Racer Worldwide Cross
An Expressive Storefront Sign
SUMMARY
I was approached by Racer Worldwide to make a dynamic storefront sign for their first popup
TIMEFRAME
spring 2022
TYPE
student project
CLIENT
Racer Worldwide, a clothing and footwear brand
SKILLS LEARNED
water jet, sketching, welding, laser cutting, brand research, branding, customer research
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THE BRAND
An entirely online clothing, accessories, and footwear brand founded in 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia, by a group of 16-year-olds
The brand is inspired by current youth culture & speaks directly to Gen Z
The brand isn’t tied to any specific style or subculture; its pieces are a dynamic reflection of ideas and moods
They strive for progress, innovation, and originality
PROCESS
CONTEXT
Racer Worldwide
is opening their
first in-person location
The flagship store needs signage that will boost awareness to target consumers
Racer Worldwide doesn’t want typical elementary signage frequently adorning storefronts-- it wants a dynamic piece conveying their persona
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To discover a good solution, I employed the tools of...
White Boarding
Mood Boarding
Framing Questions
Competitor Analysis
Customer Personas
CUSTOMER PROFILE
NAME
Josh
AGE & OCCUPATION
22, Student
LOCATION
Los Angeles
HOBBIES
Skating, Photography, Film, Thrifting, Guitar
FAVORITE CLOTHING BRANDS
Asos, Diesel, Blind No Plan, Jaded London, Racer Worldwide
WHY THEY SHOP AT RACER
Unique pieces that are good quality, authentic to himself
HOW THEY HEARD ABOUT BRAND
WHAT IMAGERY DOES BRAND CONVEY
Ritualistic, Streetwear, Moody, Urban Futurism, Darkness, Anonymous
NAME
Zaza
AGE & OCCUPATION
25, Production Designer
LOCATION
Los Angeles
HOBBIES
Pinterest, Pottery, Sewing, Jewlery Making, Reading
FAVORITE CLOTHING BRANDS
Racer Worldwide, Marc Jacobs Heaven, Dolls Kill, Ragged Priest
WHY THEY SHOP AT RACER
High fashion statement pieces, pushes limits, good quality, can layer pieces
HOW THEY HEARD ABOUT BRAND
Tiktok
WHAT IMAGERY DOES BRAND CONVEY
Grunge, Gauntly, Underground, Loner, Rebellous
MOODBOARD
Signage Carries Assumptions
RESEARCH
The Neuroscience
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Emotional responses increase attention and memory
Achieved through color psychology, imagery, or messaging resonating with the target audience's values/ desires​
Exogenous cues = fast and fleeting Endogenous attention = builds slowly, lasts longer
Make initial grab with exogenous cues, ensure sustained engagement with meaningful, readable, and well-placed text to hold attention​
Perception is influenced by context, expectations, and experiences
Break expectations of typical retail signage (flat, corporate, bland) and replaces them with something that speaks to your target culture
Good Signage = Good Quality
More than 2/3 of consumers believe a store’s signage is reflective of the quality of its products or services
​
Multiple reports found that more than half of 18-24-year-olds made quality assumptions about a business based on the clarity and attractiveness of the sign.
Signage Increases Foot Traffic & Interest
​
76% of U.S. consumers enter a store they’ve never visited before because of its signage, boosted by effective visual appeal
​
50–56% of new customers are drawn in by exterior on‑premise signage
Nearly 70% of consumers report purchasing because a sign caught their eye​
IDEATION
Cross Form Exploration
acrylic lit from beneath, produces halo around anything etched/ cut out
"branding" somehow into a cross
potential to make "moving" or interactive installation
DAY vs NIGHT
are the properties of daylight vs moonlight able to produce two distinct experiences?
customer engulfed by a shadow
layer 1: black acrylic cross
layer 2: interactive lights
layer 3: reflective metal
chains?
make entire sign with chains?
light-up chains that move/ "slither"
0-5 sec
5-10 sec
10-15 sec
INITIAL MOCKUP
THEMES
Gothic cross & font, chains, industrial/ brash
MATERIAL
Metal vs black acrylic, contrasting white chains
LIGHTING
Discrete letters highlighted, metal reflects light = halo
FINAL RENDER
STOREFRONT MOCKUP
LOW FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
testing different sizes & resulting legibility
illustrator laser cut file
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Aa
Solidified Text Legibility
Perfect Both Crosses Shape & Size
Determined Distance
Between Crosses
HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
etching onto black acrylic didn't produce desired results with chains
testing spray painting clear acrylic
soldering on lights
chains clearly lit & contrasting
