The Brand Vision
Scott is warm, funny, and thoughtful in a way that's impossible to fake. I wanted the brand to feel like him when you walk through the door.
So I leaned into the human hand. Imperfect cut-paper illustrations. Handwritten type. Rubber stamps for coffee cups and wooden crates, so that no two feel exactly alike. Those elements get set against crisp blocks of deep blue and modern typography, which keeps everything from tipping into "country store" territory. The result is a grocer that reads as personal and current at the same time.
Small details carry the most weight. The door handles are wrapped in leather bike tape, a quiet nod to Totto's cycling days. It's the kind of thing only a regular will notice, which is exactly the kind of store Scott wanted to build.
The Logo
From our first conversation, Scott was clear that perishables were the heart of the business. Neighbors needed to be able to walk in and leave with everything for dinner. I wanted the logo to make that point before anyone read a word.
The mark is a compact still life of the five categories Totto's carries: bakery, floral, dairy, meat, and produce. From there, I built out a set of sixteen food illustrations used across signage, packaging, paper bags, stickers, and product tags. Each touchpoint gets its own composition, so a customer leaves with something that feels made rather than printed.
The Website
The website didn't need to do a lot. Most visitors were locals checking hours or directions before walking over, so I built it lean on Squarespace: easy for Scott to update, fast for customers to use, nothing in the way.
The design takes its cue from a handwritten grocery list. Scrawled notes, checked-off items, and the same imperfect lettering used throughout the brand give the site a visual rhythm that feels personal rather than templated. It's a small device, but it keeps the site of a piece with everything else Totto's touches.
Where the site does spend time is on story. There's real estate for Totto's legacy, the people behind the counter, and the range of what's on the shelves. Scott also wanted to credit every collaborator who helped bring the store to life, from the architect to the sign maker to the local makers stocked inside, so the site gives them proper space too. The whole thing reads the way the store feels: warm, generous, and built by a lot of good people.
