Carvel Creative - A virtual space for the design of physical objects
Following upon the design of the visual identity for this fabrication collective, the design of an updated virtual space was initiated that would function as a home for new projects and company activities. The primary purpose of the website was to feature projects, host employee activities within design and education capacities, and to serve as a public forum with which to communicate to public and social communities via a blog space. A project-focussed site was designed and developed with Rob Hayes to present the work and help position the company. Through full bleed imagery, large punchy headline typography, and considered brand-focused visual elements and colour, the website was designed with the work of the company in mind: don’t let the design of the site get in the way of the physical and material work of the shop.
Typography used within the earlier printed collateral for Carvel were sourced out online through Google fonts to incorporate similar typographic structures, conventions, and settings. Nexa was replaced by Montserrat, and Motiva was replaced by Gudea. This provided the opportunity to retain brand presence while allowing a richer experience for customers by providing universally-loading typography.
A rigorous process of working with the client, the team of Carvel designers, and the developer involved numerous iterative rounds of research, design, and realization through building a working product within the SquareSpace environment. Over a series of design charrettes, the design materialized through processes of sketching, layout within Sketch, and the handing off of assets to be incorporated into the development of a portfolio site within the SS platform.