Injecting some personality into a lackluster brand.

Upon Ontario’s legalization of marijuana on October 17, 2018, a provincial government-run marijuana seller, Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), made Canadian history as the only legal recreational seller of marijuana in the province. However, the public made it very clear that they weren’t excited by this design direction. I agree; for a product that already has fear and apprehension attached to it, OCS’s logo doesn’t help ease and comfort that disconnect.

My aim was to reposition Ontario Cannabis Store’s visual passivity to a more explicit and dynamic spirit of the existing cannabis culture and the one in which it will permeate. As a consistent visual framework that can easily display on packaging, stationary, and ephemera, my redesign proposal utilizes vibrant colours (to represent a culture coming together rather than a part) and bold type (to represent both strong voices and quality). Most importantly, the identity doesn’t shame one for purchasing cannabis by debunking any negative views on the drug itself.