Conant Metal + Light by Bdemm Design

PROCES S BO OK

ART DIRECTION & DESIGN CLARITY

STORY 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

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.

CONANT METAL + LIGHT Project Brief July 21st, 2012

Problem

Conant needs to compete attract a younger modern client base and compete with out of state fixtures studios. No branding consistancy across the Conantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 Objective

Revamp the brand with an entirely new identity, consistent and communicative of the showroomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

Compitition

Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. Rejuvenation

Audience

1. Homeowners with means and unique taste or custom desires 2. Interior and exterior design projects with unique needs and/or style

Voice

Eclectic Innovative Timeless

DEFINING THE PROBLEM 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.

Look & Feel 1: “Minimal, sleek, timeless, type driven”

GENERATING A VOICE 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.

Look & Feel 2: “Eclectic, photographic, bold”

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

Look & Feel 1: “Minimal, sleek, timeless, type driven”

Look & Feel 2: “Eclectic, photographic, bold”

metal and light

C NanT

metal&light

METAL + LIGHT

metal&light

CONANT

M E TA L + L I G H T

METAL + LIGHT

FLUSHING OUT DIRECTIONS 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.

M E TA L + L I G H T

DESIGN ROUNDS 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.

STAGES OF ROUGHS 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 itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main web need so the design should be very straight forward and simple.

Today Conant Metal & Light Inc. is recognized internationally by architects,

We love to solve problems and with our more than 25 years' experience, we've

How are our lighting fixtures different? The answer lies beneath the surface,

line of metal-related services, including antique restoration and repair and the fabrication of custom hardware and

doesn't exist...yet!

reflect the many innovations developed here in our lighting workshop over the past thirty years.

designers, and discriminating consumers as a creative force working wonders with metal and light. We provide a complete

light fixtures. The scale of our work ranges from one-of-a-kind pieces to production runs of any number.

solved plenty of them! We love it when a customer comes to us with an unusual situation or the need for a piece that

under the classic styling and pleasing lines. Our construction methods either replicate those used on fine antiques or

FINALIZING DESIGN 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.