Lou’s Crew Hardware Store
For my final project I was tasked with creating a brand that was randomly assigned to me. Chosen at random, I was to create a hardware store. I am not your average handyman so this posed a big challenge as I needed to both familiarize myself with what is common of hardware stores as well as branding a store in general.
Some Handy Info to Know
With knowing very little about hardware stores in general, I had to try my best to understand and replicate them best. I decided to do a brand audit of Ace Hardware, one of the most recognized hardware stores in the country. With this information, I was able to understand more clearly what would need to go into the branding aspect of the hardware store as well as any type of wordage that is easiest recognized by those who frequently attend hardware stores.
Building a Brand
Now that I have a better understanding of what goes into a hardware store I can go into naming and sketching logos. After much internal debate, the name I decided to go with was Lou’s Crew. With a name that serves as a pun, I wanted a brand that felt fun and personal so everyone would feel welcome to shop, regardless of their expertise in the field, from home improvement to DIY.
I sketched a total of 30 logos before deciding on the one you see with the brand below. I went with something that matched the energy of the pun name in order to emphasize that quirkiness but also that acceptance of all backgrounds of expertise.
A Brand in Construction
With a logo finalized, I can now work on all other branding material for the hardware store. From the colors to the applications and restrictions, I went through countless versions of this brand identity to achieve the brand identity presentation you see below. Lou’s Crew was difficult to work on due to my lack of knowledge and plain interest, but it allowed me to understand what it is like designing for something that you aren’t extremely passionate about, which happens in every designers life at least once.
