Word on the Water is an inviting and unpretentious bookstore located in a 1920’s barge on Regent’s Canal. The unusual setting of the bookstore makes finding and interacting with it mystical, like a hero finding a sage on their quest. But Word on the Water is not just a Sage, there is also an air of creative passion around it. Its atmosphere provokes its customers to be inspired in all aspects of life, making it  a Sage-Creator.

Though Word on the Water has been around since 2010, it has recently exploded in popularity, largely due to Social Media. To visit the bookstore involves going down the stairs or slope to enter the canal front. A solution to visitors not immediately seeing the bookstore was to play soothing jazz, which is audible from a distance. For regular visitors, the music serves as a comforting reminder of Word on the Water’s presence, while for newcomers, it sparks curiosity and attachment.

The second touchpoint that draws audiences in is lights. Using a combination of antique hanging lights, reading lamps and bulbs on a string, an inviting atmosphere of order amidst chaos is made, which can only be credited to a Creator Archetype. 

The interior of the barge is meaningfully created to evoke a cozy, slightly eccentric but immensely passionate ambience. Objects such as a typewriter, trumpet, and film cameras are placed and used in unusual ways like a book holder, support for hanging prints, and as a vase. Dark wood flooring and ornate decor pieces like railings and fireplaces enhance the atmosphere of the old yet immensely well preserved barge. Hand-painted signs like ‘Please your mind + Mind your head’ embody the wisdom of the Sage, gently reminding visitors to slow down and reflect. They are accompanied by framed posters of illuminated manuscripts. The curation of such objects promotes meaningful interaction that often leads to reflection, leading further to the discovery of new truths and observations, serving the purpose of a sage. 

The product line of the bookstore in itself is not limited to just books. Exhibiting the true essence of the creator, Word on the Water also offers art prints, postcards, tote bags, and even a poem on the spot. 

All touchpoints of the brand combine the curiosity of a creator along with the wisdom of a sage, which befits the brand’s audience of the modern, well-informed reader, who is on the search for a stimulating and calm environment amidst the chaos of the outside world.