Skills
Website | Branding Strategy | UX/UI Design
Softwares Used
Shopify | Canva | Photoshop | Illustrator

Overview
Above The Baar specializes in fashionable satin-lined headwear made for the African-American community created by a Black woman.
The Challenge
Above The Baar’s brand did not appeal to the desired target audience. Therefore, the brand was passed up by the desired audience which caused sales to slow down after the initial launch.
The Goal
The goal was to create a brand that would appeal to the desired target audience of the established woman looking to invest in quality products to increase sales and brand loyalty.
My Role:
I completed the visual direction and brand strategy of this project.
Responsibilities
My responsibilities for this project included creating a style guide, logos and a branding strategy.
Research
Company Research
Above The Baar was in operation for over one year before this rebrand. In order to learn more about the customer and the brand’s positioning in the market, I decided to complete a competitive audit as well as a customer survey.
Name | General Info/Brand Identity | Pricing | Social Media Presence | Target Market |
Kin Apparel | Started by natural hair YouTuber Philomina Kane. KIN = Keep It Naturally Consumers able to relate to brand owner Multiple hoodie styles offered Sizes go up to 4X Other products available – Detangling brush, shea butter, visors/hats | $50 – $85 + Shipping Offers discount for email subscribers $10 – $15 for visors | Popular YouTuber TikTok | Black women who wear their natural hair Ages 18 – 35 Women & Men |
Grace Eleyae | Started by Grace Eleyae after discovering that her hair was being pulled out from the friction of her hair against the materials in a seat headrest during an 8 hour car ride in Ghana. Invented the “Slap” (satin lined cap) Offers an array of satin lined products (no hoodies) Featured in many notable publications and talk shows Popular amongst YouTubers | $15 – $50 Most products are ~ $30 | Large Instagram following | Geared towards all women wether they identify as having natural hair or not Ages 45 – 65 |
Blissy | Not the best brand story, consumers may not be able to connect with the brand. There’s little to relate to in the brand story. Brand owner(s) are not mentioned. Seems like a big box store. Focuses on 100% Mulberry Silk Sleepwear Gift sets available | $40 – $120 | Everywhere on social & featured on TV/Popular Publications | Women Ages 45 – 65 Products directed towards skincare and helping keep your skin clear as opposed to being an essential for hair health |
Adama Beauty Co. | Focuses more on satin lined sleepwear Not many humanlike characteristics. Very difficult to relate to as an individual consumer. Focused on healthy hair | $10 – $20 | Instagram | Black Women Natural Hair Ages 18 – 25 |
Satin Life | Owner present in brand Started by Melissa Struggled to “tame” her hair and was inspired to start “Satin Life” | $20 – $30 | Instagram | Black women who wear their natural hair Ages 18 – 35 |
Customer Research
Customer surveys were conducted to understand the current target audience and bridge the gap between the current and desired target audience. Below are the findings.
Top Findings
59.1%
Ages 18-24
72.7%
Black/African-American
100%
Female
95.5%
Purchase For Themselves
What this research shows, is that the current target audience is primarily African-American college aged females. They may not be the decision maker in the buying process but they are mostly buying the product for themselves. My belief is that this current audience will graduate into the desired audience in a few years. This information helps me to tailor the brand a bit more to the target audience that is a few years older with buyer decision power to quickly interact with the brand and purchase the product. It is not necessary to end the relationship with the current audience, but this rebrand will focus primarily on building a relationship with the desired target audience and catering to their needs.
The Re-Brand
Using the above the research, I recreated the brand’s identity. Below are the results.
User Persona
The desired persona is an established professional that is the decision maker in the buying process and has the funds to purchase quality products to enhance their current hair routine.
Messaging
Above The Baar aims to create an inclusive and informative space for Black hair. Customers should feel informed, welcomed and included when interacting and speaking with the brand.
Brand Archetype – The Sage
The Sage is about finding and then giving wisdom. They seek out information and they want to understand the process of how things are done. They love teaching and are highly intelligent. They are seekers of knowledge, not experience, and despise ignorance and being duped. In their quest for knowing, they make rational decisions and are prudent with their time and resources.
Above The Baar customers make informed purchases and are intrigued by brands that offer knowledge and resources in their field. Above The Baar uses this brand archetype when deciding how to communicate with customers and the type of content the brand puts out on their distribution channels.
Brand Mood Board

Logo, Design & Implementation
The new logo has a clean and modern appeal. It also is easy to read and recognize. The curvature in the A & B adds to the femininity of the brand. Lastly, the addition of the Raleway font gives the brand a more luxurious presence.


Colors
I decided to go with a purple color palette to speak to the femininity of the brand. Also, purple is known as the color of royalty and African-American hair is often referred to as our “crown”. Above The Baar offers a niche product and I wanted to ensure that the brand seamlessly connected fashion and hair together. In order to do so, I chose a purple color palette to tie into the idea that African-American hair is essentially the crown we wear every day.
Additionally, the supporting colors add to the more natural appeal of the conversation regarding natural hair. The supporting colors give the earthy tone that natural hair is often associated with.



Pattern
The Above The Baar pattern was created with our audience in mind. We created this to further our branding efforts on marketing assets and packaging. Our pattern consists of a line illustration depicting our customer persona surrounded by our brand’s name in our Raleway font.

Typography
Above The Baar is a brand for the established woman willing to invest in high-quality products. In order to relate to this established woman, I wanted to choose typography that would align with her lifestyle. I chose the Raleway font because of its simplicity and modern style typeface. After extensive research and font pairings, I landed on Montserrat as an accompanying font to uplift the more established and feminine presence of the brand.


Mockups
Moving Forward
Impact
After completing this project, Above The Baar noticed an increase in brand loyalty and brand awareness. The site was also praised for its professional look and feel and for the overall experience.
What I’ve Learned
Prior to this project, I did not realize my passion for UX design. This project sparked my curiosity in my skills as a designer which began my journey of finding my true passion in life. I am so thankful to be able to have had this experience and look forward to what the future has in store.
Let’s Connect!
Thank you for taking the time to review the Above The Baar website and branding! If you’d like to see more or get in touch, feel free to contact me below.

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