angela liu
cornerstone
NEW YORK, NY
scope
branding
role
creative director
duration
Q4 2021 - Q2 2022
deliverables
visual identity
brand strategy
marketing collateral
brand applications
partners
logo design
salus liangoverview
The Cornerstone Group is made up of two businesses: one manages its proprietary app and wholesale operations (Cornerstone), and the other runs its flagship laundromat in SoHo, NYC (Cornerstone Laundromat).
I was brought in to develop a brand strategy and visual identity ahead of a collective relaunch, bringing together the newly renovated laundromat, the Cornerstone app, and a loyalty program in partnership with neighboring businesses.
the challenge
The laundromat is, by nature, a commoditized and location-based business, making it difficult to scale and easy to overlook. Through interviews with new and regular customers, I found that most chose Cornerstone Laundromat for one reason: convenience. This highlighted our first major challenge: how to identify and communicate meaningful differentiators that would boost awareness and loyalty.
The second challenge was building a cohesive brand system that could house both entities, Cornerstone and Cornerstone Laundromat, under one identity. The visual framework needed to balance distinction and unity, while also being flexible enough to support future ventures down the line.
the vision
The vision for Cornerstone was to create both a brand and a place that serves as a foundation, supporting and connecting the community around it.
Our objective was to develop a thoughtful, systematic brand that reflects Cornerstone's customer-first approach and sets the stage for future growth.
the process
I started by identifying Cornerstone's target audiences and conducting customer interviews, which informed a detailed SWOT analysis. From there, I developed the brand positioning by breaking down the what, how, and why of the business. Three core values emerged: dependable, thoughtful, and neighborly.
I leaned into the foundational meaning behind the name "Cornerstone" to craft a vision that shaped both the brand strategy and visual identity: to be a steady presence and connector wihin the community.
After exploring several creative directions, we landed on a visual identity that reflected this vision and brought the brand's values to life.
the brand
Every element of the brand was designed to evoke ease, comfort, and a sense of delight, reflecting the customer experience at Cornerstone.
A clear visual system was built using color hierarchies and typography to distinguish between the two brands. The use of uppercase for Cornerstone and sentence case for Cornerstone Laundromat subtly signals their difference: one focused on the business, the other on the consumer. Together, the system strikes a balance between cohesion and clarity - built to grow as Cornerstone does.