visual branding
Client: Rail and Anchor
Roll: Social Media Manger, Art Director, Ad Designer
September 2021 - Present
Background:
Rail And Anchor is a modern general store in Royal Oak, MI where I began working in September, 2021. The shop values creating a cozy, yet stylish, environment inspired by vintage general stores. The wide selection of quality goods is reflected by the diverse cliental, creating a space where anyone can find the perfect gift for themselves or others.
my roll:
Since joining the team, I have taken on a variety of roles that utilize my design skills, including social media management, advertising, website design, visual branding, and even event coordination.
In R&A's early years, the majority of products were for men or antiques, but since, the company has grown significantly and sells new items for people of all ages and genders. The wide array of unusual, fun goods makes the consumer's experience full of discovery. Despite these changes in identity, I found that their visual branding had remained stagnant. I have since introduced a visual identity that amplifies their modern, playful nature - while preserving the company's vintage-inspired roots.
projects:
WINDOW DISPLAY:
Overview:
In July 2022, I was given the opportunity to create a new window display for the store with full creative control and a $1000.00 budget. My mission was to design something large scale, attractive from both inside and outside of the store, and that would grab the attention of street traffic.
My design was inspired by lava lamps. They are an icon of the past, though feel modern with their fluid movements and colorful, youthful glow. I found they perfectly reflect R&A's identity: Duality of the past and present, playful and fun, provoke a captivating sense of discovery.
process:
I researched various materials, and found that neon acrylic would be an affordable way to create large organic forms, while still allowing visibility through the windows. I began sketching organic forms directly over an image of the building in Procreate. I then brought the sketched forms into Adobe Illustrator, where I was able make them vectors. Our team then installed the hanging pieces.
Website design:
Overview:
Prior to me joining the team, Rail and Anchor had to quickly develop an Ecommerce shop when Covid first emerged. In February of 2022, I began to reimagine how the website could look and function to better reflect the brand and the shopping experience a customer would have in the store. Since most shoppers do not know exactly what they are looking to buy when they come in the shop, I wanted the website to have a similar experience of discovery while browsing online.
process:
Using Square, I created website categories that could give shoppers direction if they had an idea of what they were looking for. For those without a specific product in mind, I utilized Square's carousel image galleries to create featured categories to highlight new or seasonal products and campaigns. All images were photographed and edited by me using the Adobe Creative Suite. Examples of these images can be viewed
below.
LOGO, shopping BAg, sticker, & gift cards
Overview:
I was given the chance to redesign our shopping bags, gift cards, company stickers, PRIDE material, and a tote bag. I wanted them to be playful, while still looking high-quality. This led to the creation of a new logo, which is now used across the entire brand.
gift caRD
ITERATIONS:
FINAL
gift caRD:
SHOPPING
BAGS:
STICKER:
PRIDE
PROMO:
