CITY LINE
identity design for Carbondale, Pa family shop (which had been best known as greenhouse and garden center Mermelstein's)
under new gen. stewardship, wishing to transition from dollar store >
local general store, cafe, and art, gather space.
Shopkeeper Nicole had an idea for what she wanted the shop to become. But was not there yet.
She knew for sure the dollar store was leaving.
She would keep the name CITY LINE, but admitted it did not have particular meaning for her.
Maybe, I thought, meaning could be found.
For visual feel-inspiration, she wanted: 'vintage retro . . . but also modern.'
I took to mean, a vintage idea (old fashioned local hub) . . which still brings value today (with modern offerings).
Rather than, we know what we are, can you help us express that clearly and beautifully?, This challenge was:
We know what we want to bloom into. Can you make some visuals which will help us create a bridge to that place?
After conversations with Nicole, about her wishes for what CITY LINE might fill in the community,
sought after feelings were: welcome, personal, artisanal, art-ful, local, warm, gathering, community, home
Calls to action: shop local, gather, be together, support and be supported, connect.
I drew a lot of inspiration – verbal, felt, visual — from reading about the values general stores used to provide for local communities.
My ultimate goal was to attract customers to the authentic offering I believe Nicole and (husband) Jack are trying to create,
helping fill a need and desire for community nurturance and nourishment in Carbondale, Pa.
hand crafted illustrations
Nicole's expressed audience was: 'everyone.' My imagined audience, being local myself, was: low to low-middle, rural, small town
I came to these two words:
Nourish: provide with food and other substances (experiences) necessary for growth, health, and goodness, &
Nurture: care for and encourage the growth, development of.
I identified core values as: community, support, collaboration, neighborliness,
And personality traits as: sincere, genuine, charming, cheerful, and homey.
illustrated chairs from CITY LINE
Finding my way to a guiding 'tagline':
We believe . . what we nurture, grows.
pastoral, community feel illustration featuring shop-keeper Jack's truck
playing with illustrative imagery to find feeling
the hot chocolate cozy direction
Nicole cried (in happiness) after the first pass of explorations. But for her something was missing.
She identified the feeling she was after: Quirk.
'Jack and I are a little bit weird,' she said. As the shop's new stewards, she wanted this represented, even if just as a wink.
She referenced the purported 1947 UFO sighting in Carbondale, Pa., which she had already begun playing around with in-store.
background texture pulled from Nicole's hand-painted tables
She wanted, if possible, to incorporate this sense of humor, and local-personal idiosyncrasy.
retro feel copy and illustration inspired by the quirk, and Nicole's expressed wish for inclusiveness
She was delighted by the quirk inclusion. And found herself feeling closer to what she was reaching for.
She decided: she wanted minimal colors (black, and.) She liked the idea of browns and creams, coffee-like.
cafe chalkboard direction
She liked a coffee *or paint* splash shape I'd created in another iteration.
And my idea of using it as a signifier of the shop's
je ne sais quoi wished-for overlap future including material and creativity sustenance.
Maybe, it could even represent a UFO's tracks.
She decided she wanted a script. And for CITY LINE to visually be 'one word.' They were offering to be a few things, but all under one roof.
She really liked a script I'd used when showcasing copy I'd written for them.
And was fond of a rhombus accompaniment-shape I'd used in a couple tries, for retro feels, and as a potential wink toward that UFO quirk.
Nicole's chosen final
This was my first ever soup to nuts freelance try.
I experienced delights! and challenges I'm sure seasoned designers know well.
I also worked with Nicole to get her website more aligned with the new look, providing copy, and some organizational direction.
It was my wish to help create some order for her and Jack, in the communication of their shop's new identity.
From my notes:
'create integrated identity communication which can adapt and move with the store's growth and goals, will invite and encourage participation,
provide an easy understanding of offering(s), and assist with a considered ability to improvise with community as new needs present themselves.'
While they had begun with: a no longer relevant main logo, 31 different profile photos used in a year's time,
a mural, main sign, on-building type, interior signage, product signage, print cards, and social media
all completely different visually, and in feeling,
I'm hoping this experiment in collaboration will ultimately help with that foundational goodness I sense from them.
It certainly helped me learn a lot! :)
some proposed T-shirt designs
Next up:
Nicole has recently retired from teaching art, devoting herself full time to the shop,
and is looking to increase her art-ful offerings there.
She's looking for visuals for 'The Studio,' coming soon to CITY LINE.
in progress