At CULt we aim to foster a vibrant community both within the salon and across online platforms. Selecting a design agency was pivotal - one that could seamlessly integrate an elevated user experience with the Cult ethos. We want our visitors to feel like they know the salon even before they step foot in the space!

Upon meeting Ark Agency - we knew we had discovered the ideal collaborators who would bring our digital vision to life - while also enhancing the overarching brand identity. Following the launch of our new website,  we took the chance to sit down with the Ark team to reflect on the project and delve into their creative processes..

Why did you decide to embark on this project?

Brett is a specialist in his field, and once we spoke with both him and his partner, Maria to understand their vision for the salon and site, we felt compelled to take on the brief.

The CULt team is charismatic, creative, focused, ambitious, motivated, and fun. We [feel that we] share similar values and love to help fellow creative independent businesses achieve what they set out to do.

What did the process of creating the site look like?

The process was a creative and positive challenge. There were different ways to capture CULt’s essence and aspects of the new salon - for instance, drawing upon Scandinavian influence to bring out the harmonious balance of materials. But, being collaborative, we dug deeper and wanted to create a site that dialed up brutalist design inspiration and be memorable for new and current customers. It attempts to - as requested by Brett - ‘burn the retina’, within the confines of the CULt brand.

What were your thoughts on the branding?

We love it! It’s expressive, and characterful and captures the energy in a style befitting of a unique, creative East London salon that exists to help people capture, appreciate, and embrace their unique expression and place in the world. 

What was the most inspiring thing for you during the creation of the site?

The creativity invested in the salon's architecture, materials, and aesthetics really brings the vision to life. That, married with Brett’s passion and articulation of what’s to come helped inspire the studio to want to step up and ride the CULt wave.

What would you say is the distinction between our website compared to other salons’ sites? 

Fundamentally, it’s a challenger brand…it’s not West London SUVs and handheld dogs.

It’s not soft, apologetic, or beige in any way. It’s bold and confronting whilst being welcoming and inviting. It’s a brand for those who know who they are and respect individuality and creativity.

What challenges did you face during the process?

Creative clients have their own vision, which can be challenging when ideas can’t be expressed clearly. But when they can, then it’s an incentive to push harder. Translating Brett’s creative vision into a site that is both striking and functional, a platform that needed to be attention-grabbing and leave a lasting image in the user’s mind at first glance, but also needed to be simple to navigate and informative. Finding the balance between the bold look and user experience was challenging, especially when considering the array of devices potential clients would use to access the site.

If we imagine that the site has the personality what is the personality of the CULt?

The self-assurance of an experienced powerhouse like Dame Anna Wintour (or Meryl Streep in A Devil Wears Prada), with the juxtaposition of an anonymous, adventurous 20-something future creative pioneer making their mark. It’s a brand for anyone and everyone, provided they know their stuff.

Can you tell us how you decided on the brand’s colour palette? 

This palette builds upon CULt’s original brand work, amplifying the symbolism of the burning red circle as a representation of creativity and culture. It’s harmonized by a robust blue undertone, signaling authority and reliability. The bold use of these colours aligns seamlessly with the clean lines and tonal harmony in the accompanying imagery, resulting in a well-balanced, yet captivating aesthetic.

Is there anything you would have done differently looking back now?

Be brighter and bolder from the start. Burn the retinas from day one.

What do you think it is about the site that will make people want to return again and again (apart from the obvious reason to make an appointment)?

To get a dose of like-minded character. A voice of reassurance that there’s a brand that gets their attitude. This could be through evening events, blogs, or general behind-the-scenes snippets to show CULt's creativity in motion.