Block Design
Bringing together robust engineering and trend-driven colour, Block offers customers a range of desirable home and deskware products that are intelligent, brave and non-gender specific.
Formed in 2000 by Tara Ashe, Block are now internationally represented in stores varying from high street chains Paperchase and Urban Outfitters to prestigious museum stores MoMA and the Royal Academy. With products characterised by an unflinching use of colour and line, Block are serious about their motto: ‘life in colour’.
In 2015 Block decided to take a new approach to brand activation. Having created a strong visual language, Block wanted to develop a tone of voice that would communicate their brand precisely.
Strategic Discovery
My first job was to listen to Tara and her team and to unearth pre-existing design stories. From early sketches and research trips to colour trends and typeface preferences, together we teased out the elements that were most compelling.
We decided that we wanted to shine a light on the unique fusion of colour and engineering that was integral to Block’s identity. This meant developing a set of content guidelines that would eradicate confusing messages and keep the brand focused and consistent.
Brand Identity
The next step was to develop a bespoke vocabulary, creating templates and guidelines that everyone who would be writing about Block and its products could follow. These included everything from press releases and product descriptions to marketing campaigns and blogs.
Communications and Production
Finally, we worked together to review the content in the brochure and press releases, on the website and on social media, to make sure that every word felt precisely Block.
Block’s new website is as precise and beautiful as their product design. You can find it here:
http://www.blockdesign.co.uk/
“Sarah was instrumental in forming a template for how we build our copy. She took our ideas from initial concepts and brainstorming sessions and realised them into stories. This process proved an important part of the design process which then led into captivating copy. She told the story of the design from conception to realisation. We thoroughly enjoyed working with her, it was an incredibly creative experience.”
Tara Ashe, Lead Designer
