What I took away from my Internship at Rock & Bloom

This summer I was welcomed by the team at Rock & Bloom as a design intern. Fresh out of school as a Graphic Communications grad, this was the most amazing experience I could have asked for.

 Since this was my first gig in the design world, I didn’t have many expectations at the start. My main hope was to learn more about my craft, but Rock & Bloom totally exceeded that. 

Always sharing, always learning

The entire crew was so open, always sharing what they know and making me feel right at home. They’re always ready to help you out with any questions you have, and they genuinely want you to grasp the reason behind the ‘why’ in terms of how we do things. They’re also really on the ball, aiming for top-notch quality in every project while staying on track.

Work-life balance for the win

Making sure I’m prioritizing a good work-life balance was new to me. I’ve never had coworkers who genuinely care more about their people than about the next job on the list. The team at Rock & Bloom always has your back and are always wanting to help you out. Their consistent support and flexibility creates such a supportive environment.

A place to be who you are

In addition to excelling in their roles, every member of the Rock & Bloom team are genuinely wonderful individuals. I found myself laughing harder at our numerous Slack channels than I ever thought possible, whether it’s the high-stress debates over where to have lunch or the impeccable GIF responses. 

The team that plays together, stays together

Another awesome aspect of Rock & Bloom is their homecoming week. Homecoming week is an entire week packed with good food, good times, and yeah, a bit of work too. Every employee (even the remote ones in Toronto and Vancouver) gather in-office to play games and bond as a team. It got pretty heated with a competitive Jeopardy game and multiple rounds of ‘Heads Up’ that somehow morphed into a full-blown sing-along. I can’t express how fun it was to work with these people.

I wouldn’t have changed anything about my time here at Rock & Bloom. I learned so much from an amazing group of people.

Inside the website transformation of a premier fund accounting firm

Aduro Advisors supports the success of the leading venture firms. Using best-in-class technology powered by the industry’s top professionals, they provide premier fund accounting services, enabling clients to perform at their best.

We’ve been lucky to work with Aduro over the course of many years. This is the second website project we’ve done with them, as they’ve grown dramatically since we first collaborated. This time they needed a new website that could reflect just how much they’ve grown and evolved.  

Challenge Accepted

For this project we needed to optimize web content and be direct about who they serve. We also needed to tell the Aduro story in a compelling way,  while reflecting the size of the company and the skills they offer. 

Through collaboration and iteration, we were able to make creative choices that truly set Aduro Advisors apart from their competition. 

Big Goals Lead to Big Gains

The project goals included:

  • Redesign and refine website to enhance growth 
  • Continue to attract top talent using the website as a landing point for potential recruits
  • Showcase new Aduro videos and client resource section
  • Build and enhance new content with the help of Rock & Bloom content strategist
  • Ensure that the site reflects the evolution and current scope of Aduro

Getting Down to Business 

Full Website Redesign

With the website redesign it was important to accomplish a few things. First, we wanted to show off the caliber of work that they do. Next, we wanted to really humanize the site – to show what it looks like to work at Aduro. We didn’t want anything to feel corporate or cold, instead we opted for design choices that would bring warmth to the site.  

The hierarchy of the website and content priority remained top of mind throughout the entire project. We needed to ensure that each page told a story, and that the story was comprehensive, yet concise. The goal was to create a seamless relationship between content and design that could empower their team to make edits as they continue to grow.

Celebrating The Wins

Like Aduro itself, our relationship with their team has grown stronger over the years. We love collaborating with this powerhouse client, building a brand that is made to last and a website that delivers a powerful impact.

In approaching our website refresh, Rock and Bloom immediately honed in on the people-first strategy that sets Aduro apart. The final product is a website that celebrates our incredible team while still highlighting the premier service and technology we’re known for. We have had a longstanding relationship with Heather, David, and the R&B team. Their expert advice has been instrumental as we have scaled our business and evolved the Aduro brand over the years

— Jess Brooking

Visit their website to see the full redesign and learn more about this innovative company.

How we’re raising the bar for non-profit organizations and small businesses

One of our core values at Rock & Bloom is ‘make a difference’. One of the ways we’re making a difference is by offering pro bono branding services for non-profit organizations and small businesses that might not otherwise have the resources to work with us.

The Who

You might have heard of us, but for those who are new here, we’re a Canadian-based brand studio with a knack for creating beautiful, functional, and results-driven projects. We’ve been fortunate to make a career out of building relationships and creating killer brands for hundreds of clients across the globe. We do everything from new brand identities, to full-blown websites, to crafting game-changing campaigns.

The What

Meet Brand Aid.    

We created Brand Aid with the intention of helping a ‘Champion of Choice’ elevate their brand and tell their story through in-kind donated work. The brands that we choose align with our core values and respect the work that we do. 

Non-profit organizations and small businesses do a lot with a little. They do so much for our communities, and yet very often lack the budget to elevate their brand or even properly communicate their services and skills to potential donors, clients or customers. They might lack the resources needed to create a strong brand identity, build a fully-functional, and user-friendly website, or to tell their story in an effective and far-reaching way. And yet, these are the stories that need to be heard the most. 

Brand Aid’s mission is to give a megaphone to those storytellers; to create positive change within an organization, giving them new tools to grow and succeed. 

The Why 

“At the core of our business is to make an impact. We don’t just want to make things that are pretty – we want to affect change in a client’s business.”

 – Heather Adams, CEO of Rock & Bloom

Brand Aid supports organizations that share our values and vision. Together, we’re able to build a partnership built on empathy and creative collaboration, producing impactful results that would otherwise not be possible. 

Brand Aid is not only meaningful to the client, but also fills the cups of our team members who are passionate about the work they are doing.  

Our mission is to be the best brand studio to work with and work for. Upholding this mission involves continually communicating with our team, rating fulfillment after each project, and really listening to feedback to determine what projects we spend our time and resources on.

The Impact

Our first Champion of Choice was Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan (RMHC-SK). This incredible organization offers a safe, secure, and nourishing environment  for families caring for their sick child receiving medical treatment in Saskatchewan.

RMHC-SK keeps families together, during what is a stressful and challenging time. The work that they do and programs they provide,  positively impacts the health and wellbeing of the entire family.

“It’s so incredibly rewarding to be a part of a project that is vital to our community and will have a huge impact on families’ lives – even long after they’ve left the house.”

– Mellary Bitner, Designer. 

When it came to choosing RMHC-SK it was an easy decision. We’ve worked with them for years on smaller projects and have developed a collaborative partnership that always results in both teams feeling fulfilled. The work that they do is so impactful and we felt honoured to be able to partner with their team again to tell their story in a truly compelling way. 

For this project, we built RMHC-SK a new website that is true to their mission, while showing what they do in a way that speaks to their audience. The end result is both functional and beautiful, creating a positive user experience and leaving the user with a lasting impression.

“We have truly enjoyed the time spent in collaboration with Rock & Bloom over the many years we have engaged with their team as our Design Agency. The Rock & Bloom team is incredibly easy to work with and truly understands our brand and mission. The sharing of their expertise as true partners to our organization is valued and appreciated by our entire team.”

– Tammy Forrester, CEO Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan