MARK furniture design

MARK is a dynamic new furniture and lifestyle brand from Cornwall. Championing the skilled craftsmanship of local manufacturers as well as the very best design from acclaimed international designers, MARK products reflect the values of contemporary Cornwall. Working with both the traditional craft skills and hi tech innovations coming out of this most creative of counties, MARK’s mission is to raise the profile of the quality of design, skills and manufacturing in Cornwall by taking them to a national and international market.

MARK’s products are built to last — environmentally, socially, ethically and economically. The MARK range of furniture and lighting is designed for home, work and leisure. Each item combines quality in design, manufacture and innovation to meet their exacting standards of practicality and sustainability. A-Side were commissioned to develop a brand package that reflects MARK’s ethos.

MARK logo development

A modular typographic mark sits at the core of the brand, it reproduces equally well as a small embossed detail on products and a large format trade show banner.

MARK logo

This identity has been applied to stationery and annual illustrated catalogs that showcase the range.

MARK stationery design

MARK catalogue

MARK catalogue

Each year the brand accent colour changes to place emphasis on the evolution of the company. We keep the colour flexible so that we can move the brand along with current trends. The core identity is black and white — the colours of the Cornish flag.

MARK book design

MARK catalogue

MARK website

In 2009 MARK collaborated with Liberty to commission A-Side to create a one-off graphic for their Kay+Stemmer’s designed ‘Shaper’ table as part of their “Britain can (still) make it” showcase.

MARK shaper table

MARK shaper tableAcrylic spray paint on resin.

MARK shaper table

More from A-Side.

Comments

I think this brand is more visually appealing than “fred”. I really like the look of the identity, the catalogs and the table. Curious as too why they change color every year, it would seem to be easier to build brand identity with a set color, but hey I like it!

I love this! The geometric shapes and usage in visuals. The change of colours, a fantastic way of re-igniting the identity as and when needed.

@Michael: I wouldn’t compare this to Fred though, I think the personality of both businesses are quite different and this stems through in their identities.

Nice!
The modular shapes echo the the company values in that they feel solid and built to last but still have a contemporary feel.
It’s memorable enough to take the changing colour accents which keeps everything fresh and portrays the idea that the brand is not only solid but evolving.

I especially like the table. This is a great way to create intimacy with the local audience. Have they extended the use of this design (or something similar) to their branding and advertising?

If I were Mark I’d be releasing this as a framed limited edition print to my best customers and creating beautiful postcards to drop around upmarket strategic locations throughout the city.

@Ebi very true….the personalities are very different, but are they in the same competition? Is one more of a higher end then the other or are they both on the same scale? I have no knowledge of either with me being in the states, so if one is in a different league then the other, I wouldn’t have compared them :)

Yeah I like it. Its nice stuff, colour in a brand like this can be easily interchanged. We use a load of colour variants in our logo, that seems to work well for us.

At first glance I wasn’t a fan, but seeing the application changed my mind entirely. The way the type fits into these geometric visuals is perfect.

The simple black and white makes for a great foundation to stage the evolving colors through different editions. A great concept: for color not to be a part of the static identity, but the dynamic one! Brilliant.

I tried to guess which of the samples would be used before scrolling down and was almost spot on!

Wow, the yellow and brown marketing collateral, that is just droolworthy.

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