Client Overview
ROD & GRAY is the newly chosen name for the rebranding of a local luxury fashion retailer in Vancouver. This business, selected for my project, is a multi-brand fashion store that offers a diverse assortment, encompassing both highly trendy fashion labels and niche-market high-fashion brands.
Project Overview and Objectives
With this project, my goal was to elevate the brand to better align with the luxury products and impeccable, personalized boutique experience they offer in-store and online. To achieve this, I have created the following designs:
• A new logo
• New brand colors
• New fonts for the brand
• An updated stationery package
• An ad campaign that is shown on different marketing channels (street banner/bus stop ad, and Instagram ad)
• An Instagram video ad
• Landing pages for different devices (desktop, mobile and tablet)
• A complete redesign of three pages of their website – homepage, product catalogue page and their product description page
• An in-store printed lookbook catalogue
Programs Used
Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma, iMovie
Logo Design
The “R” and “G”, representing the founders Rodrigo and Grayden, are derived from the font Brolimo. The letters are then manipulated and merged into one another to create a symbolism of Rodrigo and Grayden’s partnership in their creation of this extraordinary fashion medium in the community.
The “R” and “G” letters are altered to puposely create negative spaces/gaps within the letter itself. This is done to elevate the logo to a more chic and luxury aesthetic.
The ampersand between ROD and GRAY are purposely reduced in size to not unnecessarily draw viewers’ attention to the ampersand, allowing viewers to solely focus on the logo and the “ROD” and “GRAY”. The font of this wordmark is General Sans.
Colours
The color palette predominantly features a monochromatic scheme, utilizing simple hues ofblack, gray, and off-white. This choice is intentional, aiming to convey minimalism and sophistication, qualities paramount in high-end fashion. Additionally, a shade of yellow, reminiscent of gold, is incorporated to evoke a sense of premium quality and refined aesthetic.
Working harmoniously together, the simple hues of black, gray, off-white, and the accented goldreflect the high-end profile of ROD & GRAY.
Fonts
To align with the minimalistic design strategy for the rebranding, a simple sans-serif font - General Sans - was chosen. This simple, clean and sleek font reflect the premium and sophistication of ROD & GRAY. Different weights of General Sans were then utilized to create hierarchy of information and content.
To align with the new brand’s minimalistic and clean direction, I have adopted a simplistic approach for the stationeries, utilizing simple lines as key visual elements. To ensure consistency in the brand's visual language, I exclusively used the newly defined color palette for all stationery designs.
Ad Campaign Designs
For the ad campaign, I designed an event hosted by ROD & GRAY, featuring a fashion show to showcase their new Fall Winter 2024 collection. This event will take place in their brick-and-mortar store and include refreshments, music, and other entertainment, with limited seating available.
In the ad campaign design, which are featured in a street poster ad and an Instagram ad, the hierarchy of information and layout are crucial for effective communication. The phrase “FASHION SHOW” is prominently enlarged and bolded to capture the viewer’s attention, followed by “FW24 LAUNCH PARTY” as a sub-line to further describe the event. Keywords in the top right highlight the entertainment planned for the evening. Additionally, the date/time and QR code are enlarged for easy recognition and interaction, ensuring viewers can quickly grasp the event details and respond accordingly.
Video Ad
Visit link below to view video with prototype (ensure SOUND ON for full experience):
Instruction to enable sound in Figma's proto: simply click anywhere on the iPhone screen in the Figma proto.
Concept:
The video is designed as an Instagram post to be released in the lead-up to the fashion show event, aiming to build excitement and intrigue. The caption accompanying the video reads, “Countdown to ROD & GRAY FW24 fashion show.”
Created in iMovie, the I combined two different clips and a static image displaying the ROD & GRAY logo along with the hashtag #R>heShow. I also added background music that sound mysterious to enhance the overall effect, conveying a sense of mystery and anticipation for the forthcoming fashion show.
Transition effects were added between the different clips and elements in the video.
Landing Pages
I’ve created landing pages where the audience can register for the fashion show event. As a registration page, it includes a form for attendees to complete. A key feature of this landing page is the prominent “Reserve Your Seat” buttons, highlighted with the brand’s Lux Gold color to attract the viewer's attention.
The landing page designs exist in desktop, mobile and tablet version. (see all mockup and flat designs below)
Website Redesign
The goal of redesigning the website was to elevate its alignment with the brand while significantly enhancing user experience and functionality – areas where the business previously fell short. The website’s UI maintains a clean and minimalistic approach, with a particular focus on improving usability. Notably, the filter bar has been redesigned to offer a much more user-friendly experience compared to the previous version.
Printed In-Store Lookbook Catalogue
The design of the printed lookbook catalogue is both practical and essential, as every fashion retailer benefits from having a physical lookbook in their brick-and-mortar stores. The design incorporates the new brand’s visual elements, specifically the lines from the stationery package, to ensure a cohesive and consistent brand visual language.
Stationery Designs
Challenges in the Process
One of the greatest challenges I encountered during this project was balancing creativity and appeal while adhering to minimalism. Achieving true minimalism can be deceptively complex, especially in high-end fashion, where visual elements are primarily simple and clean. There were moments when maintaining this balance was particularly challenging, such as when designing the stationery package. I needed to convey the brand's high-end, sophisticated aesthetic in a limited space, ensuring the stationery remained distinctive and easily recognizable without appearing under-designed. To overcome this, I incorporated the brand’s subtle visual elements—particularly the gold accents—reinforcing our identity while maintaining the minimalist aesthetic wherever possible.
Another significant challenge was adapting the desktop landing page for mobile and tablet devices. The desktop version featured a hero image with extensive text, which was unsuitable for smaller screens. To address this, I streamlined the text on the mobile and tablet versions, relocating less critical information below the hero image to maintain readability and visual impact. Throughout this adaptation, I ensured the user experience remained seamless and that Call-to-Action buttons were always prominently displayed to capture the user's attention.
Reflection
This project stands as one of the most significant and rewarding endeavors I have undertaken. It allowed me to apply a comprehensive range of skills and knowledge acquired from my Graphic Design program, including concept development, brand research, logo design, poster design, website design, and print design. This experience not only enabled me to grow as a visual designer but also as a UX/UI designer. I thoroughly enjoyed utilizing the full spectrum of Adobe Creative Suite applications, along with Figma for all of the website/landing page designs and iMovie for video ad creation, showcasing my diverse design skills. The project was a phenomenal opportunity for my professional and personal growth, solidifying my ability to deliver sophisticated, professional and successful design solutions.