You may remember our blog post back in December about our work with Travelex, the currency exchange company, where we were helping them to develop their global branding strategy. Here are some pics of some of our finished work for Travelex, including Currency exchange counters and ATMS which were recently installed at Manchester Airport.

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Travelex, the popular currency exchange company with stores at over a thousand locations worldwide – including every major airport – have been working closely with Barber to develop their global branding strategy.

Initially, Travelex approached Barber to develop designs for some of their customer service counters within airports and shopping malls. During this preliminary role, it became apparent to the team at Barber that the Travelex brand had been diluted and had lost direction. This was due to the fact that the company was spread across so many locations with no one employee overseeing or taking responsibility for universal branding. We suggested that they would benefit enormously from a set of detailed brand guidelines, to make their brand consistent across the globe and also help them to increase their presence and profitability, whilst also pushing the boundaries of what they had already achieved to ensure that the brand doesn’t become stale or predictable.

Iain Horne from Barber describes this process:

“Travelex were very interested in this idea so we created an initial brand rough draft, which they read through and then we discussed what they did or didn’t want to do and how to take it forward. We looked through everything that Travelex had done in the past, collating it and making sense of it which was a job in itself because there were so many different aspects that had been done over probably seven odd years, at different times throughout that period – which had never been maintained or looked at as a whole.

“So we took on board the work that Travelex had done in-house plus anything that had recently been completed for them by other design companies and distilled it into a comprehensive set of guidelines to be used primarily in Britain and Europe but also further afield. Following that, we were asked to assist in other tasks, including pitches for high profile locations such as large international airports. Our role developed towards looking at ways to actually push the brand, rather than keeping it at a certain level…progressing and developing it – looking to the future and what Travelex could do to increase their presence in the marketplace.

“During this time we developed a great working relationship with Travelex . We have become very conscious about what their brand is and how it should be maintained and are not afraid to step in and tell them if we think they should do something a different way, to maintain consistency and promote their brand effectively. Working with them over a period of time has meant we have developed a good understanding of their position in the global marketplace and what they need to do to progress – unofficially I would say we have become their brand guardians and I think Travelex would agree with that statement. We certainly try to maintain the brand and the guidelines cover every aspect of this – from the visual retail design and display branding to the customer experience itself. Whether that be at their Currency Express ATM booths or Currency Exchange counters within airports and retail centres.

Following on from the brand development work Barber are now offering their expertise in utilising new technologies to enhance the Travelex customer experience – this includes designing counters where iPads can be recessed into the desks and the use of screens or video walls to display information rather than traditional printed media. Barber are also working on streamlining the customer experience – developing branding for existing technologies such as Travelex’s cash to cash machines which can automatically accept and convert different currencies and also a new venture called ‘Currency Pick Up Point’ where customers can order their currency in advance online. When they arrive at the Travelex counter they can just walk straight up and collect their currency – saving time and effort for both Travelex and their customers.

The Travelex counters also meet requirements for people with special needs and disabilities in accordance with government guidelines – with features such as appropriate counter heights for wheelchair users and accessible ATMs.

Barber look forward to pushing the brand further in the coming year with another as-yet-undisclosed project underway as Travelex seek to develop sub-brands and new ventures to increase their global presence, portfolio and ultimately their profitability.

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Barber Design are excited to be working once again with the highly innovate Brazilian shoe brand Melissa!

Created in 1979 they have never stopped recreating themselves. Melissa’s releases enchant Brazilian fashionite, American teenagers and consumers across five continents. Using full plastic, fashion icons and behavioural references, Melissa has created a vanguard concept in the footwear market. Amusing, fashionable and original, Melissa brand themselves as always the same, yet always different.

Barber are on board this time to develop a bold new international store roll-out concept for their new Clube Melissa brand planned to be implemented across Europe and beyond in 2013…so watch this space! For more information on this fantastic brand click here.

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We are delighted to announce that we have recently been appointed by one of the UK’s favourite high street brands; Phase Eight, to work on their new sub brand, Collection 8. Our first projects will be completed within the next couple of weeks so we’ll soon be telling you more.

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Children’s Charity Barnardo’s recently challenged Barber to develop a new concept in charity retail store design. They wanted to get away from the traditional image of drab charity shop interiors. As experienced and respected retail interior and branding designers with a track record of creating original and stylish retail spaces, Barnardo’s knew that Barber were the best choice to help reboot their image, helping them to develop a new flagship fashion superstore in Manchester, elevating their position in the marketplace as a high-fashion retail brand that will compete comfortably with surrounding high street fashion retailers.

The initial ‘Discovered by Barnardo’s concept was developed by Fitch branding agency who designed a visual language for the store incorporating a set of playful photographs depicting a fashion shoot which has been commandeered by children, coupled with a hand-drawn typographic style – infusing the new store design with Barnardo’s child-centred philosophy. The message behind the new retail design is that Barnardo’s can compete credibly with other fashion retailers. They now sell desirable, fashionable, hand-picked items – a concept reinforced by the friendly images and affable typography. Not only do shoppers feel that they can trust Barnardo’s, but that it is offering the same quality shopping experience as any of the other stores in Denton Crown North Retail Park as a high fashion charity store.

Barber’s role was to take this concept and develop it further, to work in store. We produced a set of retail graphics based on Barnardo’s own branding colours of black and green, combining the new typeface with their existing trademark font as an extension of their retail brand identity.

In the space of a few weeks, Barber helped turn the 6,000 square foot store – which opened on the 9th August – into a high fashion retail unit where both bargain hunters and fashionistas can discover fashion one-offs and quality homeware.

The high-fashion tone is set inside the store with Barber-Designed patterns and wallpapers, using the Barnardo’s colours alongside a series of distinct tones for different retail areas such as homeware or ladies fashion. Each department has it’s own distinguishing signage with brand walls and a secondary colour palette to help customers subconsciously determine which part of the store they are in. In addition to this Barber also designed co-ordinating price tags and labels, carrier bags and advertising flyers announcing the imminent arrival of the store.

During the weeks leading up to the store opening, visitors to Denton Retail Park were greeted with Barber-Designed large format window graphics, counting down to the grand opening. The store was opened on 9th August by Girls Aloud singer and fashionista, Nicola Roberts who tweeted ” Lovely to see the guys from Barnardos this morning. They now have their own fashion superstore for the charity in Denton Manchester. Go see!”

Laura Grant, Retail and Trading Marketing and Media Manager at Barnardo’s, commented:

“What Barber have created for us has surpassed our expectations. They have been a joy to work with and were always on hand to support us throughout each stage of the project; from the environmental and graphic design through to advertising and packaging. This store format is the first of its kind for Barnardo’s so Barber’s expertise and vision were imperative in bringing our ideas and aspirations to reality whilst still retaining the ethos and essence of the charity. The store now rivals other neighbouring mainstream retailers and the feedback from the public has been fantastic.”

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Meet Kasha, one of Barber Design’s newest recruits. The Senior Retail Designer graduated from London Metropolitan University in 2007 with a degree in Interior Design and Technology. Since graduating, Kasha has been very much in demand, working with two big name retail interior design agencies in London before coming to work for Barber where she is enjoying the responsibility of leading her own design team on some exciting new projects.

Kasha’s role includes meeting with clients and producing architectural plans, technical drawings, layouts and 3D rendering visualisations for new store designs and retail display concepts. She enjoys every aspect of her role, especially the variety of the work and seeing the projects through from design to realisation. She takes pleasure in the creative process and finding new ways to develop and design retail spaces. The big smiles on the faces of the clients and the reactions from their customers are the icing on the cake as each new assignment is completed.

“Since a young age, I always dreamed about being an interior designer because it gives me the opportunity to see spaces transform into a visually creative design based on my vision. Every day I am looking for inspiration and improving my communication skills and the creative thinking needed in the industry. It is crucial to develop your creativity and passion for interior design because the industry moves so rapidly. Working at Barber is great because I am able to work independently and put my own individual stamp on things”

At present Kasha is working on several new retail design projects. We like to keep our projects confidential until completion so all she could say is that one is following on from a recent successful commission for a high street brand, one is for a brand new cosmetics company which will be launching soon in London and one is for a shoe company which has a flagship store in London and is working with Barber to develop a series of similarly designed retail outlets at an international level.

When asked about influences, Kasha cites Tadao Ando and John Pawson as having the most impact on her work. Both are minimalist in their approach. Japanese architect Ando’s work is characterised by large expanses of unadorned concrete combined with natural elements such as stone or wooden floors and large windows. A theme which translates well to retail where spaces should be large, clean and unfussy, inviting shoppers to focus on the products in an inviting yet unfussy environment. Pawson is an innovative British designer, whose work is also typified by a minimalist aesthetic which translates beautifully to retail interior design.

For inspiration, Kasha likes to visit the South Bank and take in new exhibitions. She relishes the challenge of keeping her designs fresh in a very competitive environment and enjoys exploring new ways to transform retail spaces whilst acknowledging her minimalist roots.

When not at work or roaming around London seeking inspiration, Kasha likes to get creative in the kitchen and enjoys home baking. Her favourite culinary delight at the moment is home-baked apple pie.

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Simmons Bakery needed a new concept for their Hatfield Branch. It was a complex proposal which included store design and visualisation, design intent drawings, suggested materials, finishes and proposed furniture and fittings.

The company felt that this project required a fresh approach, so they came to Barber – with our specialist knowledge of both branding and interior retail design – knowing that we would be able to deliver. Working closely with Simmons, Barber fulfilled the brief with a series of exclusive designs to complement their current branding strategy and unique selling point. The fresh visualisations and suggested materials in the designs establish Simmon’s position in the marketplace: increasing the distinctive strength of the brand and setting them apart from their competitors.

The designs are now being implemented and the store is currently being refitted by Simmons’ shopfitting team. These concept drawings show how the finished bakery will look. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on progress on the blog with some photos of the finished article and if you’re passing through Hatfield, why not to drop in for lunch and take a look once it is finished? We’d be interested to know what you think.

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Our ongoing professional relationship with Nike – the most talked-about brand of the London 2012 Olympics – is stronger than ever this week as Barber Design have just signed on for more very exciting new projects. Nike have returned to Barber again and again, championing our breadth of knowledge and expertise when it comes to retail interior design for both storefronts and concessions.

Our previous work with Nike has included concession stands for House of Fraser Stores throughout the UK, exhibition stands at the London Marathon and in-store environments for their store in Carnaby Street, London. We have also produced complete interior designs for two of Nike’s flagship individual stores in Brixton and Glasgow along with various display units for Nike Stores and concessions throughout the UK.

Our design for the House of Fraser concessions was inspired by vintage Americana. The use of wooden racks and display units evoked the feel of a school gym locker room and sports podium, infused with a modern twist of clean lines and polished surfaces. The displays are draped with international flags, medals and memorabilia and topped with retro Neon logo-signage.

Again we are unable to release further details of these new projects at present but our design team is very enthusiastic to be working in partnership with Nike again and we will be very pleased to present the results of this innovative retail deign partnership on our blog once the projects are complete.

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Barber Design are very pleased to announce that we have just been commissioned to work on a project with the famous UK-based children’s charity, Barnardo’s.

Founded in 1866 by Thomas Barnardo, the charity is currently involved with more than 800 projects, helping to positively impact the lives or more than 190,000 children and young people in the UK every year. Barnardo’s aim is to bring out the best in every child that they work with – whether that be addressing child poverty, offering support for young carers or providing and administrating fostering and adoption services.

We are very excited to be working with such an important and inspiring cause but aren’t able to release specific details about this new partnership at present – other than it is to be based in Denton, near Manchester. Please watch this space for more information as the project unfolds.

For more information check out Barnardo’s site here.

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Hot off the press this month – a new set of retail design standards developed specifically for Balmain – a specialist shopping centre and retail property investment and asset management company. Our brief for this project was to produce a comprehensive set of retail design guidelines for one of their shopping centres – ‘Galeria Pomorska’ located in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Balmain acquired the Galeria Pomorska complex in 2004 and since then have made significant developments – attracting previously unrepresented international brands such as H&M, Nike and Adidas. A continuous program of improvement has seen the development of a new food hall and the recent implementation of a wayfinding system within the complex. In line with this program of improvement – and with more than 90 retail units within the shopping centre – Balmain recognised the importance of setting a consistent standard for their retail interiors for both new and existing retail tenants. That’s when they contacted Barber Design – with our proven track record in retail design – for assistance in developing a comprehensive set of guidelines for each store.

Using our specialist knowledge of high quality retail design we worked with Balmain to devise a thorough set of guidelines to satisfy their requirements. The resulting document covers all of the key elements of a modern retail store – including specifications for the shop front design, signage, appropriate lighting and ceiling fittings as well as directives for the shop’s fixtures and wall fittings. They also provide inspiration for interior designs and suggest that all of the retail outlets pay attention to detail.

Following completion, the guidelines were translated into Polish and distributed throughout Galeria Pomorska where they are now being successfully implemented to ensure that the level of presentation amongst all of the stores is consistent and completed to the same high standard.

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