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FEATURES | rare design

CREATIVE FIRM GIVES NEW LIFE

TO HISTORICHATTIESBURG

BUILDING

ITEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAYLA ESSARY

In the mid-1990s, fresh out ofcollege and working in a three-person design studio inHattiesburg, graphic designerRodney Richardson pitchedhimself to the Nike Corporationwithout a portfolio or extensiveexperience.

Instead it was a singleresume that turned the heads ofcompany executives.

“I realized I needed to makemine stand out so I designed itin a way that was unique andcomposed the information in away that was unusual,” recalledRichardson. “They told methey’d never seen a resume likeit.”

The company eventuallyoffered Richardson a job inPortland, Ore., immersing theyoung artist into the earlydesign phase of a professionalteam identity campaign.

“One of the first projects Igot to be a part of was thedesign for the Denver Broncosorganization,” said Richardson.“It was the first time a profes-

sional sporting organizationused a retail corporation forthat role. Being a part of thatprocess was clearly where myeducation in branding started. Ihad actually hated logo projectsbefore and now the identitywork is the foundation foreverything I do.”

In 1999, Richardson movedhis family back to Hattiesburgto launch Rare Design, a com-pany he conceptualized as asenior project in college.

“I used my initials R-A-R forthe first three letters, and usedthe word ‘rare’ because thatword means raw but alsounique,” said Richardson,explaining how Rare Designhas fulfilled what he envisionedyears ago, as a forward think-ing, edgy creative venture. “Iwanted those qualities to bereflected in our logo and thatlogo I designed then is still thelogo we have today.”

BEHIND THE RED DOORRare Design doesn’t exactly

rely on foot traffic for business,so the fact that it’s tucked awayon the side of a 30,000 squarefoot building on BuschmanStreet in downtown Hattiesburgisn’t exactly surprising. But oneglimpse inside the businessbehind the scarlet red doorreveals interior design elementsthat are anything but ordinary.

“We like being off the beatenpath, tucked away with our reddoor,” Richardson said. “Thenyou walk in and there’s thismassive, curved, corrugatedwall that sets a tone for thevision we are trying to project.The space is what we call mod-ern, urban, industrial living.”

Because of the creativenature of their work, downtownseemed to be the best fit for thecompany.

“There was never any ques-tion about it — our officewould be downtown. It’s a cre-ative agency, and with creativepeople you have to be able toget up from your desk andmove around and do different

things. I think other creativepeople thrive with a greatersense of community, and whereelse can you get out, go downthe street, and go to an eatery,go to a shop, go to a galleryand experience residential andcommercial blended together sowell?”

Richardson said he lookedat this 30,000 square foot build-ing about a year afterHurricane Katrina, realizingthat it needed a lot of repairsalong with a new look and feel.

“It had lots of damage,”Richardson said. “There wereliterally gaping holes in theceiling, but I immediately sawthe multi-use potential of thebuilding. There’s a legacy ofpeople already here in down-town doing wonderful thingswith the spaces here and wewanted to join in, to contributeto this community.”

The Buschman Street build-ing is a part of what is nowdescribed as the Depot District.

“Downtown Hattiesburg hasbegun to describe areas inregard to districts and theDepot District gets its namebecause of the proximity to thenewly renovated train depot,”said Betsy Rowell, director ofthe Historic HattiesburgDowntown Association. “It’swonderful to see this buildingand the entire district preserveits history, while at the sametime creating an exciting futureby choosing this important cor-ridor in downtown.”

“It’s an eclectic blend of lifehere,” Richardson said. “We are

proud that we are a part of theinvestment going on in down-town.”

And that investment nowcontinues with a currentremodeling effort involvingmore than 10,000 square feet ofspace, dedicated to creating anunparalleled event room.

“By early next year, we hopeto be able to offer a uniquespace to local businesses andorganizations,” said TobyBarker, who serves on staff atRare Design and event spacefacilitator. “We know that thereis a demand for a space likethis and we are thrilled withthe chance to create a venuelike no other in this area ofdowntown.”

SECOND CHANCEFaintly painted numbers lin-

ing the lower quadrant of abrick wall are clear remindersof the building’s former life asa large scale commercial bak-ery; the old Smith Bakery mark-ings are left behind by design.

Likewise Richardson is quickto remember the events in hislife that have made lastingimpressions.

“It’s not always that picture-perfect business success story;there have been many strugglesand many defining momentsalong the way,” saidRichardson. “In my faith jour-ney, I’ve learned to rely on Godthrough every step of the way,through many ups and downs.”

Richardson recalled the rockbottom coming while in college,enduring scholastic and disci-

plinary suspensions atSouthern Miss, yet getting asecond chance at the field hewas pursuing.

“A person with a key posi-tion at the university let meknow that they didn’t think Iwas a bad kid,” Richardsonsaid. “There was a studentdesign position that hadbecome available. They knew Iwasn’t technically supposed tobe eligible for this position, butthey thought I deserved anoth-er chance.”

That second chance provedto be the big break Richardsonneeded.

“When I think about thatnow, it was huge. I was justanother kid among thousandsand they made that effort tocall me back in and give me myfirst design job. You talk abouta light switch that flipped on. Idon’t even think I knew what

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the field was about before then.After I served my disciplinarytime, from that time on, schoolwas so easy for me.”

Years later, Rare Design stilldoes work with Nike and wascontracted to create the identityand logos for the MemphisGrizzlies and the HoustonTexans, not to mention the cur-rent design used by theUniversity of SouthernMississippi.

“There’s nothing like thework we do with sportingorganizations,” Richardsonsaid. “If we design a corporateidentity, outside of the top offi-cials, not that many peoplereally care what that logo lookslike. But you get an athleticidentity? People are emotional-ly invested in that mark andwhat it represents; fans connectwith it. If we miss that, it’shuge. But if we capture it, it’seven bigger.”

And there’s evidence thatgetting it right can affect thebottom line profits of the com-pany.

“There’s a great joy in show-ing our work to clients andwhen we see their eyes light upand they say, ‘Yes, that’s it’,you know the work that’s beingdone is right and connects withthe client and their audience.There are case studies thatshow it impacts the company’sbottom line significantly.There’s great satisfaction inthat.”

Richardson added that as adesigner, it’s more than justmaking a logo that looks good.

“A lot of people say, ‘I seethis logo over here and I wantone of those.’ But that logo isthe end result of a lot of workdetermining the core values ofa company and its identity. Itstarts as a big shotgun explo-sion of large pieces, but at theend of the day the brandingends up very concise and theysay, ‘Wow, that is who weare.’”

Yet Richardson admits thatgetting there doesn’t comewithout a price.

“Our goal with our clients is

to help them understand thatthere is a connection that has tobe reached with their consumerand make sure they are willingto do the tough work to getthere. It’s an arduous, time-consuming process, and it canbe costly, but it’s front-loaded.Later, when you have to do abrochure or release to the pub-lic, all those decisions aremade. It makes all the choiceseasier to make down the road.”

And no doubt Richardsonhas his eye on what’s down theroad, at the same time main-taining the important mile-stones of the past.

“Rodney’s found a way to berespectful of the history of thebuilding his business nowoccupies,” Rowell said. “In atime when there’s so muchemphasis on being environmen-tally conscious, reviving thesesustainable buildings is reallythe ultimate act of beinggreen.”

Along with being green,Richardson aims for excellencein all that he does with thebusiness and renovation efforts.

“A friend told me the otherday that he thought of ourbusiness when he saw an adcampaign. It said that a busi-ness was ‘Rare but exceptional-ly well done.’

That, Richardson said, goesbeyond the awards or accoladesRare Design has received, serv-ing as inspiration for thedecade to come.

More information on RareDesign can be found atwww.raredesign.com.