ROLE: Associative creative director (Contract 2015-2017)

Directed the development of creative design and visual branding for print, digital marketing, exclusive products, and social media to enhance the customer experience. Produced design briefs and managed a team of ten designers and specialists.

THe Challenge

Bodhi Tree, a venerable brand in Los Angeles, recently reopened its doors after a decade-long hiatus, boasting a rich legacy in the community. Recognizing its esteemed standing, the new owner faced the challenge of revitalizing and expanding the brand's influence to reach a broader audience of spiritual seekers. The vision entailed refining and elevating offerings, incorporating archival content, workshops, original stories, artisanal goods, podcasts, and forging partnerships with creatively aligned ventures—all centered around the enduring significance of books. The challenge was to create an e-commerce platform capable of hosting public interactive events and memberships, facilitating the sale of curated goods (CPG), all while retaining the original business's historical essence.

The Approach

Discovery + User Research: Kicked off discovery and research to deeply understand the significance and perspective of the original Bodhi Tree and it’s clientele. Gathered insights through surveys, interviews, and analytics to understand the diverse needs and expectations of the spiritual seeker audience along with inform the UX strategy. Simultaneously, assembled a team of skilled professionals, hiring employees as needed to bolster the UX and creative branding effort.

Collaborative Visioning Sessions: Facilitated collaborative visioning sessions with key stakeholders, aligning on the refined brand identity and the desired user experience. Ensured that the envisioned online hub for creativity and consciousness was translated into a cohesive and user-centric design.

Agile Development + Exclusive product line: Implemented an agile design and development process in conjunct with LemonadeNY, a engineering consultancy in NYC. Prioritized the development of interactive features for public events, memberships, and seamless e-commerce functionality. In parallel, we produced an exclusive candle line in collaboration with five local vendors.

Preserving Historical Essence: Worked closely with the CEO and creative team to incorporate design elements that paid homage to Bodhi Tree's historical essence. Infused the website with a sense of continuity, bridging the legacy of the past with the innovation required for future growth. Ensured that the user experience reflected the brand's heritage while embracing modern functionalities.

KEY RESULTS:

E-Commerce store launched in 8 months with over 4000 SKUs.

Directed design and launch of all branded collateral and an exclusive product line.

ABout Bodhi tree

Bodhi Tree, originally Bodhi Tree Book and Tea Shop, was an independent bookstore specializing in world religions, wisdom traditions, metaphysics, psychology, philosophy, and health. It was founded in 1970 in Los Angeles, California. The bookstore became widely known through the 1983 book Out On A Limb by Shirley MacLaine and the subsequent eponymous 1987 television series. In her book, MacLaine declares that her "decision to visit an unusual bookstore [the Bodhi Tree Bookstore] was one of the most important decisions of my life". The bookstore was named Business of the Year in 1994 by the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce; the co–owners – Stan Madson and Phil Thompson – were both honored with Certificates of Recognition from the California State Senate – signed by California State Senator Tom Hayden – in recognition of their "extraordinary contribution of knowledge in art and spirituality and excellence in service to the city of West Hollywood and its citizens". In 2013, years after its physical doors had closed, it has been brought back to life in West Hollywood with expanded offerings include archival content, workshops, original stories, artisanal goods, podcasts and partnerships with values-aligned creative ventures and, above all, books.