Espy Process Book by Southern Miss Design

Senior Capstone 2020

Beak & Rod Apothecafe Joanna L. Espy

Style Guide Process

apothecary medieval dark ages medicine cure-all potion brew witch curse blessing holy church water demon angel possession flaggellents blood whip pray chicken rooster posies flowers floral hog pub antique vintage handmade ceramics glass coffee drink tea pastry dough cafe bar 2

Word List

body skeleton plague doctor oil lavender rose lillies poppy soap lotion tapestry paintings death life parchment paper scroll manuscript bible priest apocalypse chaos panic anxiety calm relax breath ringing bell lute harp flute mandolin dance music quiet peace celebration

ceremony tranquil snake oil essential oil patent medicine candle light flame fire dark middle fake real candy pills mercury silver gold bronze coin valuable object pint quart healing balm lip balm heart shop store

Style Guide Process

Main Colors

The Black

The Dark Background

The Main Logo Color

The White

The Light Background

Highlight Colors - Floral Illustrations

Color Guide

Style Guide Process 4

Thematic Guide: Illustration

Style Guide Process Thematic Guide: Typography

Style Guide Process 6

Thematic Guide: Photography

Style Guide Process Thematic Guide: Layout

Style Guide Process 8

Thematic Guide: Texture

Bezoar’s Apothecafe Posie’s Apothecafe Bezoar & Posies Apothecafe Mortar & Pestle’s Apothecafe Potpourri’s Apothecafe Pestilence Apothecafe Beak & Rod Apothecafe Petals & Posies Apothecafe

Style Guide Process

The Apothecafe

Since this is a mix between an apothecary and a themed cafe, I do not wish to just call it an apothecary as to not confuse the audience thinking it is an actual apothecary. So I use wordplay to combine apothecary and cafe creating the word Apothecafe. Bezoar is a stone found in animal intestines. Believed to be a cure for poison and a symbol of health. Posies are a bunch of nonspecific flowers. It is a word found in the “Ring Around the Rosies” song. Potpourri is similar to posies. Found in plague masks to block miasma. Mortar and Pestle is a bowl with a stick shaped press used to grind materials into powder which is usually used in medicine. Pestilence is another word for plague. Beak is a reference to plague doctor masks and a nod at how chickens were used as a common plague treatment. Rod is also a reference to the staffs plague doctors would use. In the end, I want to use words that are easy for my audience to say and understand while still keeping on theme.

Choosing a Name

Style Guide Process

Thumbnails

Style Guide Process

Thumbnails

Style Guide Process

Style Guide Process 14

Logo Illustration Explorations

Logo Explorations

Style Guide Process

Version One Floral Illustrations

Logo Explorations

Style Guide Process 16

Style Guide Version One

Style Guide Process

Added Simplified Logo Explorations

Version Two Floral Illustrations

Marker

Style Guide Process 18

Logo Explorations

Style Guide Process Style Guide Version Two

Style Guide Process Main Logo Type - Odd Times Secondary Logo Type - Garamond Premier Pro

Finalized Style Guide

Style Guide Process

Added Illustrations

Pattern Layout Extras

Shop Collateral

Lotions

THE HISTORY

Deriving from the Latin word “lavare” meaning “to wash,” lavender dates back to ancient Egypt with its usage where it process. In later years, it would be added to baths in many

INGREDIENTS:

lavender oil, shea butter, cacao butter, water, alcohol, mango seed butter, mineral oil

Read more at beak&rod.com

WHAT WE KNOW FDA for its edibility, there is no FDA approved, even with years lotion is meant for topical use only and should not be ingested. Do not use if it causes skin irritations or aches and pains.

Lotion Tags

Shop Collateral

Lip Balms

Soaps

Shop Collateral

Cafe Collateral

Menu Board

Chai Tea Earl Grey Tea Lemon Tea Rose Petal Tea Matcha Green Tea Lavender Tea Ginger Tea Chamomile Tea Add Organic Honey

$0.25

Add Soy/Almond Milk

$0.50

Make it a Latte

$1.00

$5.00

Matcha green tea latte mixed with dark chocolate & tapioca pearls and topped with steamed milk foam

Miasma Theory

$4.00

Earl Grey Latte mixed with milk & vanilla and steamed milk foam to top it off

Snake Oil Fizz

Teacupful-of-Posies

Americano Macchiato Cappucino Cold Brew Latte

$3.00

Cream soda with a choice of vanilla, butterscotch, toffee, or cherry f lavoring

$3.00

Tea blend infused with lavender, rose, hisbiscus, and jasmine

Cafe Collateral

Witchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brew

Mocha Add Soy or Almond Milk Choose your Flavor

$0.50 $0.50

Chocolate

Hazelnut

Vanilla

Butterscotch

Pumpkin

Pepper Mint

Caramel

Toffee

Menu Board

Cafe Collateral

Tea Tins

Cafe Collateral

Website 30

Home Page

Website About Page

Website 32

Event Page

Website Menu Page

Website 34

Shop Page

Website Subscribe Pop-Up

A Medieval Apothecary Shop for the Modern-day Civilian The world we are living in is a greatly advanced one in comparison to the Middle Ages, but probably our biggest advancement that our ancestors would be most proud of is the ones we have made in medicine. From being able to cure a plague that killed thousands to even just preventing some diseases to the point of it being nonexistent, we’ve come a long way from merely strapping chickens to buboes. But even in today’s society, we have those that still wish to just use simple herbs in place of antibiotics, those who merely shout “blasphemy!” at life-saving vaccines, or just people who don’t know about strapping live chickens onto ill humans (or any sort of medical history). What if there was a way to educate those on medicinal history in a way that captivates the audience? Well, when I think medieval, I think of renaissance fairs where people get to experience a world of old, and when I think of medieval medicine I think of apothecaries and plague doctors. So, I propose an apothecary shop that people get to experience as a whole. I imagine it would be like a themed café but selling just a little bit more then themed lattes and drinks. It would sell a variety of things such as specialty soaps and dried herbs with information behind the items, such as what it used to be used for. All done under the atmosphere of a medieval apothecary. I would do research on herbs and old cures and how they were used and maybe even used today. The café would be open to ages young and old but would probably bring in more of a crowd of young adults looking for new things to try and check out and those with a passion of things of a medieval nature and aesthetic, like those who would go to a renaissance fair. Firstly, I would brand the apothecary, coming up with a logo, brand, and deciding what would be sold at the shop and café so that I may properly come up with what packaging and items I would need. I will develop my word, symbol, color, and thematic guide to lay out a foundation for my brand. I would also be doing research into products and papers I could possible use in the finals of the project so that I will be prepared for practice mock-ups when I reach that stage. Next, I would move into thumbnails. Sketching out logo ideas first so that I may get style guides presented. I would also work at packaging thumbnails and push into colored rough drafts as critiques are received and the best designs are chosen. These are things I intend to have by the first meeting. After the first committee, I will use the advice and critiques given to push the project forward and begin finalizing designs. By this point, all design work will be on the computer and supplies will be ordered to begin work on tests and prototypes for mock-ups. This will be so I have real mock-ups done and provided to show during the second meeting.

Proposal & Research 36

Proposal

Beak & Rod Apothecafe Research Paper The world we are living in is a greatly advanced one in comparison to the Middle Ages, but probably our biggest advancement that our ancestors would be most proud of is the ones made in medicine. From being able to cure a plague that killed thousands to even just preventing some diseases to the point of them becoming nonexistent, we’ve come a long way from merely strapping chickens to buboes. However, even in today’s society, we have those that still wish to just use simple natural remedies in place of antibiotics. Many times, people like this take these remedies at face value and never take the time to research the product they are using, only to take the claims they provide as proven fact. Many times, however, the claims that are made are provided from poor research and exaggerations which leads to the common person being fooled and choosing natural over prescription. Now, this is not to say that people cannot and should not take natural remedies, but merely to state that perhaps there should be a way to educate the masses about such remedies so that people can use and enjoy them properly. Ways to do such a thing came firstly in the thought of apothecaries and plague doctors. By definition, an apothecary is a person who preps and sells medicine, but now the term has a connotation of being a pharmacy rather than just a person. With the thought of plague doctors came from the thought of the Plague during the Middle Ages. It was a time when many of these doctors were usually never actually doctors. A time where the world was so desperate for a cure, they were trying everything from using posies to clear the air of “miasma” to strapping live chickens to buboes in effort to “suck” the infection out onto the chicken. Both of these are, in a way, part of the foundation of medicine today. Two imageries that could easily mesh together into one brand.

Another challenge to face is the idea of using the iconography of the plague doctor. How does one use such imagery of a plague doctor without it being nothing but eerie and a harbinger of a dark past? Well, much of that could be changed through just simple use of color and design. For starters, the typical imagery of a plague doctor uses a lot of black. Sometimes the mask itself is white with black clothing and sometimes even the mask is black. For the design of the doctor, the contrast of the black clothing against the white mask will help to add visual interest, but we will change the starkness of the contrast by using more neutral colors like browns and creams in place of the black and white colors. To continue the theme of making a plague doctor more inviting in appearance, the design of the mask can be tweaked. Since the mask resembles that of a bird’s beak, one can mix the idea of sewing lines with the image of a cartoon bird smiling. Research Paper

Proposal & Research

Then, there is the thought of how to get an audience. How does one get an audience to come to an apothecary meant to teach? For starters, renaissance fairs exist. People have a love for the medieval and so they go to these fairs that give them a taste of the past with a touch of fantasy for fun. Yet, here at these festivals, people can still learn bits of history from people working it. In a way, that makes them educational along with fun for the masses. This brings up another dilemma. How does the apothecary keep a returning audience? The products that are sold there could very well keep some people returning, but if there was to be a website in connection to the brick and mortar store, then that would lead to some people just shopping online with no intention of going back for the experience again. This leads to a thought about themed cafes. Themed cafes offer an experience, whether that be for education or for pure fun it can vary, but it does allow for its audience to return for the enjoyment of the atmosphere and the food and drink it offers. This also bounces off the fact that coffee and tea have been used for medicinal purposes since about the beginning of their creation. So, to combine the apothecary and a themed café, it would create its own unique experience for people of various ages to drink and be merry while being educated at the same time.

So, through the use of color and design tweaks in the illustration, a friendly plague doctor logo can be created that harkens back to history while not scaring small children and maybe some adults. Other pieces of imagery that could be used is a staff, usually carried by a plague doctor, and a largebrimmed hat. Hats were also a common item of garb that was adorned and designing one like a sunhat combines it with the imagery with a gardener. Thusly, with the thought of an apothecary and a gardener in mind, it becomes very easy to add floral imagery to it. It is obvious why a gardener has connections to flowers and apothecaries typically deal in herbal medicines so when looking at logos of apothecaries, one will typically find some form of floral decoration or main visual point used within the logo. There was also much research put into how other apothecaries branded themselves. Many of them prefer to use a stable layout by neatly stacking the type into a simple shape, typically that of a circle or a rectangle. Many of them also do not use many colors, sticking mostly to neutrals and greens. Many use illustrations and line work as well. Much of the illustrations for apothecaries consist of plants and herbs. Occasionally, some will illustrate a mortar and pestle. There was also research done into Victorian medicine bottles so that this packaging can harken back to history. Medicine bottles were mostly simple in layout. They would box information together and stack the boxes. Some would use decorative illustrations and visual texture. A common theme is a visible border within the label that boxes all the information together. Some would also use decorative type by flagging or arching the words, probably due to the fact that this was a time when people were exploring with printing. With the thought of colors in mind, the theme of using neutrals would continue throughout the whole brand. Instead of using a true black, that would be replaced with a darker purplish hue and using a cream in place of a true white. Now, since the brand will possibly be using floral imagery within it, vibrant colors could possibly be used within the brand to balance against the neutral colors. Colors like lavender, yellow, and red are three common flower colors and add enough contrast against each other so that the three do not just blend together and get lost. A green could also be added for any imagery containing leaves or purely green plants. This led to these final colors being chosen: lavender purple (#937EBE), maize (#FCE657), dingy dungeon (#CA374B), pastel pink (#DDB8A5), turtle green (#889852), bone (#DEDAB3), pastel brown (#866E58), old burgundy (#422132), dark sienna (#30161C), and Aztec gold (#C7A553).

Proposal & Research 38

Now that the imagery and visuals for the apothecary are pieced together, there needs to be a name for this apothecary-café. The first thought that was developed was how to call it an apothecary without calling it an apothecary. Since this hybrid café is not truly an apothecary, the word should not be used since it feels like false advertising. However, it shouldn’t just be called a café because it is not fully a café either. That is when the wordplay came to thought and instead of using one or the other, the two words combined into “apothecafe.” Yet merely calling it the Apothecafe would not be enough either. A word list was done listing words that related to cafes, doctors, medieval, and flowers. The research was done into old words such as “Bezoars,” but the complicated word would prove difficult for many people to pronounce. Thusly, this narrowed down the words to possibly use to simple, well-known words. After going through the process, it was narrowed down to two possible names. The first one was “Petals & Posies Apothecafe” and the second one was “Beak & Rod Apothecafe.” The idea behind using the “name & name” was thought for harkening back at old stores that were started and owned by people so they just would use their last names to name the store. The words petals and posies were used together for alliteration and for the floral imagery used and the herb-based items to be sold. Posies also ties back into the medieval and with plague doctors. The words Beak and Rod were chosen from the imagery seen with plague doctors as stated in a previous paragraph. The mask of a plague doctor is shaped like that of a beak. Plague doctors would also carry staffs, or rods in Marker

this case, to help with checking patients without touching them and providing social distance. The words also work well together sound-wise. After taking these two names to the class for feedback, they chose the name Beak & Rod as they liked the contrast between the name and imagery since the visuals were soft, floral, and slightly feminine and the name was darker. With the visuals and name now done, the typeface used for the logo design is needed. Since the Apothecafe is meant to harken back to the Middle Ages, a blackletter font would be appropriate. Since we do not want it to be too sharp, we will need one with a few flourishes to match with the floral décor of the logo, so the chosen typeface would be Odd Times. The words Beak & Rod would be done in this typeface. However, the typeface becomes too much if Apothecafe is also done in the same typeface as it loses its hierarchy. Thusly begins the search for a second typeface. Firstly, a sans serif was searched for, but unfortunately, each typeface just looked too modern in comparison. Then, an old-style typeface was suggested, so after constant trials of typefaces, the typeface Garamond Premier Pro was chosen. This would also be the typeface used for any copy in the brand.

Since the general brand is now developed, we will move on to think about what would be sold, served, and branded for the apothecary. For starters, there is a brick and mortar store which is the apothecary half of the Apothecafe. What could be sold there would be mainly items of self-care. These items would include a lotion line, a handmade soap bar line, and a lip balm line. For the exhibition, the lip balms can be provided as takeaways for the audience. The lines are to be based are herbs, flowers, or any sort of plant that have and still are used for medicinal, home remedy reasons. There are to be three different varieties of the selfcare lines. These three will include lavender, coffee, and aloe vera. The three lines will pull from the lavender, red, and green colors from the brand to use as a way of differentiating the products from each other. For the lotion bottles, a single label will be used on the front of a glass pump bottle. This is meant to harken back to the era of Victorian medicine where mostly all of the bottles used a single label to house the name and purpose of the medicine. The label will serve a similar purpose as it will show the scent of the lotion and the purposes that it may be used for. Having a glass bottle will also allow for reuse or easy recycling. Since the purpose of the Apothecafe is to teach and educate, there will be a folded label tied to the bottle that will explain a short history of the main ingredient and what is known about the ingredient. The next packaging will for the soap line. The packaging for the soap will be a wrap-around piece, allowing for the handmade soap colors and scent to shine through to work with the packaging. The soap will match in inMarker

Proposal & Research

After collecting these pieces, it is time to put them all together. Firstly, the illustrations are drawn, designing the plague doctor first. Since it is called Beak & Rod, a mask and a rod will be visible in the tertiary mark. Since floral pieces will be added, the rod will be designed to look almost like a bouquet of flowers. A smaller illustration is also designed that merely just has the mask and large brimmed hat. Other smaller illustrations are drawn. These illustrations are a variety of different plants and flowers. Four of the plants drawn are designed together to make a pattern that can be used within the brand. Then the wordmark is designed. “Beak & Rod” is designed in Odd Times and “Apothecafe” is designed in Garamond Premier Pro. First, the illustrations and wordmark are worked to try and combine them. There is even work done to flag the text as to harken back at Victorian design. However, in the end, neither of those trials work so they are scrapped. The type is then typed together and decorative linework is added to the wordmark for visual interest. The illustrations then become their own marks by themselves. The illustrations are designed in full color but can just as easily be made in monochrome colors. The wordmark is done in one color. The main color used for the wordmark is done in dark sienna unless needed to be reversed out on black. The plague doctor illustration is colored in pastel brown with the mask being colored in bone. The mask has a line that runs from its eye to the tip of the beak that gives it a smiling appearance.

formation with the matching lotion scent, just in a different format. The lip balms will have lesser information since they would be too small the house it. They would just have the scent/flavor and the ingredients. The labels are to be printed on linen paper to allow for natural texture. Other items that could be sold in the brick and mortar store would be souvenir pieces such as buttons, stickers, enamel pins, and postcards. These would also serve as takeaways. The café half of the Apothecafe would sell a loose-leaf tea line in tins. The packaging would continue using the linen paper as used in the self-care lines and would wrap around the tins with information about the history of the ingredient, what we know, and an included flavor profile and how to steep instructions. The flavors of the teas will be lavender, rose petal, and matcha green tea. Once again, these three will correlate with the red, lavender, and green colors within the brand itself. The café would also have a menu board since people could come in to enjoy a cup of coffee whilst they are there, there needs to be a way for people to know what is offered. Since we live in the age of the internet, a website would be smart for any place to have. There will be a home page to introduce the audience to the atmosphere of the Apothecafe. There will also be a shopping page, an about page that will house the FAQs, a menu page so people can familiarize themselves with the menu even before coming in, and an events page where there might be upcoming events for people to enjoy at while at the Apothecafe. The website will have a sort of layering feel to it using old, ripped paper texture to give it that older feel even though it is on a computer screen. The website will also be bright and welcoming using mainly the Aztec gold and bone colors. There will be some photography used within the website. The photography will consist of a café filled with plants to show what the Apothecafe might would look like. There are also photographs of shelfing with jars and bottles that can be used to show for its apothecary side of the Apothecafe. Other images that will be used in the branding will include some images that involve plants being planted and set in pots and some aesthetic shots of tea and coffee in cups, surrounded by different flowers. By using these photography shots, it gives it a sense of reality for the audience to immerse themselves into while looking at the brand of the website. There will also be images of the products on the website so people can see what they are buying online.

Proposal & Research 40

The main point of the copy for the brand is to provide information to the audience. The majority of the copy will be informative, especially on the packaging. There will be research done on each major ingredient of the products designed to show the proper information that people will be learning when they buy the product. Since the product packaging only has so much space, the paragraphs of information will be to the point and short. Here is an example from the lavender lotion product: “Deriving from the Latin word “lavare” meaning “to wash,” lavender dates back to ancient Egypt with its usage where it was used in the mummification process. In later years, it would be added to baths in many different regions where they believed lavender could purify the body and mind.” Even though the copy on the packaging is informative, the copy on the website will be slightly quirkier, adding to its inviting and fun atmosphere since one does not want it to become too formal or even possibly too dark. Inspiration for the quirky nature of the copy comes from the podcast “Sawbones” created by Justin and Sydnee McElroy. This podcast is a medical history podcast that stays family-friendly and humorous for most of their episodes. This way a variety of people can listen to them while still getting educated about medical history. An example of this quirky nature of the copy is shown in the tagline that was developed for the brand which is “We are absolutely not a doctor, but neither are you.” It is meant to harken back to Marker

the main point of the Apothecafe which is to educate the masses about home remedies and the importance of knowing the facts while also holding a little humor by jabbing at themselves in the brand. A longer example of the quirky copy is this: “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy a cup a lavender tea to calm your nerves, but it won’t cure you of your depression. That’s what your prescription is for.” This time it is very slightly jabbing at those who would try to replace their prescription with a home remedy against the advice of a doctor, driving the importance of being informed on these sorts of topics and items, but does not insult the audience.

Proposal & Research

Together these pieces work together to create the Beak & Rod brand. The atmosphere being that of a calm apothecary where people could enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while learning about the history of medicine. The exhibition for the Beak & Rod brand would have a similar atmosphere, showing off the products on shelves and offering samples of their tea flavors and little takeaways of examples of possible souvenirs such as the lip balms and stickers.

Marker