ART DIRECTION & DESIGN CLARITY

PROCESS BOOK

In the summer of 2012, I was in the height of my hectic post-grad job search & was interviewing for a wonderful design studio called The Future Perfect in Burlington, VT. In the final interview rounds they presented me with a

STORY

design challenge to re-brand a local lighting and metalsmithing business. Conant was a client they were currently working with and they wanted to know how I would envision the re-brand. Having grown up around the corner from this shop I jumped at the chance to design for them. Out of my challenge was created this process book.

The studio provided me with a full client audit icluding gorgeous photos, information and competition comparisons. After a visit to the shop to refresh my memory, I started my own designing for the type of client every designer loves: a unique boutique!

INITIAL RESEARCH & BRAND ANALYSIS

Before I sketch anything, I find everything I can get my hands on about my client and their current brand as well as their positioning and competition. Putting in the time to fully understand where my client currently stands visually on all channels helps me direct where to focus the design. I look for lack of visual consistancy, current strengths to highlight or weakness areas to improve on.

Having read through the client evaluation, I focused on identifying the problem areas and created bullet points to always address with the new design direction. This begins the brief writing.

DEFINING THE PROBLEM

Project BriefJuly 21st, 2012

CONANT METAL + LIGHT

ProblemConant needs to compete attract a younger modern client base and compete with out of state fixtures studios.

No branding consistancy across the Conants’s materials (public or in-house).

No visual connection from the energy of the showroom to the brands other outlets.

Little clarity of services or products available.

Inefficient e-commerce system.

Design ObjectiveRevamp the brand with an entirely new identity, consistent and communicative of the showroom’s vibrancy, that clarifies the services and products available. To bring consistancy accross all public channels and brand materials with a more sophisticated, timeless and designerly look and feel that improves the customer experience in-store and online.

CompititionSchoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. Rejuvenation

Audience1. Homeowners with means and unique taste or custom desires

2. Interior and exterior design projects with unique needs and/or style

VoiceEclecticInnovativeTimeless

During this favorite stage of my process, I brainstorm for different look and feels. This allows me to visualize the brand going in different directions and how they would solve the problems differently. Very often I end up with some sort of combination of the two.

GENERATING A VOICE

Look & Feel 1: “Minimal, sleek, timeless, type driven” Look & Feel 2: “Eclectic, photographic, bold”

This stage begins in my sketchbook, doodling from the subconcious with the different looks and feels in the back of my mind.

INITIAL DESIGN WORK

Transforming those doodles in to Illustrator helps me push the ideas in still more directions, manipulating type and creating variations. I always strive to solve an identity in black and white first, with the ability to add color later.

FLUSHING OUT DIRECTIONS

C NanTMETAL + LIGHT

M E T A L + L I G H T

M E T A L + L I G H T

m e t a l

a n d

l i g h t

M E T A L + L I G H T

metal&light

METAL+ LIGHTC

metal&light

CONANT

Look & Feel 1: “Minimal, sleek, timeless, type driven” Look & Feel 2: “Eclectic, photographic, bold”

After rounds of feedback, design exploration and revisions, I have focused on the 2nd look and feel. This logo marries my desire to see the brand’s identity minimalized, yet has an eclectic energy with the combination of sans and serifs and graphics. The graphic visualizes metalworking hardware with a “sun shape” reference.

DESIGN ROUNDS

As the identity takes bigger form, moving into web and/or print, I like to think for simple, moderate or complex scenarios. This allows me to have options and decide how far to push a design. For this client, an e-commerce catalog is it’s main web need so the design should be very straight forward and simple.

STAGES OF ROUGHS

After roughs and revisions to a web presence, the final design marries the eclectic energy of the Conant showroom with clean, minimal, user-friendly e-commerce.

FINALIZING DESIGN

We love to solve problems and with our more than 25 years' experience, we've solved plenty of them! We love it when a customer comes to us with an unusual situation or the need for a piece that doesn't exist...yet!

How are our lighting �xtures di�erent? �e answer lies beneath the surface, under the classic styling and pleasing lines. Our construction methods either replicate those used on �ne antiques or re�ect the many innovations developed here in our lighting workshop over the past thirty years.

Today Conant Metal & Light Inc. is recognized internationally by architects, designers, and discriminating consumers as a creative force working wonders with metal and light. We provide a complete line of metal-related services, including antique restoration and repair and the fabrication of custom hardware and light �xtures. �e scale of our work ranges from one-of-a-kind pieces to production runs of any number.

We love to solve problems and with our more than 25 years' experience, we've solved plenty of them! We love it when a customer comes to us with an unusual situation or the need for a piece that doesn't exist...yet!

How are our lighting �xtures di�erent? �e answer lies beneath the surface, under the classic styling and pleasing lines. Our construction methods either replicate those used on �ne antiques or re�ect the many innovations developed here in our lighting workshop over the past thirty years.

Today Conant Metal & Light Inc. is recognized internationally by architects, designers, and discriminating consumers as a creative force working wonders with metal and light. We provide a complete line of metal-related services, including antique restoration and repair and the fabrication of custom hardware and light �xtures. �e scale of our work ranges from one-of-a-kind pieces to production runs of any number.

Brianna Johns

de Moll

{802.318.7851}

www.bdemm.com

brianna@bdemm.com