Mi Tienda de Arte

Growing up to close a cycle, returning to the starting point more mature. Hartem, the new brand specializing in fine arts, has meant many steps forward for Mi Tienda de Arte: addressing a specific and well-defined niche and welcoming it with a physical store. Where? In the historic center of Madrid.

Hartem is a space that pays tribute to artists not afraid of making mistakes. From Soluble, we have directed the application of the brand throughout the store, from the experience to the screen designs or informative banners.

Brand guardians

The goal of this project was to activate the brand and ensure that the store breathed all the work that had been mapped out with strategy and identity. The artist who visits the store gets, in short, a rational and emotional connection with Hartem.

Considering that we had Craftelier and Hartem—its e-commerce version—in this project, it was essential to take care of two key concepts: the freedom to create, which acts as an umbrella for the two brands, and errare artem est, taken directly from Hartem's brand strategy. A tribute to error, experimentation, and enjoyment as inherent parts of the creative and artistic process.

Accompanying to ensure brightness

Our canvas was well assembled, and we began to accompany Hartem’s team—both the leaders of this project and the marketing department—and other areas involved, such as retail consultancy and architecture (HMY, Mostaza, Montblanc Obras e Interiorismo…). From Soluble, we have ensured that the holistic vision shines. In addition to this work of coordination, support, and advice to other teams, we have followed our usual processes by hooking specialties such as Visual Design, Brand Activation, and Motion Design to squeeze all the value of the brand. Once again, it has been essential to manage the information flow internally with the team and suppliers. We could only land the ideas together in a perfect execution.

The artist's journey through the store

The first step was to define the user journey inside the store. To do this, we needed to know the facility's configuration, taking it into account to overcome barriers and take advantage of all relevant opportunities.

Making a comparison with UX design in the digital realm, the user had to have clear, useful and human information at all times. A search between functionality and emotion, a balance between enjoyment and hassle-free shopping.

The signage work and the directory are the most obvious proof of this, but so are the design and exact position of dynamic brushstrokes—distinctive of Hartem's identity—with which we managed to highlight areas and give coherence between sections, avoiding visual and concept noise.

Noble materials and contextualized excellence

There were endless possibilities, as in the art world. Optimizing the costs proposed for the store - here, variables such as materials come into play - was a priority since we always understand projects as a way to achieve contextualized excellence.

For this reason, from the first brainstorming phases, a matrix was generated to evaluate the necessary resources and the return on the different actions. In some cases, we proposed using noble resources, such as marble, because we faced a crucial moment in the purchasing process that had to be taken special care of.

In others, a printed copy guaranteed that the experience would be multiplied. And some areas call for action, such as the children's area, where you can experience the freedom to create... with blackboard chalk, of course.

The final project is an ode to multiple techniques, materials and textures: sculpture, painting on different surfaces, vinyl, metal plates, stencils, marbles, stones...

Empowering Hartem’s team through video

The screens are essential to the Hartem shopping experience because they offer flexibility and dynamism, an extra appeal to the process. At one place in the store, depending on the moment, you can talk about products or how to work the different materials that can be purchased.

As the video allows us to adjust and distill the information, we thought about the autonomy of the project with a system to generate agile and updated videos every day, if necessary.

What now?

We keep supporting the definition of the complete Hartem experience, a living project that will evolve to the smallest detail with the artist at the center. We will tell you more soon.