Community spaces once felt familiar to Subiaco residents, not any more.

For many retirees and older professionals, third places that once supported routine, connection, and identity. Overtime the client felt that these spaces were disappearing and being replaced by environments that feel transactional, overstimulating, or disconnected from local communities. This creates a gap in available community spaces within Subiaco which is a known arts and culture area in perth. Design was no longer helping people feel grounded, oriented, or part of a community.

A bookstore rooted in place, people, and the natural world around us.

Word Garden reimagines the local bookstore in Subiaco as a sustainable, community-led space where graphic design becomes a guiding system for experience, not just decoration. The visual identity draws from native flora and fauna, translating ecological forms into mural designs, merchandise, signage systems, and printed matter that feel calm, legible, and tactile. Across the rollout, design connects reading, sustainability messaging, and community programming into one coherent visual design language helping visitors move intuitively through space while reinforcing a sense of place and belonging.

A living community space where stories, nature, and connection continue to grow

By integrating mural design, environmental storytelling, and signage systems, Word Garden becomes more than a bookstore. It aims to operate as a designed ecosystem. Every touchpoint, from posters and shelf systems to event graphics and seasonal campaigns, reinforces a relationship between reading, ecology, and community. The result is a regenerative brand experience where graphic design actively shapes how people gather, learn, and reconnect with each other and the environment around them.

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