lood Case StudyBusiness owner and industrial designer David Robinson approached me to help realise a vision for a new design studio that champions local craft and young designers in a competitive industry.
That vision is ‘lood’, a product design studio based in the humble suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. I was responsible for the visual identity, as well as the design of the website and many other creative outcomes ranging from printed media to signage and social assets.
Creative Direction, Branding, Signage, UX/UI, Packaging, Printables, Typesetting, Social Media
01. ResearchStarting out, David showed me what he had in mind for lood, and while the idea was there, it wasn’t established visually.
I learned as much as I could about his inspirations, and then began by reseaching what makes lood unique, as well as it’s constructive and industrial influence.
I looked to the simplicity and structure of tech drawings as a source of inspiration, and utilised elements of assembly in the final branding by creating ‘Philip’, a star symbol reminiscent of a philips head screw.SKETCHBOOK IMAGE/SLIDESHOW (3)
02. RealisationBy this stage, I had established the logo and symbol, which then layed the groundwork for the visual aesthetic, which would be simple but strong.
This was a callback to the constructive and creative nature of David’s process, with a love of crafting things with an understated strength and courage.SKETCHBOOK IMAGE/SLIDESHOW
03. RefinementAfter the visual identity was established, the creation of the website was an important tool not just for the point of purchase, but as a tool to secure the brand as something more than just an idea, but as a concrete business that puts design and storytelling first.
Our original designs for the website included sections of storytelling before an object was available for puchase, and this was done to inform the customer of the work and value that went into a single product.
The storytelling would include work in progress videos, sketches, mockups, prototypes from a variety of media (image, video and illustration).SKETCHBOOK IMAGE/SLIDESHOW
04. ReleaseWe released the website and hosted an opening event, all of which happened very quickly. From there I did more brand work and helped with social media content once the website was completed, and also worked on brand values and how lood would operate on a production leve.
lood was one of the greatest opportunities for me as a young designer, as it gave me autonomy from early in my career to lead a brand vision, and establish an aesthetic that not only spans branding but the products themselves and how they’re presented.
You can view the completed website hereSLIDESHOW05. ReflectionAs a result of designing lood with a strong brand and framing products in a way that aligned with the businesses core love of craftsmanship, lood products are now available in a wide range of stockists in the interior space in Australia.
They are known on social media for maintaining a consistent brand image that’s practical but clean and organised, all underlining the values of the business.
They’ve been featured in interior and architecture publications like the Local Marketplace, and the products themselves have gone on to be finalists and winners in the Vivid Emerging Designer Awards.SLIDESHOW