GO WEST
Rudy's Barbershop's arrival in West Seattle had been a long time coming. Late 2014 the deal was final, Rudy's would be inhabiting their now largest space. Formerly a Diva Espresso, auto-body shop, and computer repair shop this was a great space to work with.
My to do list for this project included:
- Design and coordinate fabrication of "Go West" neon sign
- Design all exterior signage
- Create new Rudy's logo for West Seattle promos and 2015 business cards
- Design and paint signage for back of seating, "It's Always Sunny in West Seattle"
- Paint station numbers on mirrors
- Paint cubby numbers on reception
- Create price list on transparencies to pace on vintage x-ray light boxes
- Art installation utilizing additional x-ray light boxes over retail space
- Make "Go West" t-shirts to sell in shop
- Find creative way to cover up windows over the still under-construction coffee shop
- Create promotional materials for shop and opening party for print and web
PROCESS
The most daunting task in this project was also my entry point. The neon sign went through dozens of iterations until we agreed less is more and ended up with what you see today. The goal for the sign was to create a landmark for the West Seattle neighborhood, something that wasn't so much business signage as it is a gift for the neighborhood. The shop is located right off the West Seattle bridge and is the first thing many folks see when entering. I also needed it to match the industrial look of the building and the look of the street populated by both lumber mills and nice restaurants.
Then I continued work on the exterior of the building. I didn't have accurate elevations yet so I created the illustration you see below so I could easily play with colors and layout. This is a tactic I've used for all shop openings, I find it easier to express my ideas when using a mockup. I was starting to dig the look of the white and green layout but felt a splash of bright color was needed to brighten up the place.
The stencil type you see on the price list, t-shirts, and the new Rudy's business cards is a customized version of Franklin Gothic which I chopped up and made into stencils.
