Heritera is a brand that features contemporary ceramics and housewares made in the USA in small batches.
Heritera was created out of a desire to reconnect with my heritage, artful roots and love of nature in 2017. It was named by combining two words, heritage and era, which serves to both honor the past but also represent the future.
Role
Creative Direction, Branding, and Illustration
Overview
In developing this brand, I was able to leverage my love of typography to create a visual language that represents a line of vintage-inspired, handmade products. The use of a mid-century, hand-lettered script helped draw a connection between the undeniably handmade quality of each item and their mid-century modern – and sometimes quirky – aesthetic.
Research
At present, there are (and has been for quite some time now) a huge resurgence in the landscape of ceramic makers. Since I was my own client for this work, the process for creating this brand from scratch was very direct. For the foundation of this brand, my first step was to research a variety of typefaces that most clearly represented the vintage – but also handmade – visual style and tone. I searched far and wide to determine what was both most appropriate and highest quality.
Identity
The next step in the process was to select colors for the brand. I selected classic scheme that could easily be printed and reproduced at a minimal cost. I also decided to rely on halftones to help create a timeless, yet vintage aesthetic. To further propel the Heritera brand, I created illustrations for several of the core products to use online and in print.
Deliverables
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Brand
Logo Development & Identity
Colors and Treatment
Product Illustrations / Photography
Business Cards
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Marketing
Marketing Postcards
Email Campaigns
Facebook / Instagram Ads
Customer Segmentation
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Web/UX
Online Shop Creation
Item Categorization
Content Management
Landing Page Designs
Architectural Digest Design Show 2019
Visibility in the marketplace is paramount to growing a small business. Early participation in several in-person markets yielded positive, yet mixed results. It provided lots of opportunity to sell product, develop a following and keep in touch with converting customers as well as potential ones. In an effort to obtain a larger platform to reach a greater audience, I was selected to participate in the 2019 Architectural Digest Design Show in New York City. Being seasoned in leading the design teams which were responsible for not only UX and digital work, but also branding and marketing, this exciting challenge was an excellent opportunity to be seen by thousands of visitors. I was able to reach a wide range of customers, which included interior design professionals as well as the general public.
Planning and Booth Design
Due to the nature of this event, every aspect of the design was meticulously planned and executed. The design of the 15 x 5 foot booth had underwent several iterations as shown below. I made scale vector representations for each booth design option. These steps were incredibly important to ensuring the end-result was kept to the highest standard.
Preliminary booth options drawn to scale
The wholesale line sheet
The line sheet is a critical part of any wholesale business. For Heritera, I needed it to be simple to print, economical to produce and easy to distribute. I chose to use US letter size paper for this project which was folded in half. When folded, its dimensions are 5.5” x 8.5” – easy to handle and distribute without sacrificing legibility or content.
All wholesale items were vector illustrated, easy to scale, edit and use online and in print. Halftone elements were used in each illustration, which gave the illustrations a vintage feel while also keeping costs low without sacrificing quality. A heavier cardstock was used for added durability.
Spring / Summer
2020 Catalog
