Design that
feels right

Creating a better shopping experience
for low-income earners

Backstory

Client name : Little Giant Farmers Market, Jackson Mitchell Holdings Inc.

Location : Georgia, USA

What they do : 
Little Giants Farmers Market is a grocery store chain with multiple locations in Georgia’s most underserved communities. Jackson Mitchell is part of the Mitchell Grocery Corporation in Alabama, a major distributor of goods in the southern states.

Jackson Mitchell acquired the grocery store chain Little Giant Farmers Market that needed an influx of fresh energy. It allowed him to branch out and expand his stakes in the retail category. Our excellent track record with the Mitchell Grocery Corporation made sense for us to work together again on his new venture.

He wanted to express good and humanity to these underserved communities because it doesn't mean being underprivilege means shopping in a run-down grocery store. They deserve good too.

Jackson believes we can restore the shops to their glory through design and compassion. However, he also wanted to take a different approach to the visual identity to bring freshness and modernity to the brand.

Solution

We explored different solutions for the brand. Coming into our first review with Jackson, he had decided to have a simple and friendly logotype with a new color palette. But after our trip, we understood the brand even more, so we decided to include a direction with a modernized mascot. We know that Jackson wants to move away from the farmer icon, but imperfect as it is, the mascot is still memorable, and we needed to explore it.

Upon seeing the design exploration and feeling confident about his choice, he suddenly changed his heart the next day and wanted the mascot back. Though all are valid concepts, we believe the mascot is the best choice— it's familiar yet reinvigorated that would bring excitement to their community. Once we get the final sign-off, we pair the mascot with elements from another direction. This combination will deliver the friendliness and hospitability we ought to bring to the brand for the community.

Produce signage for locally sourced products

Did it pop?

Jackson implemented the new visual system as soon as possible, paving the way for change in the community. In 2022, Jackson will own five stores in Georgia and expand.

`New storefront, photos from Jackson Mitchell`

`New interior space and graphics, photos from Jackson Mitchell`

Process

Having worked with the Mitchell Grocery Corporation, we were familiar with the competitive landscape and knew what was considered good design. Empowered by this knowledge, Little Giant was a great canvas for us to start from scratch during our store visits. We met the friendly staff and unpacked Jackson's passion for his vision. Combining these qualities helped us refresh the brand.

We started by building a strategic platform for the brand so we could explore the new visual system strategically. Then, we did a audit of other brands to get a feel of the neighborhood and sought inspiration to achieve our goal.

Anxiety Inducing

We found uninviting signs in the parking lot. And even you enter the store, signs remind everyone they are being watched if they attempt to steal. Some are more aggressive, and it’s degrading shoppers.

a new farmer walks in

Here are my initial sketches to create the farmer mascot. I wanted to bring energy, make him inviting, and give him some of Jackson’s qualities.

Our exploration spans from icons to illustrations to type-only designs, but we made sure that we captured Jackson’s point of view and the personality of everyone who works there—bright, fun, and neighborly.

`Storefront design sketch illustrated by Kelly O'Kane`

`Interior design sketch illustrated by Kelly O'Kane`

Project squad

Designed with Prophet

Peter Dixon, Partner • Baron Santiago, Design Director • David Wong, Senior Designer • Melissa Agatielli, Senior Designer • Arthur Chu, Associate Creative Director - Architect • Kelly O’Kane, Senior Creative Lead - Illustrator • Alex Majkowski, Senior Designer - Architect

David and Melissa were in charge of the design exploration under my leadership. They created the system and the logotype while I drew the character with the assistance of the whole studio in finalizing the drawing. Arthur and Kelly collaborated with me in designing the interior graphics under Peters’s leadership.

Design that feels right