Vienuoliu Akmenys
2020 – 2021
A typical gravestone retail space. Image: Monika Narusyte
Context
In Lithuania, gravestone sellers are one homogeneous bunch. All of them have built their businesses on discounted prices and easy access. There are plenty of backyard side hustlers, all-year special discount givers and cemetery entrance occupiers. With such competition and plenty of choices, most people do not think much about buying a gravestone; they grab’n go.
Our task
We were asked to create an online and location-based funeral supply shopping experience that makes the rest of the competition redundant.
Strategy
A funeral is a difficult moment for the whole family, but it weighs on men the most. Losing a father means that you become the patriarch the family relies on. This happened to Richard, our persona.
Richard appreciates honesty, durability, humility and people, not things. He shops at Lidl and builds stuff with wood. Hence, we needed to build a brand around craftsmanship, traditional values and quality.
Primary user persona brief.
Visual ID and brand experience
Working closely with a graphics designer, I designed a brand identity system based on medieval maker’s marks to be used as a seal of quality approval.
Brand visual language moodboard.
Brand book developed in collaboration with designer Ugne Ak (Her website: https://www.ugnei.lt/)
Physical locations paused different challenges. Both have a high amount of organic traffic from people passing by, but neither are destination places. To change this, we suggested turning them into zen-like gardens selling not just gravestones but plants also. Working closely with salespeople and landscape architects, we designed frictions in the way customers move through the space so that human contact and privacy time is encouraged, much like Ikea.
Visual moodboards, layout and customer flow maps for indoor and outdoor retail spaces.
To launch the brand and build engagement, we suggested organising weekly craftmanship workshops. We wanted to create space for men to deal with the emotional pain of loss by handcrafting something unique to their lost fathers.
Master visuals for comms campaign.
Scripts for YouTube and outdoor TV displays.
My role in the project:
- Ethnographic research
- Art Direction
- Comms campaign ideas
