Stratford Workshops, UK

Project info / Insight:
Stratford Workshops has a long history, beginning in the 1800s as a printing press for the Great Eastern Railway and later becoming East London’s first workspace for start-ups. Today, it hosts a wide mix of creative tenants.

Challenge / Idea:
The challenge was to attract new tenants while keeping a strong connection to the building’s past. The idea was to use the building’s railway and architectural heritage as the foundation for the brand identity. The identity needed to feel fresh and inviting for modern makers while still echoing the site’s original purpose and character.

Design / Results:
I designed and produced a collection of postcard packs to highlight key building features to potential tenants. The pack was designed to reference both the building’s printing-press heritage and its architecture. This was reflected through the embossing on the front and the enclosed flap shape, which came from the building’s distinctive architectural detail.

The inserts were designed to resemble vintage train tickets, complete with hole-punch cut-outs, echoing the old practice of punching tickets to prevent reuse. These cut-outs were also designed to align with the building’s exterior signage.

Shapes and arch-shaped typography were applied across both print and motion, inspired by architectural elements found on the building’s façade, creating a unified and recognisable brand identity across all materials.