Durham Craft Market is a juried artists collective that’s been a fixture in downtown Durham since 2006. Every Saturday, their hand-picked makers set up in Durham Central Park, right next to the Durham Farmers Market. That proximity has been great for foot traffic, but it came with a problem: many visitors assumed they were just another part of the Farmers Market. After nearly 20 years, they didn’t have a strong visual identity that was distinctly theirs.
They signed on for brand messaging and a full brand identity design, so Parson Lane’s brand strategist Tiffany and I kicked things off together with a discovery workshop that included several of their member artists. DCM is artist-run, not top-down, so getting those voices in the room early shaped everything that came after.
The design direction draws from the Arts & Crafts movement, which championed handmade quality and honest materials over mass production. The tiled border around the logo is a nod to the vintage tile storefronts in downtown Durham, and the floral emblem is adapted from a 1920s mosaic tile catalog. The logos are meant to have the feeling of a handmade stamp, and they’re purposefully understated. Most of DCM’s content showcases their artists’ work, so the brand needed to support that, not compete with it.
The color palette pulls from the experience of being at the market itself. Spring green, orange and butter yellow accents, and a lilac-blue that sits somewhere between lavender and sky blue – a warm Saturday morning at the park, browsing the booths.
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”Working with Parson Lane has been phenomenal. Our team felt really heard, and Molly’s design and messaging deliverables have so much thought and intention behind them. Her process has also been professional and thorough. This rebranding project is updating a 20 year old brand, and it’s going to be transformative!”– Lori Melliere
Durham Craft Market
Vintage Durham photos from Open Durham, courtesy of the Duke Archives & State Archives of North Carolina – Albert Barden Collection.
