Case study: Brand identity, print and website design for florist, Chamre

I thought I’d give a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at the design process and development that went into some of the projects I’ve worked on. So for this first post, I’m turning the spotlight on Chamre — a florist located in Japan.

As well as creating wedding bouquets, Chamre’s creator and owner, Yoko, frequently hosts workshops and events where she shares her love and knowledge of floristry. Yoko approached me looking to tie her business together with a fresh brand identity and website that would help her establish her credibility and increase exposure and recognisability of her brand.

See the full project and other examples of my work here!

Starting fresh

For Chamre’s new identity, Yoko wanted something very clean and minimal. She also wanted an icon that she could potentially use on stickers in her packaging.

Here are some of the options we explored.

I was initially drawn to the idea of utilised the “C” from the typography in the logo and rotating it around a centre axis to form a flower shape (third and fourth concepts above). In the end however, we settled upon a more abstract shape, which more subtly alluded to the concept of a leaf, and a “C” shape.

The meaning behind the name

This direction fit far better with the concept behind Chamre which can be seen in its naming. “Chamre” comes from the merging of two words — “charm” and the prefix “re-” (which here is actually used at the end of the word). The name lends itself to the idea of Yoko’s bouquets being more than just flowers. They’re vessels of good fortune and good luck. They’re about giving back, of returning and revisiting happy memories, and make Yoko’s service about more than simply delivering bouquets.

The below graphic explains this concept in Japanese for Yoko’s clients and is used on the Chamre website.

The earthy colour use in Chamre’s branding was chosen to pair well with the gorgeous photography showcasing Yoko’s bouquets. It also needed to be easily legible when used for the typography on the Chamre website. Not being fluent in Japanese myself, the intricacies of designing with the dense Japanese characters was a challenge in itself! There were definitely different typographic rules to watch out for.

Designing the experience

Finally, the website was carefully designed to lead the viewer through the order process smoothly and provide the appropriate information as they needed it. Minimising any potential confusion was integral to the design strategy. Yoko also wanted to make sure she could educate buyers about the varieties of products she offered (such as the difference between preserved flowers and fresh flowers) before they made a purchase.

When the project wrapped up, Chamre had a gorgeous new brand identity that lent itself beautifully to marketing collateral and the new Chamre website, which is now a pivotal component of Yoko’s business.