You might remember us giving you a sneak peek of the Skyler London visual identity last year, which has now been expanded to reflect the colourful and playful lines of the logo into the interior graphics.
About Skyler London
Skyler London was created by Skyler McDonald, previously awarded London Hairdresser of the Year and voted The UK’s Top Colour Expert by HAIR magazine. She has spent the last two years completely re-engineering everything connected to the professional hair colouring process and putting together the very best systems possible while developing a bespoke training program ensuring the highest level of expertise.
Inspiration: logo and visual language
Most of our inspiration came from the intricate process of hair colouring and we reflected this by creating a linear logo concept, an interpretation of the colour application. We carried that throughout all the interior graphics, with the aim of creating interesting visual focus points for each area of activity.
The space
Our first creative challenge was to ensure everyone could see the newly opened salon, and with its prime location on the main road it needed to have impact. The exterior large neon style LED signs, vinyls and hair model imagery all helped to maximise the visibility and make the space stand out on the street and against the other retailers in the area.
Inside, the colour menu and striking reception desk really set the “scene” for the theme of the salon.
But the most surprising element of the salon is of course…the slide! Tried and tested by our MD Simon, it’s safe and fun!
We helped the team develop their mission statement which encapsulates the essence of the salon.
We also designed bespoke iconography for the wayfinding signage, in line with the concept and using the brand’s colour palette. These icons can be evolved and added to for use across social media.
Below, eyecatching graphics on the colour hatch – where all the bespoke and standard colours are mixed and prepared! This was definitely one of the more challenging graphics, as we were told the colour mixes could easily stain white walls or subtle imagery. Our designer Joe put his photoshop skills to the test to create this montaged image from one of the models, adding a spatter effect to represent the mixes and act as a mask for any spillages.
The industrial style floor numbers were designed to reflect the same linear concept as the logo and are used to guide guests to their seat. We used vinyl stencils and tested different paints to get the desired distressed typographic effect.
Skyler London’s social media following will be crucial for this type of salon, so the line graphics were also applied on the photo wall, where guests can have their picture taken and uploaded on Skyler London’s Instagram account.
Apart from the linear visual language for Skyler London, we were also asked to design the identity and materials for their membership scheme -The Kaleidoscope Club. Initially, we just designed the logo for Kaleidoscope and the membership cards, but as the designs evolved we realised the graphic potential of the name and how this could be brought to life in the interiors.
Seen below, a Kaleidoscopes effect is used as bursts of colour in the washing room area, where the amazing #silkbath techniques happen! Because the washing room has a high-end feel, we wanted to make sure the graphics elevate the room and are not overpowering, so there is still plenty of white space as you relax with a soothing head massage.
We also applied the Kaleidoscope graphics upstairs, in the blast zone area, where self dryers will be installed in the middle of the graphics. And below is the wayfinding on an upstairs wall, highlighting the location of the slide for the more adventurous customer, and of course the staff.
Working with Simon and the team was great – they really put effort into understanding our brand and how we could communicate our values in both our physical space and our website. They pushed us and challenged us when they felt it was appropriate and they genuinely brought a lot to the table. Looking forward to working with them on our product range!!! SKYLER
We are also working on some bespoke packaging for a new Skyler London hair colour care product and have just launched the Skyler London website. We wish them luck with this exciting venture which will be open to the public on Saturday, 2nd September 2017.