Razor & Grain
Razor & Grain
Where Heritage Meets Precision
2025
Razor & Grain is a self-initiated barbershop concept that fuses classic barbering heritage with contemporary grooming culture. As the sole brand and visual designer, I developed the identity system from logo and typography to signage, packaging, and environment touchpoints to create a refined, modern barbershop experience grounded in craft.
SERVICES
Brand Strategy and Positioning, Visual Identity and Logo Design, Art Direction for Print and Environment
Project Overview
Razor & Grain is a self-initiated barbershop concept that fuses classic barbering heritage with contemporary grooming culture. As the sole brand and visual designer, I developed the identity system from logo and typography to signage, packaging, and environment touchpoints to create a refined, modern barbershop experience grounded in craft.
Razor & Grain is a brand identity project for a modern barbershop that blends heritage barber culture with contemporary grooming through a unified system of logo, typography, color, environmental visuals, and product concepts.
This project began as a concept for a neighborhood barbershop that treats every cut and shave as a crafted ritual. The challenge was to create a visual language that feels rooted in classic barbershops without relying on clichés, using a focused palette, sturdy typography, and a monogram inspired by vintage signage to communicate trust, skill, and character. I led the work from research and mood boards through logo exploration, layout systems, and mockups for signage, barber capes, interior applications, and grooming products. By establishing a consistent grid, typographic hierarchy, and color system, I created a brand that can move easily between print, environmental graphics, and digital touchpoints while keeping a strong and recognizable Razor & Grain presence.an environment that drew viewers into the story.
Approach
Exploring brand concepts and layout ideas for the Razor & Grain identity.
My approach was to blend the character of classic neighborhood barbershops with a clean, modern visual system. I focused on building a brand language that feels crafted and familiar while still looking refined enough to live on contemporary signage, interiors, and grooming products.
I started by mapping out the core story of Razor & Grain, studying traditional barbershop cues like vintage signage, wood textures, and metal details along with contemporary grooming brands. From this research I defined a brand platform that centered on heritage, precision, and ritual, which guided decisions around tone, typography, and color. I used mood boards and iterative sketches to test how far the visuals could push into modern territory without losing that rooted, barbershop feel. Next, I translated this strategy into a modular identity system. I developed a monogram and wordmark that work at different scales, set up a typographic hierarchy that balances bold display type with clean supporting type, and built a warm, restrained color palette that connects to interior materials like brick and wood. I applied the system across signage, barber capes, storefront applications, and product packaging, refining composition and hierarchy so every touchpoint feels consistent, legible, and unmistakably Razor & Grain.
Process
I used a structured, iterative branding process from research and strategy through identity exploration and applied mockups to build a cohesive Razor & Grain system.
The process started with discovery and research. I collected references from classic barbershops, grooming brands, and hospitality interiors, then mapped key attributes such as heritage, precision, and ritual. From there I built mood boards and simple written territories to test different directions for tone, materials, and color, which helped narrow in on a warm, crafted, and slightly industrial visual language. With the direction defined, I moved into sketching and digital exploration. I developed the monogram and wordmark, refined a typographic hierarchy, and selected a restrained color palette that works across dark and light environments. I then tested the system on core applications including storefront signage, interior photography, a repeating cape pattern, and grooming product concepts. Each round focused on legibility, hierarchy, and consistency so every touchpoint feels like part of one unified Razor & Grain experience.
My design philosophy for Razor & Grain centered on treating the barbershop as a modern ritual grounded in craft. Every element needed to feel rooted in classic barber culture while remaining clean and contemporary enough for today’s grooming audience. The identity uses sturdy typography, warm materials, and a confident monogram to communicate precision, trust, and a slightly rugged elegance.
Final Design
The final Razor & Grain system brings together logo, typography, color, signage, interior applications, and grooming product concepts into a cohesive brand that feels both heritage rich and distinctly modern.
The final Razor and Grain brand system unites monogram, wordmark, color palette, typography, and layout into one consistent language. The identity extends across storefront signage, interior applications, barber cape pattern, and grooming product concepts so every touchpoint feels like part of the same story. Rich, warm tones inspired by brick, leather, and wood pair with confident typography and a bold mark to express craft and precision. Clean compositions and controlled contrast keep the work contemporary while the details nod to traditional barbershops. The result is a flexible brand that can live comfortably on print, digital surfaces, and in the physical shop.
Product Images
