Modern Folklore
Over the course of her career as a researcher and consultant in the environmental sustainability and outdoor education sectors, Modern Folklore founder Corrie Williams became increasingly aware of the disconnect between our consumer habits and the practices that establish thriving, interconnected communities. In turn, she began envisioning a new type of retail environment—one that would enhance the purchase of goods via meaningful storytelling that imbues each object with a deeper sense of value.
As Corrie began her search for an appropriate space in Boulder County, she asked us to help communicate her vision in a concise, engaging format. We found significant inspiration in the name Modern Folklore, as well as the role historically played by textiles—from European tapestries to Indigenous tribal prints—in preserving and passing down tales and legends from one generation to the next. After establishing an overall aesthetic and brand story based on this vision, we developed an eye-catching website to support Corrie’s outreach to potential partners, as well as the opening of Modern Folklore’s retail space.
LOCATION
Louisville, Colorado
PROJECT SCOPE
Logo Design + Visual Branding
Brand Positioning + Copywriting
Website Design
The Opportunity
Selling products may seem like an explicitly capitalist endeavor, yet Modern Folklore sought to break this model by creating a more responsible, intentional form of consumerism. Expressing this vision—both verbally and visually—to like-minded artisans and potential patrons was a key step in building the brand in advance of the buildout of a physical space.
The Challenge
As with many founders, Corrie’s proximity to her brand concept made it difficult to succinctly articulate, in concrete terms, what she hoped to build at Modern Folklore. Defining the brand’s mission and backstory was thus a cornerstone of the project, as was evoking the aesthetic of her future retail space through carefully sourced stock photography.
Logo Design
In our design process, we sought, first and foremost, to reflect the deeply human perspective that Corrie brought to the project. The tradition of textiles as intergenerational heirlooms—a literal representation of our “social fabric”—was one of the themes that we returned to regularly in this process, both as a format for the passage of personal “folklore” and as a broader symbol of craft and the disappearing arts preserved by skilled artisans. Building on the woven pattern of the logo, we developed a color palette inspired by the earthy colors of naturally dyed yarns and pottery from the American Southwest.
THOUGHTS FROM THE CLIENT
“I really cannot sing enough praises for this dream team. Lauren and Carly took my vision from abstract to REAL and beautiful... it was as if they had some incredible insight into my soul.
An integral piece of Modern Folklore is celebrating authenticity and the stories of the hands that create. Truly, their patience, attention to detail, and ability to truly listen translated into an articulation of Modern Folklore that is unique and absolutely spot-on. In doing so, they have helped me build a foundation for this vision that is in true alignment with its purpose.”