02Overview
A name, a mark, a system that lasts.
Who it's for
- New businesses in Bhutan that need a name and a mark before they open
- Established companies whose logo was made in 2009 and no longer fits a phone screen
- Startups raising money who need to look like the company they are becoming
A brand in Bhutan has to work harder than most. The same mark sits on a wooden signboard on Norzin Lam, in a 32-pixel app icon, on a WhatsApp profile and in single-colour ink on an official letter. It may need to hold Dzongkha and English side by side. Branding is the job of making one system that survives all of that for a decade.
What this looks like
We start with the business, not the logo. Who you serve, who you are up against, what people already say about you. Then, if you need one, a name — checked against the company registry, the .bt and .com domains, and how it sounds when said aloud in Thimphu.
The mark is drawn in black first. If it does not work in one colour on a photocopy, it does not work. Only then colour and type, chosen for contrast on paper and on screens.
For arogaro, Bhutan’s first matchmaking app, that meant a mark that felt warm without borrowing from a wedding card. For bazaguru it meant something a monk and a teenager could both keep on their home screen.
You get every file format a printer, a developer or a signboard maker will ask for, and a short guide so the next person keeps it straight.
How we work
3 to 5 weeks, with a review each week. We show 3 directions once, in black and white, and then commit to one. Endless variations are how brands end up bland.
You will see the mark on a mock signboard, a business card and a phone before you approve it. Things look different at 3 metres and at 3 centimetres.
What it costs
From Nu. 25,000 for a mark, colour, type and a starter set of applications. Naming adds about Nu. 6,000. A logo alone starts near Nu. 12,000. Paid in Nu. by mBoB or bank transfer in 3 stages, so you are never far ahead of the work.
If you are opening in 6 weeks and have nothing yet, that is enough time. Send a message today rather than next week.
03What you get
What you walk away with.
Colour, type and layout rules, with tested contrast, in a short PDF brand guide
Applications to start with: business card, letterhead, social profile set and a signboard mock-up
Not included
- Trademark registration with the Department of Intellectual Property (we prepare the artwork; a lawyer files it)
- Printing signage, cards and stationery
- A website (see WordPress development)
04Process
How the work goes.
Typical timeline: 3–5 weeks. Every step is agreed in writing before it starts.
-
01
Discovery
2 conversations: one about the business, one about the customers. We look at who you are up against in Bhutan and, if you export or host tourists, abroad. 1 week.
-
02
Naming
If you need a name, we bring 20 options checked against the company registry, .bt and .com availability and how they sound in Dzongkha. You choose 1. 1 week, skipped if you have a name.
-
03
Mark and system
3 directions in black and white first, because a mark that needs colour to work is not finished. Then colour and type for the chosen one. 1–2 weeks.
-
04
Guide and handover
A short brand guide, every file format you will ever be asked for, and a call with whoever makes your signage and your website. 3–5 days.
05Pricing
What it costs.
Starting at
Nu. 25,000
≈ US$ 300
- 3–5 weeks
- Fixed quote in writing before any work starts
- Paid in Nu. by mBoB or bank transfer; US$ by card from abroad
06FAQ
Questions people ask first.
01 Can the logo carry Dzongkha and English together?
Yes, and we design for it from the first sketch rather than adding Dzongkha later. Tibetan-script letters are taller than Latin ones, so a lockup that treats both fairly takes real work; we test it at signboard size and at 32 pixels.
02 Will you check the name is free to use?
We check the company name against the registry, the .bt and .com domains, and social handles before we show you a shortlist. For a trademark search and filing with the Department of Intellectual Property you need a lawyer; we prepare the artwork they need.
03 We only need a logo, not the whole thing. Is that cheaper?
It is, from about Nu. 12,000, but we will tell you what you are giving up: no rules for colour and type, so the next brochure drifts. Most clients who start with a logo come back for the system within a year.
04 How do we pay, and can it be in instalments?
In Nu. by mBoB or BoB transfer: 40% to begin, 40% when the mark is approved, 20% at handover. Clients outside Bhutan pay in US$ by bank transfer or card.
