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patrick
Foley
House of Vintage Process, Rebrand, Team Project
The House of Vintage (HOV) rebrand was a school assignment that my teammate, Adrian Cintas, and I completed in 2023 for our Brand Lab class taught by Cielle Charron. The purpose was to renew the look and feel of the brand by communicating more clearly what the business is about and how it may potentially better appeal to its target audience.
This process included research, creating logos and brand assets, pitching our work in a formal presentation, and organizing everything into a brand book.

While it was an option to work individually, I chose to perform this project with Adrian. I enjoy working within a team, and I anticipate joining more teams in my future career. In my opinion, working in a team lessens the burden, provides additional checks for errors or mistakes, and is simply more enjoyable. Sharing the effort feels better, and celebrating success with someone else is more fulfilling than celebrating alone.
Research
Upon selecting the business for our rebranding project we conducted and audit of the business.
 
  • What the business does
  • Target audience
  • Name, Taglines
  • Logo and our impression of the logo
  • Brand Expression
  • Competition

After conducting the research we create a document with our findings. The audit provides us with a starting point in the process of rebranding and strategy.
 
Market Research/ business comparison
After evaluating HOV, we conduct comparison research based on other similar businesses in the same market. This audit is similar to the one conducted for HOV but more surface-level and not as in-depth. To streamline the process, other students participating in the rebranding of HOV also conducted research and submitted their findings to the Business Comparison Matrix. This information helps us identify areas where HOV could stand out, as well as points where HOV needed improvement.
Creative Brief
After compiling the research we discuss our opinions about the next phase of the project. Adrian and I would meet for a couple hours outside of class each week to discuss, share and brainstorm. During that time we develope our creative brief,  an overview that details our understanding of the project. In it we provide;
 
  • Trends
  • Client feed back
  • Concerns
  • Brand attributes
  • Strategy
  • Messaging
  • Brand Expressions
  • Deliverables
  • Goals
     
We then present this to a small group of students for feed back. I enjoy speaking in front of others, a byproduct from my previous career in the food and beverage industry. It was also valuable seeing the other students presentations, this is our opportunity to identify where we can stand out amongst our peers.
Strategy and Moodboards
In our moodboards we're able to start developing our strategy, in this document we include;
 
  • Typography
  • Color textures/patterns
  • Imagery
  • Expressions and Deliverables
  • Feeling/Mood

Adrian and I both had varying opinions about the vibe that HOV emanated, perhaps due to the variety of goods and the range of eras. It was hard to pinpoint any one particular impression. Instead of leaning into any specific era, decade, or generation, we chose to focus on the overall ambiance HOV gives when you walk in the door.
Sketches
This is another reason why working within a team helps the creative process. Being able to generate more thumbnails gives us more options and more potential for solutions.  We presented our sketches  with  our moodboards  to provide context as to how we came to our outcomes. In addition, we both included random thumbnails that came to fruition as part of the process of ideation. We present our outcomes to our classmates so solicit feedback in order to move to the next stage of conceptualizing.
After receiving feed back, we created three concepts;
 
  • Vortex; Entering the store is like entering a vortex of space and time
  • Vintage; Rustic maybe even rusty, like much of the merchandise
  • Dynamic; Eclectic, spanning generations, a little of everything

We conceptualized each concept and applied them to various deliverable and presented them in a deck. For our deliverables we wanted to identify products that we felt would be at home in either Vancouver or Portland HOV locations and in the price point that someone that's shopping at HOV could afford. This concept deck is presented to our classmates and we receive  feedback that helps us choose the concept that best exemplifies HOV.
Brand Poster and Consolidation
The poster acts as a consolidation of our variations. We selected the concept and the direction and in a way are setting the brand identity in stone. From here we expand and apply the brand, type choices, image treatments and patterning through out all strategic points. This may not be an industry standard however I believe the poster acts a proof of concept or tool to convey progress to a client or aact as a tool to view how printed media may appear.
Presentation
After developing all the material we conduct the final presentation where we deliver the final solution. Initially we present to the class, and then a few selected people/teams present to the designers from The Beauty Shop.  In this presentation we cover;
 
  • Brand Positioning
  • The mark and the thought behind it
  • Mock ups and image treatments
     
Adrian and I were chosen to present to the designers from The Beauty Shop. It was a 7-minute presentation. Our goal was to create a more modern, cohesive identity that echoes across all points of interaction (web, social media, and in person). We aimed to develop an identity that encompassed both locations and also offered differentiation between the two (Portland and Vancouver). Our vortex logo speaks to the nature of HOV and the experience of shopping for that special item that you really have to dig for. Our versatile color palette provides us with the opportunity to distinguish between locations and the particular items being sold (clothing, furniture). We use patterns for signage and printed materials (sale tags, business cards, and merchandise). Our typeface choice, Anisett for the logo, feels very confronting and gives great contrast to the curves in the rest of the logo. The typeface choice for the signage contributes to the chaos that is HOV, yet it gives some order and direction. Finally, we use Tablet Gothic for any body copy: it is clean, legible, and continues the sans serif nature of our other type choices. We chose to have HOV photography to be black and white, this allows for BOH and its identity to take precedent  and be center stage in media applications.
Brand Book

Our final deliverable, with all choices signed off and approved, we present  our House of Vintage Brand Book. In the book, we provide direction for how the brand should be applied, where and when it is used, and which typefaces are used with specific interaction points. The various deliverables include storefront signage, in-store signs, and merchandise tags.

This was a great project and a wonderful opportunity to work with Adrian and hone our presentation skills. This project inspired me and really drove home the possibilities of how far a brand can go in terms of strategy and the various points of interaction. We took into consideration how people will interact with the identity and the impression it can make.

House of Vintage
Process, Rebrand, Team Project
 
The House of Vintage (HOV) rebrand was a school assignment that my teammate, Adrian Cintas, and I completed in 2023 for our Brand Lab class taught by Cielle Charron. The purpose was to renew the look and feel of the brand by communicating more clearly what the business is about and how it may potentially better appeal to its target audience.
This process included research, creating logos and brand assets, pitching our work in a formal presentation, and organizing everything into a brand book.

While it was an option to work individually, I chose to perform this project with Adrian. I enjoy working within a team, and I anticipate joining more teams in my future career. In my opinion, working in a team lessens the burden, provides additional checks for errors or mistakes, and is simply more enjoyable. Sharing the effort feels better, and celebrating success with someone else is more fulfilling than celebrating alone.
Research
Upon selecting the business for our rebranding project we conducted and audit of the business.
 
  • What the business does
  • Target audience
  • Name, Taglines
  • Logo and our impression of the logo
  • Brand Expression
  • Competition

After conducting the research we create a document with our findings. The audit provides us with a starting point in the process of rebranding and strategy.
 
Market Research
After evaluating HOV, we conduct comparison research based on other similar businesses in the same market. This audit is similar to the one conducted for HOV but more surface-level and not as in-depth. To streamline the process, other students participating in the rebranding of HOV also conducted research and submitted their findings to the Business Comparison Matrix. This information helps us identify areas where HOV could stand out, as well as points where HOV needed improvement.
Creative Brief
After compiling the research we discuss our opinions about the next phase of the project. Adrian and I would meet for a couple hours outside of class each week to discuss, share and brainstorm. During that time we develope our creative brief,  an overview that details our understanding of the project. In it we provide;
 
  • Trends
  • Client feed back
  • Concerns
  • Brand attributes
  • Strategy
  • Messaging
  • Brand Expressions
  • Deliverables
  • Goals
     
We then present this to a small group of students for feed back. I enjoy speaking in front of others, a byproduct from my previous career in the food and beverage industry. It was also valuable seeing the other students presentations, this is our opportunity to identify where we can stand out amongst our peers.
Strategy and Moodboards
In our moodboards we're able to start developing our strategy, in this document we include;
 
  • Typography
  • Color textures/patterns
  • Imagery
  • Expressions and Deliverables
  • Feeling/Mood

Adrian and I both had varying opinions about the vibe that HOV emanated, perhaps due to the variety of goods and the range of eras. It was hard to pinpoint any one particular impression. Instead of leaning into any specific era, decade, or generation, we chose to focus on the overall ambiance HOV gives when you walk in the door.
Sketches
This is another reason why working within a team helps the creative process. Being able to generate more thumbnails gives us more options and more potential for solutions.  We presented our sketches  with  our moodboards  to provide context as to how we came to our outcomes. In addition, we both included random thumbnails that came to fruition as part of the process of ideation. We present our outcomes to our classmates so solicit feedback in order to move to the next stage of conceptualizing.
After receiving feed back, we created three concepts;
 
  • Vortex; Entering the store is like entering a vortex of space and time
  • Vintage; Rustic maybe even rusty, like much of the merchandise
  • Dynamic; Eclectic, spanning generations, a little of everything

We conceptualized each concept and applied them to various deliverable and presented them in a deck. For our deliverables we wanted to identify products that we felt would be at home in either Vancouver or Portland HOV locations and in the price point that someone that's shopping at HOV could afford. This concept deck is presented to our classmates and we receive  feedback that helps us choose the concept that best exemplifies HOV.
Brand Poster and Consolidation
The poster acts as a consolidation of our variations. We selected the concept and the direction and in a way are setting the brand identity in stone. From here we expand and apply the brand, type choices, image treatments and patterning through out all strategic points. This may not be an industry standard however I believe the poster acts a proof of concept or tool to convey progress to a client or aact as a tool to view how printed media may appear.
Presentation
After developing all the material we conduct the final presentation where we deliver the final solution. Initially we present to the class, and then a few selected people/teams present to the designers from The Beauty Shop.  In this presentation we cover;
 
  • Brand Positioning
  • The mark and the thought behind it
  • Mock ups and image treatments
     
Adrian and I were chosen to present to the designers from The Beauty Shop. It was a 7-minute presentation. Our goal was to create a more modern, cohesive identity that echoes across all points of interaction (web, social media, and in person). We aimed to develop an identity that encompassed both locations and also offered differentiation between the two (Portland and Vancouver). Our vortex logo speaks to the nature of HOV and the experience of shopping for that special item that you really have to dig for. Our versatile color palette provides us with the opportunity to distinguish between locations and the particular items being sold (clothing, furniture). We use patterns for signage and printed materials (sale tags, business cards, and merchandise). Our typeface choice, Anisett for the logo, feels very confronting and gives great contrast to the curves in the rest of the logo. The typeface choice for the signage contributes to the chaos that is HOV, yet it gives some order and direction. Finally, we use Tablet Gothic for any body copy: it is clean, legible, and continues the sans serif nature of our other type choices. We chose to have HOV photography to be black and white, this allows for BOH and its identity to take precedent  and be center stage in media applications.
Brand Book

Our final deliverable, with all choices signed off and approved, we present  our House of Vintage Brand Book. In the book, we provide direction for how the brand should be applied, where and when it is used, and which typefaces are used with specific interaction points. The various deliverables include storefront signage, in-store signs, and merchandise tags.

This was a great project and a wonderful opportunity to work with Adrian and hone our presentation skills. This project inspired me and really drove home the possibilities of how far a brand can go in terms of strategy and the various points of interaction. We took into consideration how people will interact with the identity and the impression it can make.

"Look for what you notice but no one else sees."
-Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
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