your customers lose a tool or would they lose a part of their identity?

So go ahead and show your personality, show what you stand for. Create your own tribe. 💃🏻

Own a business and would like to be part of a podcast? We Yellow Zest | Creative Digital Media and The Spinners Mill Podcast Studio are getting together to launch the Zesty Mill Podcast!

This is a podcast where we take a look at what’s the craic with businesses in Belfast, share our experience as founders and interview some cool business owners who share their stories and behind the scenes of running a business in Belfast and Northern Ireland.

Are you one of them? We would love to have you! Send us a DM and let’s chat!

Official branding, website and socials coming soon.

So excited for this one. 💃🏻

Project recap: The Spinners Mill Podcast Studio 🎙️✨

Based inside Banana Block, the studio has the perfect setup for audio and video recording: high-end tech mixed with really relaxed, creative vibes that make it so easy to just sit down and make a great show.

Not to mention, Morgan and Conor really know their stuff! They have over 15 years of experience between them and they can help you with basically everything you need to get going. Whether you just have a rough idea you want to map out, need to record crisp audio and video, or want a sleek final edit, they’ve got you covered.

When they approached us for a rebrand we wanted to give them a fresh look that actually matched their energy. Here’s a quick breakdown of what we did:

- The Logo: A clean, modern mark where we custom-shaped the lowercase “nn” in Spinners to look like audio waves.
- The Colors: We pulled inspiration from warm 70s aesthetics but balanced it with a punchy pink and bold red to give it a sharp, modern contrast.
- The Collateral: Sleek business cards and physical brand assets to bring the new look right into the studio space.

A massive thank you to Morgan and Conor for trusting us with this. We love how it turned out!

Next time you’re in Banana Block definitely check them out. We are honestly so lucky to have their business as part of the creative hub here in East Belfast. In the meantime, swipe through to see some of our favorite bits from the design process and hit the guys up if you’re ready to record.

Yesterday was World Ocean Day, but for us, protecting our planet is a daily commitment. 🌊✨

At Yellow Zest, we are really committed to sustainability, the future of our planet and how our brand impacts it. That’s why over the past few years we have been donating part of our monthly profits to .io to fund waste management projects in vulnerable coastal communities—stopping plastic waste before it can ever touch our oceans. 🚫🧴

Where we stand today:

🎯 Our Target: Diverting 350 kg of plastic waste from landfills, open environments, and oceans.

📈 Our Impact So Far: 343 kg of plastic successfully collected and kept out of nature!

🍾 The Real-World Equivalent: That is equal to keeping over 17,130 plastic bottles (0.5l) out of our delicate marine ecosystems.

The plastic recovered by our funded projects is carefully sorted; anything that can be recycled is reused, and non-recyclable materials are safely repurposed as alternative fuel, ensuring it never enters the environment again. 🛠️🔄

A huge thank you to our community for supporting us, which in turn allows us to support incredible initiatives like this. Let’s keep working towards a cleaner future! 💙

🔗 Head to the link in our bio to check out our live Yellow Zest Plastic Sustainability Report and track our real-time progress!