Wheelz deals in custom tires, rims, and tinting. While these custom automotive augmentations are purchased as luxury amenities, the Wheelz brand felt more like a repair shop than a luxury service. Their brand was fighting against who they really wanted to be.
Client
- Wheelz
CEO
Larry Spriggs
Year
2017-2018
Role
- Discovery & Strategy
- Branding & Identity Design
- Photography
- 3D Interior Design Concept
- Interior Design
Discovery
We ran a great discovery and strategy session where we uncovered a lot of fruitful insights and a clear course of action. We needed to create an unforgettable luxury service experience that left clients itching to come back again. I needed to create a brand that let Larry, the owner, step into the identity of an expert craftsman and car designer.
Research
We needed to tailor every part of the experience, from the lobby, to the website, to the print materials. We wanted the user experience to feel like engineered luxury singed with nightclub. My research covered identity systems, brand marks, interior design, architecture, packaging, typographic systems, materials, luxury goods, furniture design, luxury/supercar design, form design, luxury automotive branding, and vehicle photography.
Stylescapes
I used my research and knowledge from the discovery session to put together three stylescapes to showcase the viable visual directions for the brand. The final one shown is the direction we ultimately chose, although we lifted elements from all three.
Identity Design
Wheelz’ owner, Larry, had originally wanted to call his business Wheelz by Larry. I encouraged him to do just that in the rebrand. If executed properly, it would give an air of craftsmanship to his service, helping him to step into the identity of a car designer, rather than a rims supplier. Every client he services is given a unique product tailored to them. The brand needed to set expectations high and further facilitate the great service he already provided for his clients.
This logo took a fair bit of exploration and experimentation to nail down.
Form Inspiration
The overlapping geometry of supercars, the machined aluminum spokes of car rims, and the tread patterns of tires all had an influence on the logo’s final form.
Interior Design
Everything you do has an influence, whether you believe it or not, and whether you like it or not. The lobby interior was not communicating the brand values or facilitating the luxury service experience we were determined to provide. I designed a renovated space and created a 3D render to communicate the idea.
I was very budget conscious when designing the interior. The most expensive part of the whole redesign was the furniture. I chose comfortable designer chairs that would fit with a contemporary atmosphere. We would tear down the walls dividing the receptionist area from the surrounding space to create an “open concept” (thanks, Southpark).
Choosing concrete for the flooring and the center table helped push the urban, engineered part of the look, on top of being highly affordable. Aluminum is a familiar material in the rims business, so I incorporated it as a faceplate on the receptionist desk. We topped the counter with finished, dark-stained, reclaimed wood and added an LED Strip flush with its underside. I turned the right wall into a wood accent wall, which would contrast against the backlit aluminum sign at its center. I had a custom-mixed royal midnight purple color applied to the ceiling and back wall. This would add a bit of that nightclub feel and help the stage the aluminum rims featured against the back wall. To finish things off, we added polished metal accents via the LED lamps and door handles, and backlighting to the wall-mounted TV.