Our culminating assignment was to produce a visual repositioning of a brand of our choice, picking one area of their offering to adjust from its current standing. I took the task to Nina, a Noble Square yarn and craft store with a lively community of experienced knitters. The crafter in me felt at home in the store, but made me wonder how a new crafter would navigate their way, or why they would choose to engage Nina in the first place? Who is being invited and included, and who is not? Their web presence and current visual elements don’t do much to bring new makers in. How can I use color, hierarchy, flow, composition, imagery, and language to appeal to new makers and establish Nina as a go-to source for crafters, whoever they are and wherever they are in their journey? This accordion-fold book demystifies the knitting craft and offers it as a practice accessible to anyone. The new Nina brand focuses on its role as an educator through its core values: Creative Confidence, Play, and Ongoing Support. I include some translucent vellum spreads and inserts along the way that press forward some of these values.

To view the whole brand book, click here.

“I found the personality of my new Nina through logo exploration and refinement. Nina is a beautiful, simple word with many repeated vertical/angular lines. The hand drawn “squiggle” approach captured the looseness of yarn, with a sense of order and refinement.

I developed a true trust in the process while working on this book. Initial storyboard plans would be put aside as I set InDesign pages and let playful composition drive the story. My ingenious classmates demonstrated inspiring story approaches that gave me a fresh lens every week, and challenged me to stay true on my mission of a visual narrative focused on inclusion and play.”

— Aamena Ansari