Argus Farmstop
Argus Farmstop is a recognizable presence in the Ann Arbor area, providing both local food and community. Aesthetically, Argus is vibrant, lively, and warm. The cafe spaces are cozy, the shelves and produce decks are packed with local offerings, and the social atmosphere is friendly.
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As part of a class on branding and visual identity, I had the opportunity to create a branding guide for Argus. One area of focus was defining the visual identities for each location, both in their separate contexts and together. This branding project seeks to create harmony between all aspects of Argus which translates across locations, highlighting the business's existing charm.
Pre-Existing Elements
Argus Logo Variations
Font: Bellerose
Core Visual Identity
Colors
I drew inspiration from the colors of produce often seen in Argus. From left to right, these colors were loosely based off of: eggplant, apples, squash, kohlrabi, and kale. These colors may be used in 100%, 75%, 50%, or 25% opacity and/or intensity.
The purple, red-orange and yellow-orange are assocciated with the Packard Cafe, Liberty Market/Cafe, and Packard Market, respectively. The red-orange for the Liberty location is meant to evoke a mix of the other 2 locations’ colors, since that location contains both market and cafe which are separate on Packard. In the context of way-finding in the markets, each color represents a category of food/beverage (from left to right: dairy, meat, beverages, prepared foods, and produce. All colors may be used for illustrations.
Typography
I chose Crassula as the primary font for Argus because of its handmade aesthetic. The stroke weight variation makes it feel somewhat dynamic, and it's readable enough to be functional.
I chose URW DIN as the secondary font because it embodied some of the rounded feel and elegance of Argus's previous font, Bellerose, but with slightly more precision and definition. It's clean and shares a similar x-height with Crassula.
Crassula should be used in headings and titles in both regular and bold weights. URW DIN should be used for body text. Again, both the bold and regular weights can be used.
Primary (Crassula)
Secondary (URW DIN)
Food Illustrations
I created this design for our spring merch (black hoodies). Visual exploration led me to this graphic around the WORTH logo.
Some of these illustrations, like this lettuce, I created using stock images for tracing or inspiration.
Lettuce
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Carrot
Cucumber
Latte
Meat
Miscellaneous (Canned Beverage, Milk Bottle, Cutlery)
Argus Locations Icons
Starting Image
Argus provided this illustrated version of the Liberty location as a mockup for logo applications, and I decided to create illustrations of all 3 locations, which I further developed into a set of icons to use on various merchandise, signage.
Packard Cafe
Liberty Market & Cafe
Packard Market
Map Illustration (created based off of Google Maps imagery)
I traced and simplified a Google Maps image of the area that contains the 3 locations, adding in the drop pin illustrations to show where each is. I then used this map as a graphic element.
Stationery
Letterhead & Second Sheet, Envelopes, Business Cards
For the stationery system I used the map and location icons as patterns and graphic elements. I wanted the these materials to be versatile and translate across locations.
Option 1
Option 2
Website & Social Media
Website
I designed home page variations for desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone. I wanted a clean, refreshing aesthetic so I used this lettuce image as the hero, highlighting Argus's offerings.
I wanted to draw viewers' eyes across the page so I placed the logo in the top right and the tagline in the bottom left. I kept the menu simple, using the icons to indicate the 3 locations.
Social Media Icon Options
I developed 4 possible social media icons, combining logos and location illustrations to succinctly community brand identity.
Interior Architecture
Wayfinding Signs
A recurring issue for Argus was customers' confusion trying when navigating between the Packard Market and Cafe.
I made this simple signs to help direct people to the right place if they accidentally entered the wrong building.
Grocery Section Signs
I assigned each grocery category one of the brand colors and an illustration to visually differentiate the areas of the store and assist with interior wayfinding.​
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Red-orange for meat
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Yellow-orange for beverages
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Lime green for prepared food
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Dark green for produce
Shelf Talkers
These follow the color scheme of the section signs, using lower intensities of the colors and more white space so that
employees could write on them with dry-erase markers (all of Argus's shelf talkers are hand-written).
Exterior Architecture
Woodlawn Side Mural (Packard Market)
I designed a mural using the map illustration and used pins to indicate the 3 locations. This was partly to represent the whole of Argus and alert Packard customers of the Liberty location.
It was also to comply with city regulations prohibiting the depiction of produce in murals on buildings. The map image provides a way to reference Argus without violating guidelines.
Delivery Van Design
Argus's delivery van needed a design to communicate their brand identity quickly and smoothly in the limited timeframe other motorists or passersby would have to view it. I placed the location icons with their names below them, and added the white logo to the back windshield for a simple, clean design.
Apparel & Merchandise, Miscellaneous
Beanies
For these beanie designs, I used the lettuce illustrations in a pattern to create an abstract, organic feel.
Coffee Cup Sleeves & Water Bottles
Paper Bags & Reusable Totes
Stickers
