Mutts Up is a dog rescue foundation based in Petaluma, CA for homeless, senior, small-breed dogs. The company was in need of a logo and identity and brought the project to our class. We each designed a logo, stationery set, website, and billboard for the company and then presented to the board.

When the founder of Mutts Up, Paul Aeschbacher, spoke to our class, he talked a lot about how the two-way relationship between humans and dogs. The emotional foundation for his company was that humans can help dogs, but dogs can also help humans. Using that idea, I created a logo that presented an equal relationship between human and canine. The two friends are sitting together, content and at peace with their lives at that point.

The stationery set takes the strong green color used for the logo and gives the identity a sense of calm and comfort. The website continues that theme and was designed with a style that flows down the page, from one item to the next. It heavily draws on images to give the viewer a connection to the dogs at the shelter.

The tagline “Meet your best friend” perfectly describes what it feels like to find the perfect dog and give that dog a loving, caring home.

At the end of the project, the Mutts Up board chose my design and Mutts Up now officially uses my logo and tagline. Their website, www.muttsup.org, does not follow my design but the logo can still be seen throughout.