I have travelled around the world; experiencing new sights, sounds, and atmospheres that have influenced the look of A Nerd’s World. Whether it be the rustic signage in Memphis or the glamorous storefronts in Paris, I am constantly observing the various crafts of branding in different cities. I am a firm believer in artistry, hence, the passion put into our clients’ handcrafted logo design. As my eyes wander towards the bright lights and marketing tactics that draw my attention to another business – the same goes for the businesses that are doing everything wrong. 

 

 

A Nerd’s World’s first shop, recently celebrated its fourth year anniversary. In those years, we have changed our window signage four times. Some businesses choose to stay the same, however, changes can refresh the look of a shop and even improve a business’ popularity. We live in a busy city called Toronto, where stores come and go and the competition is high. As much as I seek new ideas along my travels, I am also drawn to the classic influences of our own local community. Honest Ed’s is a well-known store in downtown Toronto, reigning as the pioneer in vintage style signage. A Nerd’s World is only a couple blocks away from Honest Ed’s. It is the focal point of our area and it is has influenced our style from the day we held the keys to our first location. 

 

 

On our most recent road trip, I ate at a restaurant across from Wrigley Stadium called El Burrito Mexicano. Their bold hand painted sign is what lead me into the little eatery. I took advantage of our 7 hour drive back from Chicago, to brainstorm and write down all of my ideas that would be implemented immediately. The last 72 hours upon my arrival has been devoted to redesigning our storefront, making it the fifth change to date. Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.”  There is no better way to pay tribute to the good old fashioned signs, than by recreating the style that rekindles your own passion in design. A behind the scenes of my business and travels can be viewed on Instagram (link here).

This Monday, the hand painter will be coming to A Nerd’s World to make my vision come to life in less than a week after the idea. We are proud to have Toronto’s top art director, Sean Farris, on our team to create astonishing outcomes of such simple ideas. Let us help you design your front windows, by sending us pictures of your storefront and details you’d like to incorporate. We will turn an idea from scratch, into a great design – the good old fashioned way. 

Chris A. Hughes