Kitchenware Redux
This project required a new color palette and three signs for wayfinding in a kitchenware store. All three needed to feature legible type and reductive figure-ground icons of objects from the store.
The initial phase was photographic experimentation with multiple kitchen tools to explore the form of each object, its reflective qualities, and the perspectives from which it looked the most distinctive. Because legibility was a key factor in the brief, the photos with poor value contrasts were rejected, as well as any kitchen tools that became indistinct or ambiguous from multiple angles. The final photos were then sketched in pencil, pen and marker in order to study the values and forms for digital rendering.
Many typefaces options were explored for this project. The typeface chosen is called "Bookmania." It is an ornate serif typeface based on the twentieth century “Bookman” typeface, which gives this modern version a vintage quality. The bold variation was chosen for legibility because of its thick strokes which are easier to read from a distance. A cohesive visual language was developed by mimicking the gradient of the icon with the repetition of the type. The letterforms feature round shapes and teardrop terminals that interact with the curves of the objects. A “cupid’s bow” is in the negative space of each sign.
To develop an appropriate color palette, research compared kitchenware competitors such as Meyer, William Sonoma and Sur la Table. Most big market competitors were on average using a very neutral and safe palette of off-whites and greys, plus one wood tone and a shade of blue. The final color palette is warmer and friendlier than the stifled corporate colors of the competitors, without being too saturated and overwhelming the customers. The friendly but muted colors interact with the bold vintage typeface to create a welcoming and legible style.
