Mama Bean Brand Identity
An Oregon-based small business with new mamas in mind. Creating hand-crafted rice heating pads at an accessible price. Brittany is the passion and love behind Mama Bean, which brings a whole a patient and forgiving vibe to what it means to be a new time mother.
It began as a woman-owned shop in Eugene, Oregon selling handmade aroma therapy rice pillows designed to comfort both healing mamas and their little beans. At an accessible price point, and hand sewn with care.
This passion project quickly took on a life of its own, attempting to address a few central questions: When did motherhood evolve into such a lonely endeavor?
How can we cultivate a community that nurtures the emotional complexities, and unmistakable humanness that comes with motherhood?
And so began the project that looked to the future of Mama Bean. A future tied to uncovering the ways that we can equip both new and veteran mothers with a community to lean into, particularly in times of self-doubt or uncertainty.
We set out to create a visual identity that welcomes vulnerability and forgiveness.
Mama Bean hopes to cultivate a space for people navigating motherhood within a system that sometimes leaves little room for error and our humanity.
It will take a village to raise the next generation of kind and just humans - motherhood was always meant to be done together.
A Brief History
The biggest takeaway from Mama Bean’s vibe is forgiveness and patience for new time moms.
Forgiveness - Of ourselves, and of each other. Because we aren’t going to get it right the first time, or even the fourth time. We can’t give ourselves a parent of the year award, but we can forgive and thank ourselves for our awareness, and try things differently moving forward.
Healing - Motherhood does a wonderful job of exposing the unhealed wounds we carry with us. Sometimes, the same pain carried by our mothers, and their mothers, and their mothers. As we have done our best to love them through it - we hope to not repeat the same patterns of hurt, and pass these wounds on to the generation of girls who will follow us.
Present - Not only in the lives of our children as they grow up. But also a reminder to stay present in our own lives, grounded in our own identities outside of motherhood. It’s possible, it’s necessary, it’s important.
Imperfect - Motherhood is messy, it’s chaotic, sometimes it’s lonely and less than ideal. Which is why even the bare minimum is accepted and celebrated here. We are all just doing our best.
Brand Messaging
1 | The ‘m’ and ‘b’ are intentionally connected, to duplicate M.B (Mama Bean). It felt important that the lettering represents a connection through common ground, in this case, motherhood.
A connection found somewhere between forgiving the humanness within ourselves, and extending that compassion to a struggling human who hold that shared identity. We know them, we love them, we are them.
When beans sprout, they extend upwards. Much like us when we have an empowering space to reach out and ask for help. Being met with a level of kindness and support that will remind every mother that their village exists, and is here to help you.
2 | Featuring a bean icon in this design was a given. A tilted and somewhat personified graphic that represents a bigger heart holding and cuddling the smaller. As if a mother were gently rocking their baby.