Thumbing through a crate of records is only half the ritual. The other half is the moment the arm swings and the needle drops into the groove. The identity for Twelves Wax was built around visualizing that exact moment, turning the brand's most important feeling into its visual system.

Project Role

Creative Director

Problem

The owners of Twelves Wax needed a full identity system for their brick and mortar record store, including a logo, icon, style guide, and environmental signage. The shop is a fixture of Oak Park, run by longtime members of Sacramento's music and arts community who had spent over fifteen years building trust in that scene. The identity needed to live up to that history, not just look good on a storefront.

Project Goal

Develop a visual identity rooted in the physical and emotional experience of vinyl itself, translating the tactile ritual of collecting and playing records into a logo, icon, and signage system built to last well beyond a passing trend.

The Work

Two directions were explored, both grounded in typography. The first explored the physical volume of records, how they're stacked, moved, and handled, translated into letterforms. To develop this direction, a photo shoot using cardboard boxes was arranged and photographed to build individual letters shaped by the physicality of records themselves.

The second direction focused on the emotional ritual of the format, the ritual of placing a needle on a record and hearing it play. This led to incorporating the tonearm and needle directly into the X of the logo, a detail that tied the mark to the exact feeling the identity needed to capture. The client selected this direction.

From there, an icon was developed as a simplified depiction of a record, with the number twelve placed at its center, a nod to the store's name and an easily recognizable symbol on its own. The icon and wordmark were then combined for exterior signage, along with additional details like posted store hours, completing a cohesive identity system for the shop.

Responsibilities

Brand strategy, logo design, icon design, typography, signage design, style guide creation, client presentation.