Design is visual storytelling, and premier retail design and manufacturing firm SevenPoint Interiors is known for bringing a brand’s story to life through beautifully created retail spaces in the cannabis industry. A division of Visual Elements Manufacturing, their team of retail design experts has skillfully turned their clients’ concepts into reality, including acclaimed Grateful Dead inspired craft cannabis store Scarlet Fire in Toronto.
SevenPoint Interiors was recently approached by industry veteran Seung Lee to develop a complete brand and retail concept for Seoul Cannabis. Seoul Cannabis is a cannabis retail store dedicated to the founder’s Korean roots and his love for the country’s hip hop and street scene. The space is also used as a form of protest against harsh laws and antiquated societal views of cannabis in his home country, Korea.
SevenPoint Interiors’ Creative Director Desmond Chan dove into the project working with Lee to fully conceptualize the brand and retail identity then, with his team, took the process from concept to logo design to the finished retail store with custom fixtures using the firm’s proprietary fixture and visual merchandising display collection, The Module System.
“The minute you pull up to the exterior of the store, you are automatically drawn in by a disruptive zig-zag wall spanning the entire front of the space,” says SevenPoint Interiors’ Creative Director Desmond Chan. “We created a minimal yet cheeky ‘concept-shop’ vibe that paid homage to Seung’s vision and Korean roots while elevating the space with our Module system to create a carefully curated shopping experience.”
Along with Head of Design Randy Simmen, Chan started by developing a complete graphic identity for Seoul Cannabis, starting with the logo and graphic elements, working all the way through to the physical shop. Inspired by Korean folk art called Minhwa, the team created a narrative around the rabbit, a symbol of good, as the central theme of the store. Patrons entering the retail space are met by a “Welcome Wall” introducing the rabbit’s story: the clever rabbit entices a fierce tiger with a smoking pipe in the hopes to prolong his life and not get eaten. Not only a way to pay homage to Lee’s Korean culture, but the rabbit also symbolizes those trying to influence and change the clashing perceptions and laws in Korea as they pertain to cannabis.
“Desmond and his team were great to work with from conception to design and execution of Seoul Cannabis,” says founder and CEO of Seoul Cannabis. “Our requirements weren’t exactly simple as we wanted an open concept type shop where passersby could look inside the store and be drawn in to enter. We were also looking to highlight my Korean heritage, bringing elements of Korean hip-hop and culture into the shop which SevenPoint executed flawlessly, incorporating traditional folk art as part of the logo and the illuminated zig-zag wall.”
The SevenPoint team also created a wall adorned by album covers of Lee’s favorite Korean rappers as a dedication to his affinity to that music genre. The founder pays homage to the artists but uses this moment to bring to attention the plight of Korean American rappers that have been imprisoned for cannabis use in the highly conservative country.
“There are many artists who have gone to Korea to pursue a music career and have been punished for smoking weed,” adds Seung Lee. “Any vocal support for them and the plant is silenced because of the harsh laws and societal views on cannabis. I want to use this space not only to show my love for the rich hip hop and street culture in Korea but also to bring attention to how unforgiving and relentless Korean society is towards cannabis use.”
Chan and Lee decided to accent the wall with the clever rabbit holding the smoking pipe to continue the narrative: The clever rabbit can freely enjoy the benefits of the plant in North America without consequence – a luxury that he wouldn’t have in his home country. Thus, the fight for true cannabis amnesty is far from over.
The SevenPoint team also made it a priority to spotlight Seoul Cannabis’ selection of premier cannabis products, utilizing high-touch digital screens where customers can discover important details of the flower, including terpene profile and cannabinoid percentages. In the design, SevenPoint Interiors adds touches of Minhwa-inspired art to tie in the theme within the display fixtures, including a staggered accent wall with an ornate scene of waves prevalent in the ancient art form. The sleek product display cases are organized into categories like New Releases, Best Sellers, and Local Growers, allowing the customers to peruse the selection to find their favorite strain or a new product to try with ease. From a functional standpoint, the experienced team recognized the importance of an inspired, effortless customer journey and product operational flow.
Together, Seoul Cannabis and SevenPoint Interiors seek to lead even the most discerning and experienced customers on an open-minded journey of advocacy, discovery, and inclusiveness all too often lacking in the industry.
