Fredman Design Group Identity
Great interior designers and architects don’t create work to be beautiful for beauty’s sake. They create work to be lived in and experienced—to inspire the people who live and work in the spaces they design. At least this is the philosophy that guides Fredman Design Group.
We got nice and cozy with this philosophy when we partnered with Fredman to update their identity. From their parent logo mark to branding for their retail stores to marketing collateral, every element we crafted is designed to engage the senses and give clients a clear sense of what makes Fredman Design Group as unique as they are.
In Pursuit of Magic
Discovery Session
Knowing what a visual bunch the Fredman Design Group team is, we made sure our brand discovery session included ample ways to engage as we uncovered details about target customers, unique selling points and the nuances of the Fredman aesthetic. Over the course of our marathon session, competitors were charted, a wall-to-wall image buffet was combed over and analyzed and by the end we got to the root of what makes our client tick.
Soulful Dedication
Brand Identity & Messaging
One of Fredman’s main goals for their rebrand was to announce a new chapter that builds on their history as distinct voice in the design community. The right updates to their logo mark did the trick. With subtle changes to their word mark and the literal splash of color that accompanies it, the new logo is more refresh than revolution. We saved that for their retail brand.
Formerly known as 350 West, Fredman’s retail stores have a completely new name— Foundation 2—and a new look to go with it. For this mark, we embraced the eclectic, artisan feel of the goods they sell by combining their new font with script lettering and an icon that has a distinctly hand-stamped feel.
The new identity is supported by messaging that shines the spotlight on their commitment to meaningful design—in a voice that’s undeniably theirs, of course. The Fredman Design Group team chose to sidestep a traditional tagline, so we wrote a series of headlines that serve as mantras on their passion and approach to design.
Welcome the Unexpected
Brand Collateral
Very early on, we learned that designing for Fredman is an opportunity for us to leave the tidy confines of traditional branding and branch out into a more artistic wilderness. For their brand collateral, letterhead, notecards and business cards are adorned with bold stripes emblazoned with imagery of pressed flowers and crumbled charcoal.
We worked on a much larger scale to freshen up the facade of Fredman’s Chicago location, framing each window in a soft gold and penning a welcome note on the door that invites passersby to come in and experience Fredman’s particular perspective on what a retail store can be.
Original Expressions Online
Web Redesign & Social Media
For the new Fredman website, we embraced the same unconventional artistry that makes the rest of their rebrand so striking. A focus on prominent photography, organic textural elements and Fredman’s new messaging showcases their expertise and passion for creating distinctly unique spaces with soul.
We also maintain Fredman’s Instagram and Facebook accounts, channeling the distinct Fredman voice to share projects, inspiring content and updates on events and product offerings to keep Fredman’s audience captivated with their singular design approach.
Spaces & Stories
Marketing
When it came to introducing the new Fredman to the world, nothing short of a feast of sights and textures would do. The centerpiece of our marketing is a deluxe brochure composed of multiple sizes and stocks of paper that offer varied finishes, weights and surfaces. Together, they create a truly tactile experience as you flip through the pages and absorb Fredman’s work and their philosophy.
A companion piece gives shoppers at their Foundation 2 locations a glimpse of the magic that Fredman can create with their interior design and architecture. The handout unfolds to reveal three cards that tease Fredman’s design philosophy alongside photos of work that highlight the scope of their style.
The new brand identity is also supported by a series of brand awareness campaigns rolled out in sets of three advertisements. Each tells a story of how Fredman pushes boundaries to inspire clients and enrich their lives through thoughtful interior design.
