FINE LINE
WEEK 9
Finer Sounds is a record and audio store created by David Azzoni and Shota Iyobe in 2025, built around the idea that buying music equipment should feel welcoming and easy rather than intimidating or pretentious. Instead of overwhelming customers with endless products, the shop focuses on a carefully curated range of vinyl, turntables, headphones and audio essentials. The goal was to create both a physical and online store that feels approachable for everyone, whether they are experienced collectors or completely new to vinyl culture.
To bring this idea to life visually, the founders worked with the creative studio Gretel, who developed an identity that feels playful, personal and intentionally imperfect. Rather than creating something overly polished or luxury-focused, the branding embraces a hand-drawn and slightly awkward aesthetic that makes the store feel genuine and approachable. Executive Creative Director Ryan Moore described the idea as wanting the brand to feel “fancy drawn in an unfancy way,” almost like sketches or doodles made in the margins of a notebook.
Much of the identity was hand-drawn by Senior Designer Suyoung Yang, who worked alongside designer Yeni Kim to create custom illustrations, icons and typography. Every part of the identity, including the logo and monogram, was drawn by hand before being digitised for practical use. The imperfect line work became one of the strongest parts of the branding, helping the shop avoid the overly clean and minimal style often seen in modern retail identities. Instead, the visuals feel warm, human and full of personality.
What makes the project especially interesting is Gretel’s creative process. Instead of assigning a small design team, the studio opened the project to anyone who wanted to contribute. Designers across the studio created different concepts, resulting in 11 design directions that were pinned up and reviewed together. The chosen identity ended up staying incredibly close to the original concept presented in that first review, which shows how clear and strong the direction was from the beginning.
Although the hand-drawn visuals feel loose and expressive, the overall system is carefully controlled. Gretel balanced the playful elements with structured layouts, a signature blue colour and the typeface Ivory Mono to keep everything cohesive. This combination allows the branding to feel flexible without becoming messy or inconsistent. The store interior follows the same thinking, using restraint and simplicity so smaller details like wall graphics, labels and merchandise can stand out naturally.
Overall, Finer Sounds feels refreshing because it avoids the exclusivity often associated with music and audio culture. The branding reflects the founders’ philosophy perfectly: curated rather than cluttered, expressive rather than over-designed, and welcoming instead of intimidating. It proves that strong branding does not always need to feel perfect or highly polished to be successful.