We’ve been working for the past few months on creating an adaptive visual identity for a new visually-led advertising agency, based in Victoria, London.

The new agency is the brainchild of Martin Galton and Oliver Lewis-Barclayis, and it’s called BigEyes because of its visually-led approach to advertising.

“We want to make visually exciting work, but also honest representations of the brands we are helping communicate. We want to make work you can ‘look in the eye’ — work that is the right mix of truthful and interesting.”
— MARTIN GALTON, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BIGEYES

The ever-changing branding enables the new agency to more easily explain their approach. It’s a brand that’s in permanent beta. Always learning, always helping.

The identity is fuelled by a series of digital sculptures created by artists FIELD. When viewed from the front, the sculptures are designed to resemble the complex series of fine muscles that expand and contract to make up the iris of a biological eye. The data randomises, giving an infinite number of iris designs.

These artworks are being used across a broad variety of applications — all with the idea of keeping things visually interesting.

The brand will be soft launching over the next three months, and we’re working on a wide variety of applications, from digital to print to interiors to vinyl (yes, a record!). We’re looking to produce an album of visually-led music — soundtracks from some of the greatest visually memorable films of our time. Lawrence of Arabia, StarWars, PulpFiction, Easy Rider…

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SomeOne elsewhere on Identity Designed: National Maritime Museum.

View more brand identity work on the SomeOne website. Follow Simon Manchipp on Twitter.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.

Sixty six million people stammer worldwide. Little is known about why, and despite there being no cure, The McGuire Programme is providing effective therapeutic coaching to help sufferers manage their difficulties.

Founded in 1994, the organisation is run entirely by people who are conquering their own stutters and who work towards transforming lives. Their visual language however, lacked in the confidence and consistency the organisation needed to grow their brand and reputation.

The McGuire Programme’s previous website design

As part of an internal initiative, Purpose approached The McGuire Programme with a view to creating an identity that truly reflected the strengths of the organisation, and equip them with the tools they would need to create a strong, recognisable brand.

Purpose developed a core thought, “Beyond Stuttering,” which helped to inform the new confident visual and verbal language. Simple graphic speech bubbles are readily adapted as a communication device and campaigning banner, which helps lay the foundation for a growing image bank. The two-colour approach has created a level of consistency throughout all their marketing communications, whilst being a very cost-effective solution – a top priority for a non-profit organisation.

The new identity is transforming The McGuire Programme into a stronger, more prominent brand, helping them really stand out from their competitors and ultimately get their voice heard.

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View more brand identity work on the Purpose website. Follow Purpose on Twitter.

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After three successful years, Melbourne’s Glöw Beauteous founder and owner Gabriela Sebastianko decided it was time to give her business a design facelift. She put this project in the capable hands of me, Sarah Bürvenich.

The brief

First and foremost the new identity had to embody Gabriela’s modern and professional approach to beauty. It not only had to convey the science that lies behind Glöw Beauteous’ techniques, but also the playful element that comes with making people feel pampered and looking gorgeous.

The clientele are primarily female, aged in their mid 20′s to late 50′s. Glöw Beauteous is focused on sustainable skin care and scientifically sound methodology, with special attention to protection from the sun and environmental hazards (Australian sun can be very nasty). If you’re expecting nail polish, color cosmetics or Botox injections you best look elsewhere.

Luckily, the fact that I was living on a sailing vessel in the middle of the Pacific ocean didn’t put Gabriela off. I can appreciate that not everybody is willing to work remotely with a designer, especially if the client isn’t experienced with the design process. Building the client/designer relationship when communication is limited was quite a challenge.

Fortunately Gabriela was undeterred; she liked my style and decided to work with me. She has an amazing personality and was able to confidently make decisions which allowed the design process to move smoothly and quickly.

Design decisions

In designing the company’s logo, stationery, and website, I developed an elementary, contemporary, identity with a distinctly feminine feel.

Naming

When the clinic was founded in 2009 Gabriela wanted a nod to her European heritage by changing the letter “o” in “Glow” into an umlaut. We kept this little feature when we changed the business name from Glöw Beauty to the more gentle and elegant Glöw Beauteous.

Design

Elemental but not simple; the logo represents an infinite cycle. The balanced circular flow portrays the self-renewing ability of our skin. Characterised by an organic and cohesive shape, the logo features the idea of consistent treatment and highlights the scientific approach, as it can be interpreted as the fractal like cell structure of the subject’s skin.

The design operates on two levels — the first being a visually delicious logo, the second reveals the intrinsic elements of the business, through the use of a warm colour palette, organic lines and a cyclical shape.

Imagery and color palette

The imagery is aquatic, clear and flooded with light. Utilising a color palette of soft pastels such as coral, vanilla, light lavender purple and a warmish beige-grey reinforces the femininity and tenderness the business embodies. The stock photo for the gift voucher is the only exception, featuring a whimsical urban scene in the same color range.

Living on a boat, surrounded by water, and having an underwater camera came in handy. I couldn‘t resist using the look and feel of water (imagery) for the fresh appearance of the identity and I‘m quite happy with the result.

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View more design projects on the Sarah Bürvenich website. Follow Sarah on Twitter.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.

A collaboration between internationally known professional graphic designers and a select group of MECA design faculty and majors has resulted in a new visual identity for a historic institution that has been a pillar of the New England arts scene since 1882.

MECA’s new mark reflects the institution’s strongest assets: an extraordinary community of artistically-gifted individuals and a mission dedicated to promoting academic excellence, creative entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.

The new mark is the culmination of combined efforts that transpired over three full (14-16 hour) days hosted on campus in early February, 2013. The entire process, however, has taken much longer. Development for the logo has been in process for several years. We were about to introduce a mark co-produced by Pentagram in August, however decided not to on the grounds that it compromised one of our strongest inherent brand assets: the power of positioning MECA as core to our visual identity. After the three day design intensive charrette, we tested and investigated variations and applications for another two months or so.

Orchestrated under the guidance and vision of internationally known designer, Eddie Opara, partner at Pentagram (the world’s largest interdisciplinary design firm) and MECA graphic design faculty led by professors Margo Halverson and Charles Melcher, a group of MECA graphic design majors were selected to participate. According to Eddie Opara, “The whole process is to establish a way that the students can start to understand how the real world actually works.”

Professor Charles Melcher noted, “This is an avant-garde approach to developing an institutional identity that, to the best of our knowledge, has never before been attempted in North America. What better way to celebrate MECA’s mission than through creating an unprecedented legacy that highlights the college’s creative force and trust and support for our students and faculty.”

Inspired by MECA’s distinctive sense of place and the critical role MECA serves as an anchor in the Arts District of Portland Maine, the new visual identity captures the creative energy that pours out of the historic Porteous building 24/7 into our increasingly interconnected local and global communities.

Porteous building in 1946, credit

Rebecca Swanson Conrad, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, believes that the introduction of a new visual identity is a historic moment for MECA. She said, “The purpose of developing a new mark that more effectively communicates the vibrant pulse of our community is not only to cultivate unity and a sense of pride, but to reaffirm the common thread that holds us all together as a greater sense of whole.”

“The uncommon process employed to develop MECA’s new mark exemplifies creative problem-solving at its finest and underscores the distinctiveness of what makes this such a special place.” said MECA President Donald Tuski. “Not only does our logo signify the unparalleled educational experience and wealth of professional development opportunities found at MECA, it also symbolizes several of our most important defining attributes: the five-pronged ‘E’ represents the five core tenets of our educational philosophy statement —studio, agency, place, community, and ethics; the five floors of the historic Porteous building; and the five educational areas — BFA, MFA, Art Ed, Continuing Studies, and Pre-College, while paying tribute to the iconic red stairwell that unifies each of the departments and majors.”

The following video outlines the process (as well as a few of the other lead concepts).

The chosen fonts we are going with are Cytia and Proxima Nova. The fonts on the mark itself, however, are custom made here at MECA.

Graphic design major Sarah Mohammadi was honored and proud to have been involved in such an important project. “Having the opportunity to work with professional designers and faculty members on a project that had never been done before was truly amazing. As a student, being part of the collaboration that rebranded the school we represent was an experience that is irreplaceable. It was an experience that none of us will ever forget and we all will be proud of for years to come.”

Participating students: Carly Soos, Celia Packard, Dan Heutz, Hannah Sherwood, Kaitlin Callender, Klarizza Cruz, Lucy Henson, Nicole Holmes, Sarah Mohammadi.

Photo credit: Gabriella Sturchio.

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Visit the Maine College of Art website.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.

Founder of Højmark Cycles, Danish-born Brian Højmark Larsen, is a highly skilled precision metalworker and mountain bike (MTB) enthusiast who in the early nineties dropped out of the lucrative oil industry to start a small bike-shop in a secluded basement in Stavanger on the west coast of Norway. Being a sucker for craftsmanship he developed a fascination for American handmade MTB-frames like the early Konas by Joe Murray, Fat Chance (Independent), Ibis, Bontrager, and more. The dream of building bike frames was born.

Almost two decades later, after meeting one of Denmarks oldest frame-builders, the legendary Tonny “Tornado” Petersen, Højmark Cycles became a reality.

What did the design brief ask for?

I think you can say we got ambitious and broadened the brief a bit but basically the brief was to design a starter-kit of identity material with the logo elements being the main focus. The founder showed us an old Danish store sign he got from his late grandfather who was a sign painter. He liked the slab-ish font and had the idea that we should somehow do a re-interpretation for the Højmark logo.

Craftmanship, the concept of precision, and the fact that the logo should be simple enough to engrave into bike frames, were all obvious guidelines for the design process.

Garage meets lifestyle

Based on the core of the business, the logotype and brandmark are built with simple shapes derived from cycle-parts and bike frames.

We had a pretty clear idea on the look and feel of the end result but it took some sketching to come up with the right design for the logotype and brandmark. We wanted it to express craftsmanship but not in a dirty/garage/stencil kind of way — and we wanted it to convey a bit of high-end (elegant, expensive, unique cycles), but not in a boring/sterile/fashionable way. By adding a bit of an urban feel, it ended up being a simple custom-made stencil-ish logotype and standalone brandmark with just enough character to be memorable.

The stationery

Being a small bike workshop the budget was tight, so we took a DIY approach to the stationery. Embossing is an elegant way to gain some visual effect so we got hold of a custom stamp with the brandmark and an embossing tool. Compared to printing and doing embossing at the printing house it is inexpensive and quick. You can change the type of paper you are using or the material but the concept of embossing the logo remains. Useful for a small business.

The typography

We ended up with Brown from Lineto and United from House Industries. Brown because it suited the keep-it-simple concept and United because it adds heavy contrast and has a very nice “garage” feel to it. We also designed a set of custom numbers to be used on in-store sales boards.

The colors

The color palette is muted and mostly derived from the colors of the paper used.

How long did the project take to complete?

A few months, on and off. The guys were quite excited about the idea for the brandmark and the logotype, so that part took off pretty fast. From there it was pretty free rein. The hardest thing when working with craftsmen is time — they want to get their hands dirty and not sit in front of a computer screen looking at logo proposals and typographic options.

Where did you get the custom stamp?

The stamp is produced by I.E.Andersen in Odense, Denmark. You can change the type of paper or the material you are using but the concept of embossing the logo remains simple and useful.

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View more brand identity work on the Ineo Designlab website.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.

Challenge

Italio came to Push with the challenge to help launch their fast-casual Italian restaurant. Though the restaurant’s concept was already in place, Italio was in need of branding and marketing to define them as a major player in the fast-casual arena.

Strategy

In launching Italio, the strategy was to create a brand — specifically a name and descriptor line — that would easily communicate what kind of restaurant Italio is to the public. Using simple and sophisticated design, Push created a logo, icon set, descriptor (“Modern Italian Kitchen”) and brand language, referred to as “How to Speak Italio.”

As part of the branding, Push also developed an innovative website, launched social media efforts, designed employee uniforms and menus. Once the brand development and implementation were completed, Push activated the brand through various promotions, LTOs and local restaurant marketing plan developed specifically for Italio.

Credits:
Chief creative officer: Chris Robb
Design director, interactive director and lead designer: Mark Unger
Creative director: Ron Boucher
Senior writer: Kevin Harrell
Lead copywriter: Bree Adamson
Studio: Joe Ciaramella, Jordan Donato
Photographer: Doug Scalletta

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Push elsewhere on Identity Designed: Old Chicago.

View more brand identity work on the Push website. Follow Push on Twitter.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.

Sotto is an authentic Italian trattoria with a culinary style based on the idea of malfatti. Literally translated into English as “poorly made,” malfatti is symbolic for the Italian ideal that the best meals are simple, straightforward dishes made from the highest quality ingredients. Malfatti is never about achieving perfection, but producing a hand-crafted dish that leaves evidence of the cook’s touch.

The identity created for Sotto needed to be unmistakably Italian and give the restaurant concept a modern aesthetic. Taking design influence from the Futurist movement of early 20th century Italy was a natural fit to give the concept relevance and enough flexibility to create an array of organic compositions that fit the malfatti ideal.

We used a bunch of different typefaces on the menu, all are authentic to the time period of Italian Futurism. We used a mix of Block Berthold, Bureau Grotesque, ITC Caslon 224, and Jenson. The sketched typeface was drawn in-house and the logo is a redrawn version of Block Berthold.

The project took us approximately two months to go from concept to restaurant opening.

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View more branding work on the BLDG website. Follow BLDG on Twitter.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.

Anders is a growing St. Louis-based CPA and business advisory firm that serves privately held companies and high-net-worth individuals. Atomicdust was hired to modernize their brand with a visual identity that could speak to several different client groups.

The challenge? Practically every accounting firm offers the same services and uses the same language to describe themselves. It’s a crowded, competitive field, and companies traditionally struggle to stand out. We knew that the Anders difference was the high level of expertise they bring to every engagement. The brand needed a sophisticated, focused identity that spoke to that expertise.

We created a modern logo based on the “A” in Anders, using its angles and lines throughout the identity materials — like folders, stationery, and proposal templates — for clarity and consistency.

We recommended simplifying the firm’s name to Anders (formerly Anders Minkler & Diehl) and created a new tagline — “Always On” — a reference to the firm’s commitment to helping clients make the most of their money. It’s also a nod to how their clients think: as business owners, they’re essentially workaholics. Always working, always thinking about what’s next for their businesses.

We also designed the new Anders website, which is bright and bold to buck the expectations about what a financial advising site should look like.

We populated blog content across the site to ensure fresh content was always available, and pumped up the firm bios to demonstrate the expertise of their industry and service teams. We took new photos of every employee, replacing the previous static studio shots, which gave the firm a more approachable and personable feel.

The new visual identity is a more accurate representation of the Anders culture: professional, authoritative, and always in motion.

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Atomicdust elsewhere on Identity Designed: Pastaria and Goshen Coffee.

View more brand work on the Atomicdust website. Atomicdust on Twitter.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.

King is a developer of cross-platform, bite-sized games, offering 150 exclusive games in 14 languages. The company has grown rapidly to become the second largest developer of games in the world on Facebook and a leader in mobile with over 108 million monthly players generating over 12 billion game plays per month across Facebook, mobile and the website www.king.com.

The recent announcement of its 10 year anniversary also brought the introduction of new company branding. The new positioning and identity was developed by working closely with King CEO Riccardo Zacconi, CMO Alex Dale, and their internal team. The new brand, based around the philosophy of “Bitesize Brilliance,” is designed to position King as the leader in cross-platform, snackable entertainment experiences.

We started with a comprehensive phase of strategy. From Stockholm to San Francisco we created ideas with the executive leadership and business managers. We held workshops with developers, marketers and HR professionals. We spoke with industry professionals and analysts and conducted ethnographic research with players. And we played every casual game we could, from Candy Crush Saga to Angry Birds Star Wars.

Our brand strategist Liam Hamill explained, “King has gone through an amazing transformation as a business in the past 12 months and we wanted to help build them a brand experience that really sums up the magic and authenticity of the company behind the games and their unique culture of innovation, creativity, care and fun.”

Isabelle Quevilly, digital director, added, “Today, with millions of games to choose from on iOS or Play stores, there are few brands you can really trust. When King came to us, it was clear what they offered was a real gem: games genuinely made to fit around players’ lives. The new brand celebrates this vision, making it clear that wherever technology is going, King will remain a seal of quality and trust.”

We created a new identity and personality that could bring the new brand strategy to life. A name change from King.com to King was proposed to represent a brand that was fit for all platforms and to make it feel a little less 90s dotcom. We helped transform an old-fashioned identity into a vibrant brand world that comes to life online, on tablets, on Facebook and beyond.

Stuart Watson, our creative director and partner, added, “We wanted to create an iconic visual identity for King that could sit alongside HBO and Pixar as a mark of the highest quality in entertainment. We designed a quirky new logo writing King in the shape of a crown — capable of working at 16 pixels square but at the same time scalable enough to make a big impact. Games like Candy Crush Saga are what people love about King, so we created a brand that compliments rather than dominates.”

We also worked with King on brand architecture, tone of voice, internal engagement and brand communications to support the launch of the new brand.

“It has been great fun working with venturethree on this project. The whole company is very pleased with the result, in terms of both the look and feel of the new brand and how ‘Bitesize Brilliance’ encapsulates what we are doing in casual games.”
— ALEX DALE, CMO, KING

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venturethree elsewhere on Identity Designed: Little Chef, XL, hmv Christmas.

View more brand identity work on the venturethree website. Follow venturethree on Twitter.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.

Limitd was created to “seek out the best emerging art and photography and offer it in limited editions, at affordable prices.”

When I was approached by the founders of this exciting new company, my brief was to design a strong, memorable, yet universally accessible identity for their business. The name was initially Print Club, or Limit’d Print Club, which is the reason for the exploration of the school/crest logos. It was then decided that being known as a “club” could have negative connotations and feel unapproachable. In the end, simplicity won out and Limitd was born.

Initial logo explorations…

Initial logotype sketches…

Logotype development…

The custom logotype portrays a fresh and friendly brand and was inspired by both vintage camera logos and a resemblance of an artist’s own signature. Limitd’s focus is helping to strengthen the reputation of new talent, so the artist’s signature is an important and fitting visual element.

There is also an accompanying visual system — a geometric pattern inspired by the angle of pictures hanging on a wall. This imagery reflects the variety and striking quality of prints available from Limitd.

Certificate of authenticity with embossed logo…

The packaging for shipping prints, including custom rubber stamps…

The prints featured in the photos above are Gene Deep by Amanda Johnston and Pliable by Benjamin Swanson — both available from the Limitd website (designed by Papertank).

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View more brand identity work in the portfolio of Dan Burgess. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Logo inspiration on Logo Design Love.