Long Barn Lavender Collection

Environment, identity refresh, print, copy, signage and packaging design for
English lavender - grown in hampshire, made in england.

The Studio designed a visual identity and program of signage for Long Barn's Lavender Collection - that gives it a distinctive presence within the store and connects it to the history of lavender growing in England that dates back centuries. We set about creating a calming space within Long Barn to showcase their clean, holistic, results-driven range of products made with essential oils of English lavender grown in Hampshire. Lavender is one of the most versatile essential oils. Its relaxing scent and healing properties make it ideal for many uses on ourselves and in the home. The signage was designed to highlight the therapeutic qualities of lavender with notes on how to easily incorporate this ancient plant's many benefits into your routines. The display serves as a visual reminder and celebration of the brand's heritage as lavender growers. It also creates a gentle pause within the bustling retail environment of the beautiful oak-framed Barn.

We looked at bringing the range forward regarding sustainability and design through packaging. We settled on a new packaging design incorporating recyclable glass bottles and aluminium cases, screen printed with sprigs of lavender. The bottles are now attractive enough to keep - the message being 'just keep refilling them.' Working with the founder, we developed new products to extend the range and invigorate interest in the existing loyal customer base.

In addition, we updated the branding, including the logo, to confidently take Long Barn into its next chapter and embody the brand's down-to-earth ethos. Carefully redrawn and refined from the original signage, the new logotype removed some of the historical flourishes, anchoring underlines and place signifiers, which had become confusing. Now, it's cleaner, more modern, designed to be flexible, and can be layered and bent over packaging and campaigns. We used letterforms, led by the founder's love of 1930s signage. The typeface suite includes Underground, Gill Sans, and Mrs. Eaves - idiosyncratic and crafted, in combination, they feel effortlessly modern with a wee nod to the past. They can be used in many different contexts, allowing for many expressive forms and unexpected typographic executions that perfectly capture the brand's character and spirit.

A vital element in the brand identity is the Long Barn roundel which we have redrawn to give a subtler, more modern feel. The roundel is an essential brand asset but is treated as an embellishment rather than the brand itself. Working alongside the retail brand without dominating it, it can be used sensitively to add a sense of heritage, place, or added value, especially for the out-of-area market. A new element added to the brand language is a cyanotype of lined-up sprigs of lavender that is used across packaging, as well as spaces within the Barn, including the bi-fold doors in the Cafe that overlooks the lavender growing in the fields that isolates and communicates the unique form of the plant that is instantly recognisable and evocative. The new branding is designed to work seamlessly across Long Barn's many in-store and online applications, from its swing tags to paper wrap, site signage, and new website. To ensure the brand refresh is cost-effective, the new roundel will be introduced to customers over time.

In addition, we worked on creating more lavender-inspired 'pauses' across the entire site and set within the landscaping for visitors to learn more about the plants on display. The signs were designed to not obscure the view and blend into the scene subtly, as well as serve as prompts with a call to action closing paragraph for visitors to remember to take a picture and tag Long Barn on social. In total, we created over 100 different signs for each named variety of lavender, signifying the rare varieties with a Plant Heritage stamp.

" We believe good wayfinding adds meaning and value to the lavender gardens; the system we developed has helped to create a sense of place and provides a refined, memorable and comfortable experience that connects visitors to retail, public spaces, and amenities in an intuitive manner. "

Discover more about Long Barn's Lavender Collection and their rare collection of heritage lavenders here