Copley Square Farmers Market Brand Identity Concept

Summary

Project type: Branding + Identity | Course: Design Degree Project | Instructor: Sebastian Ebarb | Timeframe: Jan. – Apr. 2025

Overview

For my senior Design Degree Project, I wanted to hone my skills in brand development while also employing design as a tool to promote social good. I've learned the value of shopping small and shopping locally through my passion for environmental justice, and I was inspired by the way Boston's farmers markets connect city dwellers with New England farmers and small businesses who serve their communities with fresh, quality goods. Copley Square Farmers Market, the most popular farmers market in Boston, has a website, Instagram page, and physical market assets that lack a consistent visual identity. I sought to unify their physical and digital presence with an urban, playful, and clear brand identity to help the market stand out against competitor organic grocers in the Copley area.

All mockups and stock imagery via Adobe Stock.

Problem

Copley Square Farmers Market is the most popular farmers market in Boston, yet it does not have a consistent visual identity across its website, social media feeds, and physical market. This limits the market’s ability to connect with consumers and stand out from competitor grocers in the Back Bay area.

Project proposal

A vibrant brand identity for Copley Square Farmers Market that celebrates the market's mission of providing access to fresh, high-quality foods to Boston residents. By strategically applying branding to market boothes, merchandise, city-wide advertisements, and the market's social media pages and newsletter, Copley Square Farmers Market will establish itself as a welcoming, connected community of farmers, artisans, and neighbors working together, boosting consumer-vendor relations and allowing the market to stand apart from corporate chain grocers in Back Bay.

Competitor analysis

Comparing the application of branding of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods - two nearby competitors - across their stores and online presence, it is clear that their brand voice is established and consistent among their packaging, advertisements, and physical stores. For customers, the brand voice creates familiarity and creates an expectation for the shopping experience; they know what kinds of food they will find in stores, what kind of lifestyle their foods promote, what kind of customer service they will be treated with, and so on. Without an established brand voice, customers don't know where - or if - they belong at Copley Square Farmers Market. This creates a barrier between the vendors and the Boston community and limits the customer base to a smaller proportion of people.

Brand Elements

Mark

Drawing inspiration from the John Hancock tower in Copley Square, which abuts Copley Square Farmers Market, the mark I designed combines rolling farmland with the building's iconic silhouette, showing the connection between rural New England farms with the urban commuity they serve.

Logo

The wordmark for Copley Square Farmers Market is set in Basic Sans Bold - a sans serif typeface with organic shapes that give it an urban, playful personality. Extending from the "Y" in "Copley" is a leaf, symbolic of the fresh produce and goods sold at the market.

Color, typography, and iconography

Copley Square is a unique point of conjuction in Boston. With Newbury Street, the Prudential Center, and Back Bay station surrounding the square, it is where consumerism and corporate innovation converge. The colors, typography, and iconography of Copley's brand identity therefore need to align with the trendy, flashy, elevated culture of the surrounding environment.

Market tents

Map and wayfinding signage

Coupons

Aprons and tee-shirts

Bags

Food packaging