Clients sit in the chair because they already trust the hairstyle in the photo.
Salons and barbershops live on regulars. Sinh Vũ gives the shop a style that is recognized at a glance, so clients remember the shop's name, not just the stylist's.
Three things first: a memorable name and mark, a portfolio photo set in one style, and a storefront that says the shop's taste. Those three decide whether a new client dares to sit in the chair the first time.
Readable at a small size on a profile photo, recognizable on a sign from across the street.
The same light, the same background, the same angle, so clients know it is the shop's photo at a glance.
Passersby can tell whether the shop suits them before they walk in.
It is all haircutting, but the clients differ, so what the brand has to say differs too.
Their customersWomen who come for perms, color and repair; one visit lasts several hours.
Brand challengeShow clients the shop's taste and its care for their hair before they hand over several hours and their hair.
Their customersMen who return regularly every few weeks, choosing the shop by style and comfort.
Brand challengeHave a character clear enough that clients feel it is their place. When the second shop opens, that character has to travel without depending on one stylist.
Their customersClients choose for convenience and the assurance that every branch does it the same way.
Brand challengeKeep the same experience at every branch, from the sign to the greeting.
These are the places salons tend to lose clients that skill can't save.
Each photo has a different background and light; posted, they blend in with a hundred other shops.
One standard shooting corner in the shop, with the same light and framing, so every photo carries the shop's mark.
Start from this problemThe head stylist moves on and part of the clientele goes with them.
Put the shop's style first, introduce stylists as a team of the shop, and tie the membership card to the shop.
Start from this problemPerms, color and repair in many varieties; clients don't know what they need and fear surprise charges.
Present the service menu by client need, stating what each service includes and how long it takes.
Start from this problemThe interior is redone to follow a trend and looks dated a few years later.
Separate the fixed part (name, mark, core color) from the part that changes with the season (photos, collections, decor).
Start from this problemAt the Checking stage. Before booking, clients open the shop's page to look at hairstyle photos. If the photos don't share one taste, clients don't dare hand over their hair.
Touchpoints are the places where clients see, touch or hear about the shop. You don't need to do everything at once. These five touchpoints decide most of a client's impression.
Passersby decide within a few seconds.
What clients study most closely before booking.
Where clients take photos and post them, so it has to look good on camera.
Helps clients choose fast and fear surprise charges less.
Clients search on the map and message on Zalo before they come; the name, photos and greeting there are brand too.
Listed in the order to do them. A newly opened shop can stop at step two or three; a chain goes all the way.
Name, mark, color and type: the base for everything after.
A portfolio and space photo set, usable all year.
Sign, mirror corner, items in the shop.
Service menu and membership card.
When the second branch opens: guidelines so every location does it the same way.
Sinh Vũ has not published a hair salon project. The two below solve the two closest problems: a reception standard that travels to a new location, and a premium visual taste.
2020LE Hospitality is a serviced apartment for Japanese guests living in Hanoi, a place where hospitality is measured by the things a guest has not yet asked for. Sinh Vũ built the positioning…
A reception standard written as guidelines: exactly the job when you open another shop.
Callidora, a skincare cosmetics brand, had Sinh Vũ build a feminine, premium identity system that keeps its promise of beauty from healthy skin from the very first glance.
Feminine, premium beauty without being clichéd: an imagery direction for a styling salon.
The principles behind it
Avoid scissors, combs or flowing hair, since almost every shop uses them. Sinh Vũ looks for a distinct detail in the shop's own story, and tests the logo at profile photo size before settling on it.
It doesn't have to be classic with a red and white pole. The style should follow the shop's clients: office workers suit a tidy look, younger clients suit personality. Consistency from the sign to the posted photos matters most.
Not yet. The minimum is a name, logo, color, sign, service menu and photo template. The rest comes when the shop expands.
Keep the name, mark, color and way of greeting clients, since those are what regulars already recognize. Write them into a short guide for new stylists to follow. Keep the parts that change by location (photos, decor) separate.
Give the shop a style of its own so every photo carries its mark, introduce stylists as a team, and tie the membership card to the shop instead of to individuals.
It can, if everything changes at once. Tell regulars a few weeks ahead, keep what clients already recognize, such as a color or the familiar name, and only then change the sign.
A few lines about the shop, your regulars and what is holding you back is enough. Sinh Vũ reads and replies within one working day.