Contents:Page 4 - Our story

Page 6-7 - Overall store moodboard

Page 8-9 - Store location & exterior

Page 10-11 - Window displays

Page 14-15 - Ground floor plan & adjacencies

Page 16-17 - Ground floor moodboard

Page 18 - Till

Page 12-13 - Customer profile

Page 19 - Ground floor fixture & planogram

Page 20 - Card department

Page 21 - Staircase

Page 22-23 - First floor plan & adjacencies

Page 25 - First floor moodboard

Page 26 - First floor fixture & planogram

Page 27 - Workshops

Page 24 - First floor description

Page 29 - Photo booth & interactive printer

Page 30-31 - Second floor plan & adjacencies

Page 32 - Café

Page 33 - Gallery

Page 34 - Bookstore

Page 35 - Workspace

Page 36 - Vending machine

Page 42-43 - Stationery

Page 44 - Business card

Page 45 - Compliment slip

Page 39 - Branding pack

Page 46 - Letterhead

Page 47 - Swing ticket

Page 48-49 - In-store branding

Page 50-51 - Merchandise

Page 54-55 - Print advertisement

Page 56-57 - Digital branding

Page 58-59 - Website

Page 52-53 - Outdoor advertisements

Page 60-61 - App

Page 62-63 - Social Media

Page 40-41 - Logo

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At Inkwell we sell stationery, art and craft materials, and greeting cards. We source brands that are iconic,

sustainable and high quality as standard fare. Personalizing one’s workspace is a vital outlet of creativity in an often

dull environment, and is something that Inkwell endeavors to promote. We merge style with functionality, conveying

a diverse collection of ideas and embracing their connections.

We have a multi-story flagship store that is as much an interactive experience as it is a commercial one. Our

store includes space for workshops, a Creative Agency including a printing press, a café, bookstore, gallery and an office space. These features are the result of a constantly

developing brand.

We explore the union of artistic style and commercial aspect of the brand, and the dynamic it creates. Inkwell’s

designers from our creative agency and artists from our workshops are available to impart their passion and techniques in an expansive range of art, embossing and printing. A variety of classes in these areas are available and are continuously tailored to include the latest trends

and products.

Our founder has both a military and cross-cultural background, with many influences from around the world.

Attention to detail, diversity and efficiency are Inkwell’s guiding principles, and is reflected in the design of the store

and its products. Philanthropy is also a key aspect of our brand, with Inkwell greatly contributing to the community: 10% of our profits go to the charity ProjectArt that aims to bring art education to all New York City public schools.

OURSTORY

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OVERALL STORE MOODBOARD

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Location

Public transit

Local attractions

Inkwell is located at 242 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249. Located in the heart of Williamsburg, we can be found just off of North 3rd Street and two blocks east from the East River. This location was chosen because it fits in perfectly with the brand ethos and image - trendy with a style that’s charming but notably

low-key.

We are located alongside other major retail outlets and their flagship stores, in an area renowned for its up-and-coming hipster vibe. We are also located 1.6 miles from the Williamsburg Bridge, and 3.3 miles from the Brooklyn Bridge making us an ideal area for commuters and

tourists alike.

We are located 0.4 miles from the major thoroughfares of Bedford Avenue subway station on the L line, and 0.2 miles to the B32 bus stop. We are easily accessible at all times of the week, whether you are travelling by car or

public transport.

Local Attractions

Public Transit

LOCATION

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EXTERIOR

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We have chosen to collaborate with The Rifle Paper Co. because we believe in their brand identity and share their values. They are owned by a husband and wife team, and started out as a small business in their garage. All of their paper products are locally sourced, they use high quality materials and ensure that they are well-made. We consider that their strong use of floral prints mixed with our sophisticated edge would be the perfect balance for a highly successful collaboration. The hanging books create depth and they display the product in an artistic manner, with the bike on a floral backdrop denoting a familiar and playful tone.

This is our iconic window for our window display team. We often use oversized, wooden letters and vary the background with prints and graphics, depending on the occasion. This print is influenced and inspired by Carl Kleiner, the artist whose work we commission on our branding pack. The layered textures of the papers create depth and its simplicity makes a statement on its own.

WINDOW DISPLAYS

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One of the busiest times of year for us, the desk symbolizes the advent of the upcoming academic year alongside an array of different, somewhat antiquated products. These include a vintage Mac computer and a chalkboard with a drawn-on chandelier as a play on sophistication and a stylized illustration of school. The ‘back to school’ graphics we used denote a youthful element to this scene, and we made sure to capture the time of year by matching the color scheme to the leaves on the tree.

We provide a seasonal and aesthetically appealing shopping experience during all four seasons. This window uses a polygon theme for the backdrop, giving depth and dimension to create a cozy impression for our clientele in the winter season. We placed an Inkwell decal in the bottom corner of the window, thus branding our seasonal image.

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CUSTOMER PROFILE

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Our target audience is the young professional male or female, primarily between the ages of 20-35, but open to anyone.

An ideal customer’s hobbies are art and design and going to exhibitions, as they are well educated with an on-target fashion sense. Financially, they would be someone who has money to

spend on luxurious products, with a career but not necessarily a family at this point. They are willing to spend extra on a product that is well designed, and have an appreciation of Inkwell’s high

quality and creativity. They are interested in style, quality, and would be impressed by the history of the brand. The environment

and the ethical way their items are produced are important to them. A loyal customer would also be principled in their

preference for small businesses and in brands that give back to the community. They would live locally, which is in an affluent neighborhood. Generally, our target customer’s profile is not too dissimilar similar to that of our store’s neighbours J Crew, Apple

and Wholefoods.

Someone who shops on the ground floor is a more general customer, someone not necessarily overly aware of the brand or its values and is willing to walk around and explore the store. They enjoy shopping in a relaxed environment with curated goods, and do not need to be a loyal customer - after all, Williamsburg is a place people come to find shops that aren’t necessarily on the high street. This customer would be looking to purchase a non-specific item, or even be merely

browsing with a view to purchasing something later.

A target customer for the first floor would be someone who is willing to become more invested in the brand and its image, and who is interested in art, perhaps by trade. This floor has many interactive aspects and requires considerable time to take advantage of its facilities, ideally during a weekend or after work. The customer would have a product in mind and a relatively high budget and this presents

Inkwell with the opportunity to drive up units per transaction.

On the second floor, the ideal target customer would be a professional who would be comfortable to do their work at Inkwell’s workspace rather than at home where there may be distractions. Perhaps they are a freelancer who wants to work and socialize in a relaxed environment amongst other young professionals where

they can view the gallery space and enjoy the café.

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On the ground floor we have kept the displays very minimalist. On entering, one immediately notices the predominance of the colors light blue and white. The only other color used is found on the wall to the left, which is arranged with different colored paper. As this floor has the most footfall it is designated as the ‘platinum zone’. Accordingly, this is where the most popular products are located. With a clean, simple layout and design it makes it easier for the customer to access each product and

appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it.

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White Smoke

GROUND FLOOR MOODBOARD

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The cash register is in the back of the store and next to the stairs and elevator, thereby being highly accessible. Above the till hangs a prominent piece of Inkwell branding that helps it to be easily recognizable and maintains the tone of the ground floor’s sleek and minimal feel.

TILL

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All six fixtures (see floor plan, pp.14-15) are m e rc h a n d i s e d with a different department of stationery. The d e p a r t m e n t features straight standing cabinets with simple white and blue tones. On all four sides

of the fixture there is a large shelf on the top that has a space for items to be displayed. We feel that it is necessary to keep the displays minimal with a low density of product, in order to further highlight what is on display.

Ground floor

GROUND FLOOR FIXTURE & PLANOGRAM

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Our card station is located in the back right of the ground floor. It is a popular seller for all occasions, thus it was important to us to situate it on this floor so that one does not need to be a regular customer familiar with the store layout to find it. We used the graphic on the wall to attract customers to this department.

CARD DEPARTMENT

Due to our store having three floors, the stairs are a prominent feature. With this in mind we decided to put our store signage on each step of the stairway to both entice people up and create an impression of accessibility. The color pink is used throughout the branding pack, and the arrows and department names make a visual impact. Behind our staircase we have an elevator to make sure that the stairs alone do not hinder less active or less mobile shoppers from exploring the store and continuing their experience upstairs.

Ground floor

STAIRCASE

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Our first floor is our most interactive space where we aim to ensure customers can both absorb and acquire a taste for Inkwell. It is first and foremost a commercial environment with a lot on offer. Interaction creates a dialogue with the customer, and enables the Inkwell brand to be communicated effectively. Here we can show our distinct personality by creating and developing an image that the public will believe in, relate with and respond to. The colors used on this floor are primarily bright with deep tones, as we wish to create a comfortable impression and an environment that fosters creativity and encourages self-expression. All of our fixtures are geometric and aesthetically agreeable, helping to create a space in which the customer feels at ease. We believe that this is a prerequisite to artistic expression.

FIRST FLOOR DESCRIPTION

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First floor

FIRST FLOOR MOODBOARD

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This is our display for paint. The way we merchandise this is notably more dense in its display compared to downstairs, as each product comes in an array of colors and needs to be presented. Our shop assistants are aware of what colors are in stock but may not be on display, should a customer have any enquiries.

The graphic on the back wall is of an abstract envelope with the Inkwell logo, as it is of paramount importance to us to have our logo displayed throughout the store as our brand identity is an essential part of who we are. We display books about the store to encourage customers to visit our bookstore.

FIRST FLOOR FIXTURE & PLANOGRAM

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Our crafts table is located on this floor. This is where we hold classes throughout the week to teach different skills in art, embossing and printing. We feel it is important to include a space for this as there is always more to learn and new techniques that are constantly developing in these fields. The color scheme matches with the rest of the floor: vibrant and bold.

First floor

WORKSHOPS

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These items harmonize old-fashioned machines and contemporary technology, and they are often used for social media purposes. We chose to include a photo booth as Inkwell is very active on Pinterest and Instagram which are primarily image-based, and we encourage our customers to post their pictures with our brand to make a keepsake with our logo.

The interactive printer is connected to social media, and the concept was taken from the ‘What is Luxury?’ exhibition in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Their idea is to ‘tweet’ your zip code to the printer and it will print out a history blurb about your neighborhood. Inkwell’s interactive printer will provide old photographs of your neighborhood, taken from the City Hall archives. The notion of interacting with printers is significant to Inkwell, as it fuses classic style with new technology.

First floor

PHOTO BOOTH AND INTERACTIVE PRINTER

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The café is located to the left of the staircase behind our bookstore, Creative Agency and workspace areas. It is an ideal place for shoppers who need a break or a customer who just wants a bite to eat. It has a very open plan with discrete touches of yellow to brighten the place up. Takeaway cups that carry our logo are

freely available, as are ceramic mugs for purchase.

CAFÉ

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We identified a niche in the market: there is limited gallery space in Williamsburg - and the perfect place to create one would be on second floor in our store. This floor has twice the ceiling height and number of windows than the others, allowing for a bright, open space. It is a highly flexible space that can host all sorts of occasions such as store events, art exhibitions and press launches. Inkwell displays the collections of an eclectic group of artists and showcases their work in our gallery. As it is a white space with natural light, the artwork and art installations are highly accentuated.

Second floor

GALLERY

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The bookstore has a very relaxed feel with a wall of books, ambient lighting and dark wood. Despite the advent and popularity of tablet-based literature, Inkwell believes that it is important to keep print alive. We sell books and magazines on all different aspects of design, crafts and more. We want to encourage customers to be at leisure in our store, and we have designed a large seating space in the center of the bookstore to enable this.

BOOKSTORE & WORKSPACE

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The workspace is divided into two sections: one that is for our brand’s own Creative Agency that deals with the making of advertisements, media and the printing press. The second side is the shared workspace, which is used by freelancers or anyone who wants to work in a shared office environment. Inkwell created a relaxed environment by adding plants and making use of natural

light. The colors used to this effect are green and silver.

Second floor

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We want to ensure that when you are working upstairs in our office space you don’t have to move far to purchase our products. This is why, in keeping with our ethos, we have crafted our own personal vending machine. The vending machine will hold notebooks, markers, pens, envelopes and more to provide a convenient method of shopping for customers short on time. We ensure that our logo is prominently displayed on it.

Second floor

VENDING MACHINE

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Branding

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LOGO

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The name ‘Inkwell’ derives from the quintessential craft of stationery and its modern conceptions. Although the craft’s character has

changed with the times, its nature never does.

Inkwell’s logo consists of two parts: a circle with a pen nib inside, like an old-fashioned quill and inkwell, and the name of the brand written in a modified ‘Orchid’ font. The font was modified so that the width of each character of ‘Inkwell’ correlated with the width of the pen nib, as though the pen has written it. Based on Gothic script, its soft curves make it both elegant and striking, and give it an archetypal printing look. Both parts of the logo are also used

independently throughout Inkwell’s branding.

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Each item in this series of our branded stationery has our logo and contact information on one side, and a reverse side featuring Carl Kleiner’s ‘The Baertling Wannabe’. Kleiner’s artwork of layered, textured paper creates dimensions and challenges perspectives of permanent patterns. The way the paper is layered creates geometric shapes, and could have infinite variations. One can question whether the paper is stuck or placed. Is it permanent or merely transient? Inkwell attempts to provide an answer to this by contrasting it with its consistent brand identity. By contrasting Kleiner’s work against our brand design, Inkwell emphasizes that it is a sturdy, dependable brand. The color scheme compliments and meshes well with our overall theme:

blocks of color in different shapes, minimal and understated.

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IN-STORE BRANDING

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Our in-store branding includes shopping bags, stickers, a tube for holding paper or prints, wrapping paper and gift cards. All of these represent a part of the brand’s logo, come in different sizes and are able

to be gift-wrapped with our own branded paper.

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Trendy Inkwell merchandise is available to purchase in-store or online via our website or our app. These include unisex urban clothing, tote bags and pencil cases for holding our stationery. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are available in

different colors.

MERCHANDISE

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OUTDOOR ADVERTISEMENTS

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The outdoor advertisements feature a stylized hand that is ornately covered with paint and glitter. It was picked for our campaign because the image is striking and relates to our workshops, and it leaves a lasting impression. There are two slogans on our advertisement signs: ‘Pens and things’, and ‘Stationery, Creative Agency and Workshops’. The latter advertises our location as well as our free app, whereas the former is concise and better suited to the fast-paced passerby. These particular locations were chosen to display Inkwell’s outdoor advertising because Bedford Avenue is our local stop and a major station that connects Brooklyn to Manhattan, and the MTA bus line provides public transport for millions of people throughout the city each day, and acts as a mobile advertisement for our brand by doing so.

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Although no longer the most popular news platform today, newspaper readers comprise a particular demographic of Inkwell’s target audience: namely higher educated professionals who commute to the city. As a company that provides printing services, Inkwell believes in the innate good of printed media and the power

it possesses.

PRINT ADVERTISEMENT

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581. Homepage

2. Product

WEBSITE

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Inkwell’s website is an extension of our store in its appearance and user-friendly interface. It is considerably image-based and regimented - the colours selected are similar to those in our branding pack and print advertisements. Our online presence is an essential aspect of Inkwell as we are not limited to a purely physical environment. Our website is a platform that displays and promotes all of our different services, connects to our app and social media, and enables us to conduct a substantial amount of international business. It is important for us to maintain our small business orientation and avoid giving an impersonal, industrial impression. We do this by enabling customers to personalize their online orders, and by using the web to convey our charitable message far and wide.

3. Shopping Cart 4. Order confirmation

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1. Homepage 2. Product

APP

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The app is the smartphone version of our website, and thus is an extension of our store. It has exclusive features such as barcode scanning (for Inkwell swing tickets and gift cards), and detailed information on our merchandise alongside pictures and reviews. ‘Share your purchase’ allows customers to share and rate their recent purchases online via their social media.

3. Product Information 4. Order confirmation

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Inkwell’s theme and tone are highly recognizable on social media and we have an active following on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. These are largely image-based platforms that suit our marketing technique. Social media enables the widespread transmission of our design, advertising, marketing, service proposition and corporate culture – thereby reinforcing the brand’s set of associations to a large audience. We upload images of our latest products and campaigns, subsequently allowing customers to interact with the brand and

stay informed through a dialogue.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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At Inkwell we believe that taking pleasure in work is key to making a product that transcends a mere instrument.

Stephanie KegelVisual Display and Retail Branding

Fashion Retail Academy2015