A rebranding project for William Stout Architectural Books, located in San Francisco’s Jackson Square. William Stout has been covering architecture books, design books, and material manuals for the past 50 years. It is preparing for a new start after being acquired by the Eames Institute for Infinite Curiosity in 2022, and as a result, LoveFrom, a design studio led by Jony Ive, has started developing a new graphic identity.
LoveFrom developed a custom typeface called 'LF Washington', taking cues from the bookstore's existing signage. It is based on the Art Deco typeface 'Washington' created by Australian designer Russell Bean in 1970, and LoveFrom's Antonio Cavedoni was at the forefront of adding visual harmony and architectural weight. Some letters feature a ligature inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's monogram, creating a functional and wit.
The sign is a square design with a red bar at the bottom, and is finished with polished stainless steel and enamel to create an architectural texture. LoveFrom has kept the original sign colors of black, white and red, but has also applied an expanded palette influenced by Le Corbusier’s color studies to unify the interior and exterior identity.
The online UX has also been redesigned. The seasonal store illustrations by Japanese illustrator Satoshi Hashimoto open and close depending on the time of day, and the iconic ginkgo tree and Eames House bird seamlessly connect the online and offline experiences. Clicking on the Easter egg-shaped bird also takes you to the Eames Lab.
