Designed by Side by Side, Sheffield.

Nova Interiors create large runs of hand-finished furniture for a range of hospitality businesses, from hotels to football stadiums. Now operating in its second generation, the family-run company appointed us to give a new direction to their brand, one that reflects the level of quality apparent in their furniture.

We started this project by studying the art of the craftsmen within their workshop. Through this we became particularly interested in wood-joints and the simplicity of their shapes.

We focused on dovetail joints and used them as the focal element of their brand to portray both craftsmanship and quality. The joint then acted as a tool to sculpt a bespoke wordmark and accompanying typeface, Dovetail Rounded.

Taking onboard the characteristics of the logo we were able to produce a range of icons using the same line weights, curved edges, and dovetail cut-out.

From working closely with Nova, it soon became apparent that their USP was the blank canvas they offered to their interior design clients. Anything is possible; any dimension; any material; any finishing. The finalised strapline focuses on the bespoke/adaptive nature of their service: Your Space — Infinite Possibilities.

We took inspiration from the strapline to produce a range of stationery that itself had infinite possibilities. The reverse of each business card features a different fabric, pattern, or natural material from the Nova stock collection. The business card then slips into a branded sleeve with a dovetail cutout section to show each swatch. This way, the client gets to choose the card design that suits them.

Through the power of digital print, their brochure covers included the same concept: 250 brochures, 250 different covers.

All the above elements come together on their website — a clean, well-branded online space that showcases their full product range as well as the bespoke nature of their work. The site is built around an e-commerce backbone, to house the hundreds of available products. Large, high-quality imagery helps the website feel like a modern, spacious place. The bespoke icons and colour palette help navigate the user around the site with ease.

We worked with photographer Alexandra Wallace to document various sections of the manufacturing process — focusing on the craft, the workers, the environment and the technical nature of their work.

Side by Side featured previously: Grimm & Co..

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