In early August of 2015, we began discussions with LA based photographer, Max Wanger on the next chapter for his growing print shop. Looking into the current online presence of Max Wanger Print Shop, our shared conclusion was that the shop could benefit from more personality in the brand.

We began by drawing inspiration from Max’s work and his neighbourhood. Coincidently, we were in LA just a few months before and drew upon those memories. From our experiences, Los Angeles has a certain calmness yet optimistic energy. Most of all, the light looked different in our photos. Max’s work embodies much of those aspects described above. The connection between his photography, his way of life, and California was apparent from the outset. The early stages of the process have always been very intriguing for us as we begin to put together all of our observations and notes with the client.

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Brand Discovery Excerpt: Mark Concept
The wordmark utilizes a monotype approach like metal type setting. This treatment can offer a sense of craftsmanship and tradition. Coherently, we wanted the identity to also reflect a Californian aspect, referencing Max’s home and the environment that influences the work.

Discovery
With our discovery process, we identified the tone of voice and visual direction that we felt could provide the missing personality aspect in the brand. Max’s work is quite minimal yet there is an undeniable optimism and a joyful, warm and carefree atmosphere instilled in the work as well. In light of those observations, we proposed a switch from the previous sans-serif to a serif as we felt it provided the “warmth” and personality that was currently missing.

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Max’s work often illustrates the vastness of this world with unending landscapes. This was an example of one aspect we wanted to convey through the use of a tall image area on the homepage.

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Below the featured image, the homepage also displays 3 of the latest prints, a latest Instagram photo, product on display photo and an announcement.

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Similar to Max’s photography, we wanted an ample amount of white space with refined typography treatment for the website design.

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With a defined set of options for each print, we wanted to create a more engaging and customized selection design layout. The display photo changes accordingly as the user selects the different product options.

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Max Wanger Print Shop Thank You Card Design

Design
The final mark displays the full name of the print shop in a slanted alignment, positioned in such a way to make reference to the geographical shape of Los Angeles. Also included in the mark are two diagonal lines that references the triangular corners that held photos in place in a photo album book. Though they are subtle elements, we felt it was important to highlight the uniqueness of Max’s shop—selling printed photos in a day and age where photography is mainly experienced and stored digitally.

Website
After confirming on the new identity, we began planning the new site for Max’s print shop. All of us wanted to introduce an online presence that was intuitive in its framework and usability while also offering a unique visual experience. We felt quite good about the final design of the site in achieving both objectives and the responsiveness of the layout really helped to rejuvenate the site as well. Upon first receiving Max’s photos, the shots that really grabbed our attention were the scenic shots of the beach from a distance.There is a simplicity to the photo at first, and then the details of the landscape are discovered as you look closer. These photos convey a vastness in scale and we wanted to convey that in the website design. We purposely looked to increase the height of the image area on the homepage to reenforce the idea.

The new Max Wanger Print Shop launched in early January of 2016 and we’re really excited to see where the print shop goes in the years ahead.

To see the website, visit:
www.maxwangerprintshop.com

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Sector
  • Identity
  • Web

    • Location
    Los Angeles, USA

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