de Boekhalte: Local bookstore and barista bar.
Maassluis now owns a new place where people can get a new book or just grab a quick coffee to go. This new store is a place that speaks rest and gives people a new chance to meet culture through connection.
The Challenge
As shopping streets become emptier due to the rise of online stores, more and more bookstores disappear each year. Without these shops, people will find it harder to gain inspiration, meet each other and their bonds with the community will become weaker.
The founders of de Boekhalte saw this challenge as an opportunity. They had been dreaming for years about a store like this. A bookstore where visitors could not only find a new book but also get a cup of coffee or tea at the barista bar. In the spring of 2024, this dream started to become reality. I was contacted to develop a branding that would visualize their vision.
Design process
My first question to the clients was “What do you want people to experience when they walk in the store?”. The owners made a list with words that represent their future store, and I formed a color palette that represents these values, but I also wanted that the owners felt good about the colors they would represent.
Bordeaux – draws attention and stands for warmth
Beige – Represents the calmness found in the store
Sky blue – Symbolizes expectation and development
After creating a mood board and a mind map, I began sketching ideas for a logo.
Result
What makes de Boekhalte so special is that it’s a place to find peace in our current busy world. The logo, with its calm appearance and multiple meaning, invites people to pause, relax and live in the present. Exactly what’s expected from a good bookstore. The brand appears at all customer touchpoints. From the logo on the outside to the bookmarks that are given with every purchase. Just like a story that slowly emerges the design reveals more the more you engage with it. Currently, the digital world is replacing the psychical world. De Boekhalte stands as a reminder of the value we attach to feeling a new book, the smell of a fresh cup of coffee and new connections we make with people to tell stories and share ideas.
"The logo reveals a new meaning each time you take a moment to look at it."
