Saint City Running

Brand Identity | Logo Design | Digital Photography

I had the opportunity to create a brand identity for Jeff and Bekah Metzdorff, owners of the infamous Mill City Running. They decided to open up a second store on their home turf in Minnesota’s capitol. The community Mill City Running creates for the running community in Minneapolis is unmatched—so when I got the chance to make the identity system for their growing St. Paul community, you know I responded with a resounding yes.

The result was a lot of collaboration between Jeff, Bekah, and I. We exchanged many emails and critiques before we landed on a suite of three logos—a stacked logotype, a script logotype, and a black-letter style monogram.

Visually, I wanted the logos to emit the history and legacy of St. Paul while also leaning toward modern communities and forward thinking. The main logo (the stacked, slab-serif type) gives the identity a strong, timeless base. It’s customized type to feel sturdy and personalized, similar to the old-build homes and neighborhoods that surround the stores (I especially love the brick ones).

From that sturdiness come two more playful iterations—the script logo and the monogram. The script logo’s custom type is thick and free-flowing, and speaks to the abundance of community that Mill City and Saint City have created for the greater Twin-Cities running community.

Lastly, the monogram! I’ve always loved blackletter and how it seems to get re-imagined constantly for the modern era. This style seemed perfect to include in this identity. Rooted in a lot of history, with a fresh take. It also includes a small star, nodding to the location of the shop in Minnesota’s capitol.