The White Room started as a store inside DMZ, dedicated to the most exclusive sneakers on the market. It was ambitious for one simple reason: you cannot just buy those models. Nike, Jordan and Asics release their premium lines to a small number of stores, under strict conditions. Getting that access took a lot of work from the owner before a single shelf was built.

The DMZ CEO wanted a strong brand rooted in street culture. Another designer had already built one, and the idea behind it was good, but the execution left it flat. It needed personality and polish.

Most of my career was spent with street and skate brands, and street art is something I genuinely love, so this one excited me. The existing logotype was solid. My job was to improve it without erasing the idea that was already working.

You cannot rebrand without knowing who you are talking to. The audience here was between 18 and 40, mostly male, active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

They already shopped at DMZ and they cared about streetwear. Sneakers were the piece that completed an outfit, not a purchase on their own.

I was convinced the old brand needed adjustment, not replacement. Some polish, more personality, and it would be what it should have been in the first place.

Designers carry a big ego about creating. I did too, early in my career. With enough flight time you learn to do what is best for the client and the users, and to leave the ego out of it.

The plan was to make it symmetrical and fit the whole typography inside a square. I usually start on paper, because sketching is faster and freer when you are not tied to type, colour and shape. This time I went straight to Illustrator.

In branding there is never a single answer. Below are some of the options I designed, each one fitting a different occasion.

A few applications of the logo, to see how it behaves next to real elements.

DMZ lived on Instagram and Facebook, so I designed a few posts using the new logo just to provoke a reaction from the owner. It worked exactly as planned. He loved it.

Below, the logotype before and after the redesign.

Rebranding a sneaker store was a pleasure. Street art is where I feel at home, and freedom makes the creative process better: you can explore as many options as you want and bring only the ones that matter.

If you want to know more about the process, I am happy to talk about it.