Makers of Melbourne
Swinburne University of Technology
Makers of Melbourne is a subscription box service selling a selection of products from small businesses around the city. The box is delivered monthly, and each month there is a new theme to support a different industry. The aim of this project is to encourage people to shop local and invest in their community, rather than spend with big corporations. The profits off the box are given to the business partners who put in products, with Makers of Melbourne only taking the revenue required to run the service. Users can subscribe to get a uniquely themed box each month or purchase the box of the month one-off.
The boxes are split to cover the western suburbs, CBD and eastern suburbs, helping people find businesses in their locality and bringing new regular customers to local institutions. The box is supported by keep cards displaying all the essential details of the shops, and digital applications to inform and sell the service.
The overall brand identity is intended to be adaptable, minimal and self-assured without taking attention away from the businesses involved.
I designed the logo to be adaptable, swapping out the tools each month to match the theme and stay fresh. It also plays up the surprise factor of delivery boxes - an ideal scenario would be a loyal following of subscribers, excitedly waiting for the announcement of each theme and taking note of all the new businesses to try. This adaptability also gives the potential for animation, which can be seen further below.
Theme: Artists
Theme: Bakers
Theme: Crafters
Theme: Gardeners
I set up a guiding system to ensure a level of consistency in the branding. Making sure all the elements adhere to this matrix helps prevent the themed logos from going too ‘off-script’ and becoming unrecognisable as Makers of Melbourne logos. These themed logos are used as secondary to the main brand, appearing in places on the website and social media.