Brand overhaul to fit change of designer-maker’s business objectives.
Andrew Lane is a craftsman designer who has a reputation for creating unique, handmade wooden furniture. Full transparency – he’s also my brother.
He initially asked me to update his website. I started by asking him about his business goals. As with many one and two person creative businesses, changes in life can bring different needs and ambitions, so I wanted to know how Andrew’s might be changing over time.
As a result of our conversations two things needed to happen: the emphasis of Andrew’s business needed to shift from one-off commissions to bespoke kitchen designs, and his online presence needed updating to better reflect his design philosophy.
Research and analysis
Any maker designer relies on photography and video to show the world (apart from the client) what they do. Showing off this photography is key.
Andrew had familiar references for some competitive analysis which I extended to fully immerse myself in the language and visual cues that high-end, bespoke design companies use.
Andrew’s design approach has always been about simple lines, beautiful materials and uncompromising quality. He wanted to reflect this with a minimalistic tone to his branding.
What I did
Refining confidence is a common thread in the brand work I do. With Andrew, it was about letting the imagery do its thing – the quality and uniqueness of his work doesn’t need too many words. But I did give the tone of the copywriting a more minimal, direct feel of what his work can do for customers.
I kept his logo – a simple sans-serif typeface – but created a new monogram to use as a secondary logotype across his channels and as a physical stamp on his furniture.
On the website I made the photography king and stripped back the text. This immediately emphasised the character of the work better. I made some simple, technical SEO edits and added Google Maps to improve local search – 80% of his clients come from within 100 miles of his workshop.
I shot new photographs of kitchen commissions and bespoke pieces of furniture, filmed client testimonials and retouched older photos to really make the pieces shine.
What the work helped change
Making it easier for online visitors to find and understand the work Andrew does immediately brought multiple kitchen orders, as well as increased bespoke furniture commissions.
andrewlanefurniture.co.uk
Skills
Brand strategy, analysis and design, website design (UX, SEO, copywriting, WordPress build), video and photography.
