Client:
Village Hoboken (Viola)
Industry:
Cannabis
To create employee apparel that reflects a consistent brand identity while being engaging, practical, and community-focused. Through thoughtful design, we aimed to maintain a local, natural aesthetic that ties into our branding and resonates with the Hoboken community.
Objective:
Village Hoboken
Village Hoboken is more than a dispensary—it is a community space inspired by the essence of a flower shop. To reflect this, the tagline “Not Your Ordinary Flower Shop” became a central design element, hinting at the dispensary’s playful yet professional nature. The slogan speaks both to the floral roots of the concept and the contemporary twist Village offers.
Visual Elements:
Brand Colors: Purple, Green, and off-white accents were chosen to evoke warmth and energy while maintaining consistency with Village’s core palette.
Typography: A combination of clean serif fonts and organic, hand-drawn text created a blend of professionalism and playfulness.
Logo: Village’s branding and logo were prominently placed on the shirts for easy brand recognition.
Tone of Communication: The shirts needed to foster a sense of community, engaging both employees and customers. The playful tone was carefully curated to reflect an approachable, local vibe.
Design Process: Exploring Concepts
Inspiration from Flower Shops:
We brainstormed how the phrase “Not Your Ordinary Flower Shop” could represent Village as a modern, community-focused dispensary. The tagline was intended to provoke curiosity and humor, offering a clever nod to Village’s nature-inspired branding while subtly referencing the dispensary's offerings.
Typography Iterations:
Several typography styles were explored to balance playfulness and elegance. As shown in the visual sketches, early attempts ranged from serif and san serif fonts with traditional florist vibes to more expressive, sketched text.
Mockups and Feedback:
Initial mockups of the phrase were printed on different color shirts and different styles to evaluate readability and design balance. Feedback emphasized the importance of simple, clear text on the back to maximize impact.
Finalized Designs and Apparel Overview:
Design 1: “A New Meaning to the Garden State”
Front: The Village Staff logo placed on the left chest.
Back: A map of New Jersey, with the slogan “A New Meaning to the Garden State” in playful hand-drawn text.
Color: Black for practicality, accented by green and purple graphics to maintain visual interest and connect to the brand palette.
Design 2: “Not Your Ordinary Flower Shop”
Front: Village Staff logo placed on the left chest.
Back: The tagline “Not Your Ordinary Flower Shop” in a clean serif font, paired with a subtle flower motif below.
Color: Black with off-white text for easy readability, punctuated with a green floral graphic that matches the dispensary’s core aesthetic.
Challenges and Solutions:
Balancing Playfulness with Professionalism: The mix of hand-drawn and serif fonts allowed the designs to feel light-hearted without compromising professionalism.
Brand Consistency: By using the same colors and logo placement across all shirts, we ensured a cohesive visual identity that employees and customers would recognize.
Usability: The designs were printed on high-quality, comfortable material, ensuring practicality for everyday wear by employees.
The Village Hoboken staff t-shirts successfully embody the spirit of the dispensary through thoughtful design choices. These shirts communicate the dispensary’s playful yet professional nature while fostering a connection to the local community. By balancing aesthetics with practicality, we delivered apparel that employees are proud to wear and customers find engaging. This design project exemplifies how strategic visual identity, combined with a clever messaging strategy, can reinforce a brand’s core values while engaging both employees and the community.