Case Study
Ray'z Barber Shop
Ray’z Barber Shop is a hit in the Quad Cities, Iowa City, and is quickly spreading all over the Midwest. I got the opportunity to work with the owner to develop the first custom steel furniture for the Iowa Hawkeyes-themed location in Coralville, Iowa.
Studying the rich brand language that the company is built on, I worked to combine retro-classic elements with modern steel construction to make this location truly one of a kind, and a real standout in the area.
Design Process
Learn
Learn more about the problem or opportunity, market conditions, and what is important to the customer.
Ideate
Brainstorm solutions and start feeling out what works well and what doesn't through rapid sketching and prototyping.
Refine
Apply the lessons learned and communicate a clean solution that works well for everyone.
Execute
Move the design from paper to the real world, providing you everything you need to make your project a lasting success.
LEARN
Bringing classic style and color into the modern space is a large part of what put Rayz Barber Shop on the map, and preserving that brand was a key part of this project. Using Existing stores as a base and swapping mood boards with the Client helped shape the early design process and bring the final design into clearer view.
IDEATION AND REFINEMENT
Working with the lead architect on the project, I made some sketches and turned them into Sketchup Models to fit into the space.
After a few iterations, I presented the designs to the owner of Rayz Barber Shop and was cleared to go into production. From there,
I produced shop drawings for our welding team, ordered material, and scheduled the project to finish on time. I built the wood components myself and oversaw assembly and powder coat until the interior of the building was ready for the new parts.
EXECUTE
I ran quality control on the Reception Desk and Retail Racks that we built and took it over for install myself. We set everything in place and public response has been excellent. With more Rayz Barber Shops in the works, there is an excellent chance of getting more work in the future.
