This past summer, I worked with the incredible Brand-Comm team at the retail design agency Chute Gerdeman in Columbus! During my experience, my time included assisting with design development for retail clients such as Meijer, implementing relevant graphics, typography, and stock photography for clients, and working with elevation views. In the final weeks of the semester, I had the opportunity to take on a professional development project constructed by the Brand-Comm team for Modern Market Eatery. Chute Gerdeman had previously worked with the brand to develop an exterior storefront for a location at the Atlanta International Airport.
Project Brief: The Atlanta Airport plans to bring Modern Market Eatery, a restaurant franchise focused on providing nutritious and sustainable meals using fresh ingredients, to a new location in the terminal. Given a blank elevation view and environmental rendering of the upcoming location, conceptualize new exterior signage that welcomes travelers to Atlanta, highlights the vibrant and exciting food offerings, and tells a narrative about the brand.
Brand Filter / Values
Given the brand book and existing materials highlighting brand values of Modern Market Eatery, I was tasked with developing a brand filter. From each layer - the brand filter encompasses Modern Market's mission, brand essence, physical environment, and customer experience. Interior photos of existing Modern Market Eatery locations highlight the contemporary, clean look of their locations, as well as existing decorative choices with white tile marbling, wooded fixtures, and inviting seating options.
Mood Board & Inspiration Process
Provided by my BrandComm team was an initial mood board previously used for the brand. Materials highlighted in this mood board include waffle glass, stained wood slats, geometric marble tiling, and tweed fabric.
I consulted Pinterest to help inform the material design process in the planning phases of my elevation/rendering concepts. Highlighted from my findings include acrylic-lit large wayfinding type, transparent exterior lightboxes, soft-patterned wood, and corrugated metal fixtures. I kept my material inspiration in mind throughout the development of my sketches and elevation concepts.
Initial Sketches
After conducting brand immersion in Modern Market Eatery, I printed out a sheet of 3x2 blank elevation views to begin planning my concepts. Examples of concepts I incorporated in my sketches include highlighting the vibrant food photography of the MME brand, striking contemporary designs through ribbons/patterns, brand values overhead the entrance, and material assortments.
Elevation View Iterations
After receiving feedback from the Brand-Comm team, I brought over the most successful elements from each elevation sketch through six distinctive concepts in Illustrator. Each elevation view needed to be cohesive and consistent with the brand values of Modern Market Eatery, as well as welcome customers departing and arriving in ATL through Atlanta iconography, artwork, and culture.
Final Elevation Views
Using CADscale in Illustrator
In Adobe Illustrator using the CADtools extension, developing this project in scale to real-life counterparts was essential to understanding the physical applications of the elevation view. Examples include the wainscot being 37.5" (compared to the counter height standard of 36"), individuals ranging from 5'6" to 6', and brand value typography at 3' height to be readable from a distance in the terminal.
Final Elevation Views & Render Concepts
