Objective
Create strong and cohesive brand identity for barber shop. Brand should be represented as elegant, simple, masculine, modern, but with a hint of retro style.
Deliverables
▶ Name
▶ Logo
▶ Style-guide (color palette, typography)
▶ Printed assets: business card, appointment card, price list, gift card
▶ Design packaging for grooming kit: beard oil, beard balm, shampoo bar box, shopping bag
My Role
My role is to create barber shop brand identity and compelling visual assets that are meaningful to targeted audience. They will be used in both print and web.
Inspiration & Research
In this first step of design process, I looked for existing high end barber shops to get sense of current trends and searched for imagery that could be inspiration for color palette and logo style.
Characteristics that should be expressed by the brand:
▶ elegant
▶ simple
▶ masculine
▶ modern
▶ with a hint of retro style
Mind map of words associated with barber shop and mood board helped me come up with a name, logo, and color palette.
Ideation
I explored many variations of barber shop names and graphic elements to create the logo. The most frequently repeated elements were tools traditionally associated with a barber shop—scissors, razor, comb, as well as barber’s pole, mustache, and beard, accompanied by a retro font.
Challenges
The challenge was to make this barber shop stand out from other salons offering this type of service and not to use common and obvious graphic solutions.
Refinement
I decided to use name “Beard Republic” and develop further a concept with a silhouette of well-groomed man. Making more sketches helped me explore different logo shapes and combine them with other visual elements like razor, ribbon, retro font, and text dividers (diamond, circle, star, etc.).
Logo #1 has the greatest potential and best reflects the character of the company. It resembles passport stamp or a seal on old wooden crates, which corresponds to the name Beard Republic. I moved on to the next phase of logo design and started working on digital version.
Iterations
I created various digital iterations and explored many combinations of colors, fonts, text dividers, and frames. Logos with colored frame and reversed out text stood out most (second row).
Since the logo would be used on small-size printed assets such as business cards and labels, I had to choose a font that offered greater legibility.
Star-shaped text divider fitted brand personality and helped visually distinguish the name of the barber shop. It also gave the logo an old-school look.
Final logo
The final logo shows the silhouette of a well-groomed man. On the black frame is the name “Beard Republic” and “Barber Shop” separated by two stars.
Font Copperplate offers great legibility in small size assets and retro look without feeling outdated. It featured a combination of black and white, creating a timeless and classic look.
Logo design will serve as the primary visual element of the brand.
Printed assets
Business card
Appointment card
Gift card
Once the logo was established, the project continued with the creation of various printed assets. Each piece was carefully designed to align with the overall brand aesthetic, utilizing a consistent color palette and typography. It helped to create a cohesive and professional image for the barber shop, while also serving as effective marketing tools.
Packaging design
Shampoo bar box
Beard oil bottle
Beard balm jar
Shopping bag
In addition to the printed assets, the project also involved the design of packaging for a line of cosmetics sold by the barber shop. The color scheme was consistent with the brand’s overall aesthetic, with a focus on black and white tones that conveyed a sense of high quality and elegance.
Final outcome
Beard Republic barber shop has cohesive brand identity displayed by a masculine, dark color palette, old-school but not outdated typography and minimalistic, modern design.
The use of natural materials such as glass, paper, and bamboo evokes associations with authenticity and high quality.
Conclusions
I demonstrated skills in multiple design fields including page layout, typography and branding. This work shows my versatility and flexibility in designing projects intended for print and web.
Packaging prototypes with custom dielines, allowed me to showcase package design and product photography skills.
