The Goods Community Cannabis

The Goods Community Cannabis, in Somerville, MA, is a mission-based adult-use recreational dispensary dedicated to cultivating good and supporting the communities in which they live and work, while changing how people buy cannabis in Massachusetts. The brand, merchandising, and customer experience needed to be welcoming to all (of age, that is!) and support their mission: Good People. Good Products. Good Deeds. Good Vibes. The town of Somerville is known as an artist hub in Boston, and the founders care deeply about creating a space that would fit into the community visually and support local artists. The founders were also deeply committed to creating a well-designed space, one that was a complete departure from the existing dispensaries in Massachusetts that often skew cold and unfriendly (think fluorescent lights and more screens than people), that engaged all the senses. The store wanted to introduce cannabis to the community in a welcoming and positive way, whether a customer was an experienced user or novice. The branding intent was to stay light-hearted and bright, with a similar customer experience. We knew we wanted to take cues from a traditional retail store, so we strategically studied the customer journey and how they’d interact with the product, like sniffing different strains of flower at the Bud Bar or picking up cool new product packaging (non-infused dummy product only). The founders were adamant about the store providing exceptional and personalized customer service, so we needed to create a space that was easy to move around in—both for the customers and the staff. Customers are greeted by a team member who assists guests with placing an order. The store is in a dense, urban setting; we wanted it to stand out from the traditional New England brick exteriors to capture the attention of busy students and others rushing by on their way to the T (public transport) a block away.