The Process

Four
A book
by The Brand
Identity

002 003
“It’s wild to look back at the
early stages of any project.
We were pushing on the edges,
holding space for gut feelings
and half-baked ideas, exploring
all kinds of directions the work
could go.” Mother Design

004 005
Introduction
The Process is a series of books showcasing the unused and unseen ideas, concepts,
mockups and sketches that are created during the branding process. Each branding
project only has one outcome that makes it into the real world, however, there
are dozens of interesting and intelligent ideas that never see the light of day after
being cast aside by the designer or not picked by the client. This book is home
to those ideas.
With the world an undoubtedly different place since we published The
Process Three in 2020, we have selected 10 projects for this entry into the series
that we feel not only reflect the state of branding in 2021 and 2022, but also reflect
how the world has changed and how we have changed as an industry. The creative
landscape inevitably holds a mirror to the markets, cultures, products and experi-
ences that were born from a catalyst of lockdowns and introspection.
An explosion of technological developments – from AR to all things
Web3 – has been met with identity systems designed to guide us into the future,
and beyond. In this book, Moniker’s refresh for digital cryptocurrency platform
Coinbase provides an identity for a company at the crossroads between old and
new. Likewise, we dig into the revival of leading international music video net-
work Vevo with PORTO ROCHA, who reveal the journey to their final solution.
Of course, we also thought it would be fitting to share the development behind
our own website makeover with MOUTHWASH Studio.
This exciting shift finds itself taking place within the design ecosystem,
too. We’ve seen the growth of the vast and limitless world of 3D and motion,
captured beautifully in OMSE’s work for DOJA gin. A joyful multilingual, multi-
cultural project filled with colour and joy; DOJA presents the meeting of two
languages and highlights the growing significance of branding across cultures.
Whilst rapid developments within the industry and wider world can feel
overwhelming or hard to keep track of, we can take comfort in the knowledge that
some things will always be inevitable. Among the innovative and experimental, we
were keen to showcase some of our favourite examples of good ol’ classic branding,
as we know and love it; with the likes of Maniac Studio’s Nud and Mother Design’s
Park Lane bringing cosiness, happiness and a relaxed human touch.
In the end, we hope you leave these pages feeling inspired, informed and
excited by the potential possibilities of the process.

006 007
014 Autex 074 DOJA,
Acoustics, OMSE
Marx Design
094 HERO,
034 Carrot, PARSONS
Heydays &
Goods 114 Huch,
Christopher
054 Coinbase, Doyle & Co.
Moniker
134 Nud, 198 Vevo,
Maniac Studio PORTO
ROCHA
154 Park
Lane, Mother 219 Studio
Design Interviews
174 TBI
MOUTH-
WASH Studio
The black The white
pages show pages show
the final the unused
outcomes of ideas and
the projects. concepts.

012 013
01— Marx Design

Autex Acous-
tics

Year— Typefaces— Website— Instagram—

2020 RM Neue by CoType Foundry 014 [Link] @[Link] 015
Marx Design
Leading New Zealand’s interior acoustics market, Autex Acoustics has
begun expanding towards Australian, US and UK audiences, providing
their clientele – commercial or residential – with the products neces-
sary to reduce atmospheric noise. Having previously operated with a

call upon ‘60s

brand that spoke with an overtly corporate voice, the team turned to
Auckland-based creative studio Marx Design for a fresh visual identity
that instead speaks directly to the consumer on a more personal,
confident and original level. Shifting their brand image to emphasise
their role as design-led innovators in the industry.

Swiss design
With this in mind, Marx Design turned towards the timeless;
co-opting classic, slick Swiss design to demonstrate the pragmatic
nature and enduring taste of the brand, whilst appealing to their
design-savvy audience base – championing both form and func-
tion. This was made possible through Marx Design’s dutiful choice

traditions for
of typeface, opting for CoType’s RM Neue as the brand’s font family.
“Our intention was to design a brand that feels ‘timeless,’” Creative
Director Tristan O’Shannessy tells us, noting the need to feel both
contemporary and established, “RM Neue has its feet firmly in both
camps,” he explains. “It has a utilitarian, functional quality that would

Autex Acous-
feel at home in a Müller-Brockmann catalogue from the early sixties,”
O’Shannessy suggests, “and somehow feels equally at peace in the
company of the great brands you showcase on The Brand Identity,”
recalling the quality of the typeface’s design, and the effortlessness
of using it. “It’s also a really well constructed typeface and a joy to use,

tics’ timeless
which is essential for brands that are in global markets and have their
own design team,” O’Shannessy qualifies, “it makes quality control
an easier proposition.”
In line with the era’s principles and style behind the brand’s

visual identity
inspiration, an energetic, variable graphic pattern was introduced to
balance the typographic compositions and monochromatic colour
palette throughout the identity; taking the abstract form of declining
soundwaves. Serving not only as the type’s counterpart,
the soundwaves also provide a distinctive, unique and
ownable motif that can be scaled up or
down when required. Cementing the sin-
cerity of the brand, as well as providing
the space for it to express its character
along the way.

Words—
016 Harry Bennett 017
018 019
020 021
022 023
↑ Fast prototyping of ‘A’ symbols ↑ Symbols that combine a clear brand
to expose the strength of initial ideas. 024 identifier with product benefit are preferred. 025
↑ Typographic selection. Typographic tests to capture the ↑ Initial pattern animation ideas, storyboarded
feeling of a brand. Typefaces are stretched to corporate needs. 026 with multiple shape variation to define possible transitions. 027
028 029
↑ Animation stills. Final acoustic panel ↑ Different acoustic panel shapes are tested to define the
shape pattern moves like a sound wave. 030 hero static pattern, key graphic device for all branded material. 031
↑ A small selection of final patterns is supplied to ↑ Logo variations for different product lines. The logo spacing is
the client for different formats of branded material. 032 crafted for versatile usage when applied to different product lines. 033
02— Heydays
and Goods

Year— Typefaces—DM Sans by Colophon Foundry,

Carrot
Website— Instagram—
2021 Signifier by Klim Type Foundry 034 [Link], [Link] @heydaysoslo, @goodsoslo 035
Heydays
Oslo-based sister studios Heydays and Goods have partnered on the
strategy and identity for Carrot, Norway’s emerging waste manage-
ment software that seeks to take on the two-billion-tonne global waste
disaster through the collection of data. This statistical approach to the
issue, backed by Carrot’s innovative technology, begins by tracking

and Goods
the place and time of waste disposal, resulting in tactile insights into
reusing, repurposing or recycling the refuse. Bringing together the
general public and private waste management companies to create
incentives for waste reduction and sustainable behaviour.

partner to craft
With the notion of incentivisation in mind, the design duo
began with the naming of the brand as Carrot – inspired by the encour-
aging sentiment of a carrot on a stick – embodying the brand’s role
as a social motivator. This duty is captured through a harmonious
combination of illustration, composition, colour and type – with the

a software-
duo opting for Klim Type Foundry’s Signifier and Colophon Foundry’s
DM Sans to satisfy the latter. “Signifier was just a perfect font in our
eyes,” Heydays’ Design Director Lars Kjelsnes tells us, recalling the
decision behind choosing Klim’s serif. “It adds an elegance to the
project, but is rooted in a lot of the same thinking we had,” he adds,

led identity
“especially the digital tool we used for creating illustrations,” recalling
the grid-based drawing software developed to produce the illustra-
tions – including the carrot logomark.
This unique software not only provides Carrot with a human-
ising playfulness and punch, but also conceptually contributes to

for waste
the strength of its story. “Whenever something becomes trash, it
usually loses all its data,” Kjelsnes explains, “Carrot adds data to
these resources, so we thought it was interesting to see trash not as
ugly, crushed items, but as something iconic and important.” This led

management
to creating a restrictive system that provides both consistency and
expression, referencing the fixed and flexible data points of Carrot’s
service, whilst providing a distinctive iconography. “The black silhou-
ettes make the ‘trash’ items iconic,” Kjelsnes suggests, “but also very
rational, like they’re all kind of seen as equal.”

company
“We looked at old botanical posters to find colours that had
warmth and nostalgia,” he explains, “but we wanted to shy away
from the typical leafy green of the surrounding industry,” opting for
the greater contrast offered by having a lime-green-yellow as the
primary colour. “It’s a colour that’s been used a lot, especially

Carrot
in sportswear, over the last few years, but felt refreshing in their
industry,” he concludes, “it also serves as a nice contrast
to the earthier tones, while it still could come from an early
stage petiole before it's turned fully green.”

Words—
036 Harry Bennett 037
038 039
040 041
↑ This direction was very conceptual: different elements from ↑ For an earlier project we pitched using illustrator Giacomo Bagnara
previously rejected concepts were ‘recycled’ into a new direction. 042 in this style – and we thought his style had a techy everyday vibe. 043
↑ The idea was to use the exclamation mark as a kind of carrot in
the soil – and then use these throughout messaging. These were ↑ Giacomo Bagnara illustration example, the motif
custom drawn for this direction. The font is DM Mono Sans. 044 here was very fitting for what Carrot does. 045
046 047
↑ Rough ideas for using the dot grid ↑ Early tests for symbols that could be used on social media.
as some sort of typographic concept. 048 On the bottom we see the very first sketches done on the dot grid. 049
 ↑ Rough sketches on messaging in combination
050 with icons to test colours and feeling. 051
03— Moniker

Year— Typefaces—
Coinbase
Website— Instagram—
2021 Coinbase Sans 054 [Link] @monikersf 055
Moniker
Digital cryptocurrency platform Coinbase, established to create the
most accessible online crypto economy, found itself caught between
two contexts – leading the wave of new economic conventions while
seeking to inhabit the same space as traditional banking. In need of

combine
an identity refresh to best traverse this landscape, Coinbase turned
to San Francisco-based design studio Moniker – looking for a system
that brings the digital financial future together with the trust and
security of tradition.
To start with, Moniker turned towards typical financial docu-

function and
ments for typographic inspiration – finding interest in the character of
blue-collar modernist typefaces such as Mercator, Neuzeit S and Folio
that are typically overshadowed by Univers and Helvetica. Bringing
together their functional durability and timeless quirks, Moniker sought
to challenge contemporary banking’s legacy and prevailing visual

flair in their
tropes in the creation of a bespoke hero typeface; Coinbase Sans.
“As we were exploring the identity across various applications,
it became clear we’d need something custom to capture not only the
brand personality,” Founder and Creative Director Brent Couchman
tells us, “but to achieve the clarity we were looking for in specific

lively identity
product contexts,” he explains, beginning with the smaller and more
complex applications of the typeface. “We started with some of the
toughest UI, which were dense with information,” Couchman remarks,
“and moved on from there, sliding from functional to more expressive
to capture more of the brand personality across the family,” resulting

refresh for
in an extended family of 36 styles and 29,000 glyphs over its Optical,
Display, Text, Micro and Mono versions. Typographically executed in
a striking and stark Swiss-like fashion, the deployment of Coinbase
Sans within the lively compositional framework of the resulting identity

crypto
feels both self-aware and sincere.
Providing a sense of firm belonging and recognition within the
industry is the vibrant use of colour, opting for a digital blue as the pri-
mary choice. “The blue was one of the only elements from the previous
identity that was identifiable, so it was all about retaining that equity,”

platform
Couchman recalls, “we increased the saturation and brightness a
bit for that core blue and introduced a secondary palette,” he adds,
providing a sense of differentiation, flexibility and
intention across the various deliverables. “As the
brand has grown and pushed into new markets,

Coinbase
introduced new sub-brands, etc.,” Couchman
concludes, “that flexibility was really important
to allow the team to have much more range of
expression with colour.”

Words—
056 Harry Bennett 057
058 059
060 061
↑ Early exploration for illustration style,
something more approachable and friendly. 062 063
↑ Early composition and visual language exploration while
we were still investigating abstracting crypto technology. 064 065
↑ We explored hundreds of ideas for the logo and in the end
landed on what could be the most simple solution possible. 066 067
↑ Early exploration for illustration style,
something more technical and precise. 068 069
↑ Looking at how the same simple elements can be
reinterpreted for various audiences and contexts. 070 071
072 073
04— OMSE

DOJA

Year— Typefaces—Apoc by Blaze Type, GT Flexa by Grilli Type, Website— Instagram—

2021 Pancho Devanagari by IDF, Togalite by Mojiwaku Kenkyu 074 [Link] @[Link] 075
OMSE’s
DOJA is the world’s first Indo-Japanese spirit; a mixture of ingredients
and cultures that come together to create something new. Crafted by
a veteran distiller in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture and produced in
Goa-based East Side Distillery, DOJA is a yuzu-dominant gin with hints

identity for
of cedar, sansho pepper and hinoki in combination with traditional
botanicals from India.
Building on the brand’s concept of mixing, London-based
studio OMSE delivered an identity for DOJA that honours the two
cultures whilst embracing tradition and modernity. This also inspired

Indo-Japanese
the name, In(do-ja)panese as well as the distinctive logo; a mixture of
typefaces and languages: Japanese, English and Devanagari.
The resulting design system is a dazzling blend of type, photo-
graphy and illustration, which can be assembled in a variety of striking
layouts. Alongside its gradients, nostalgia, and hint of playfulness, the

spirit DOJA
identity includes a series of illustrations featuring the DOJA botanicals
and icons of Japanese and Indian culture.
OMSE expanded further on the concept through their consid-
ered selection of serif and sans serif typefaces. “Typography plays a
big part in the identity so we really wanted to communicate the idea

is a joyful
of mixing cultures together through type,” Designer Ed Hatfield tells
us. The use of contrasting styles helps bring this to life, “so using GT
Flexa X Compressed as the core English display font made sense,
allowing secondary fonts to be mixed within.” Blaze Type’s Apoc is
used as the supporting serif, providing contrast and pairing elegantly

mixture of
with the other typefaces.
Describing the process for selecting the typefaces for Japan-
ese and Devanagari, Hatfield explains that “the key was leading with
English, a mutual language,” before finding the Japanese and Devan-

ingredients
agari fonts that supported them, “sharing similar character forms and
weights so that they feel part of the same family.” Togalite is used for
the Japanese type and Indian Type Foundry’s Pancho is used for the
Devanagari type. “We came across the Japanese typeface Togalite
that contrasted well against Flexa with its flared serifs, leading us to

and cultures
add serifs to the Devanagari font to tie them together.”
Despite the vibrant, expressive advertising and supporting
materials, OMSE decided to take a more elegant approach for the
bottle and box. “The product needed to stand out but also retain a
high-end and premium aesthetic,” Hatfield explains. As a custom
bottle design was not an option for a startup, OMSE explored how
special printing techniques could distinguish and elevate
the label and cap. “We felt the use of holographic foil helped
strike the right balance, delivering the vibrance of the identity
in an elegant way.”

Words—
076 Poppy Thaxter 077
078 079
080 081
↑ Ideas can come from anywhere. Starting with words ↑ Route 1 - A Tale of Two Sides. Exploring the balance between
can often be a great way of sparking ideas. 082 Indian and Japanese botanicals. 083
↑ Exploring how can we bring the idea of two sides
(Indo/Japanese) to life on the gin label. 084 085
086 087
↑ Mixing languages in a way that’s clear and legible was a challenge
we faced and like most work, wasn’t nailed the first time around. 088 089
↑ The system of mixing ingredients can flex, from simple → In this route, we use typography as an ingredient
to complex depending on where the brand turns up. 090 to mix cultures and languages together. 091
092 093
05— PARSONS
HERO

Year— Typefaces—ABC Favorit by Dinamo, Website— Instagram—

2020-21 Marr Sans by Commercial Type 094 [Link] @_craigparsons 095
PARSONS’
Introducing a new way to digitally shop that seeks to maintain the
personability of in-person experiences, HERO is the middle ground
between brand and consumer – facilitating one-to-one conversations
from the shop’s physical storefront – working with the likes of Levi’s,

bold identity
Rag & Bone and Nike.
In the endeavour to visually maintain the importance placed
on personality that HERO offers, founder Adam Levene worked closely
with Galway-based branding studio PARSONS on the development of
their identity – aesthetically articulating their future-focused intent-

for HERO
ions and dedication to personalisation. This is effortlessly achieved
through lively, fearless and compelling combinations of colour, type
and unconventional forms, a referential device employed to depict
speech bubbles. Discussing the use of these abstract shapes, and
their integration with brand photography and macro typography,

aims to
PARSONS’ founder Craig Parsons tells us “they represent the action
of coming together in a real way,” adding, “and the two sides of a new,
dynamic conversation;” in essence a true distillation of HERO.
“This is where the magic lies,” Parsons tells us, “we designed
the graphic to signify the moment the salesperson becomes the

capture the
ambassador,” or similarly when the user engages with the brand.
“The total energy of the brand experience ignites at that moment,” he
adds, “it didn’t feel right to house such a powerful connection in a
square or a soft-cornered frame, so we amplified it.” These forms then
become the basis of an adaptable system between graphic elements,

conversation
creating explosive moments throughout the brand that are made all
the more impactful through the implementation of HERO’s typefaces.
Using Dinamo’s Favorit and Commercial Type’s Marr Sans in combin-
ation, the end result is a powerful display of typographic confidence

between
and an aesthetic that is inescapably eye-catching – drawing the
audience’s attention to the charming photographic scenes curated
across the identity.
“The concept of the photography is centred around the inter-
action between users, both ambassadors and consumers, and HERO,”

consumer and
Parsons adds, creating a series of intimate scenes showcasing people
interacting with HERO. “As a leading brand in the tech space, we feel
the hard flash speaks to HERO’s ‘screen burnesque’ or digital edge,”
Parsons concludes, “amplifying HERO’s presence
inside the world of consumer retail.”

company Words—
096 Harry Bennett 097
098 099
100 101
↑ Secondary, more expressive palette, ↑ Tertiary palette split into
that pairs with our core black and white. 102 chilled and natural hues. 103
↑ Exploring multiple variations of the ‘R’ which
ranged from restrained to more expressive. 104 105
106 107
↑ Original HERO wordmark. ↑ Final approved wordmark
← A few early sketches focusing on communication as the core idea. 108 with updated ‘R.’ 109
↑ Early explorations around type hierarchy that → HERO’s collabs needed to accommodate a host
show core to more expressive layout examples. 110 of brands with their own unique considerations. 111
112 113
06— Christopher
Doyle & Co.
Huch

Year— Typefaces—Flecha by R-Typography, Website— Instagram—

2020 Founders Grotesk by Klim Type Foundry 114 [Link] @cd_and_co 115
Christopher
Huch is a hospitality service offering architecturally-designed cabins
that provide “relaxed luxury in the wilderness.” The Australian com-
pany aims to help visitors reconnect with nature whilst also “shining a
light on the local community.” Before the first set of cabins were built,

Doyle & Co.’s

Huch approached Christopher Doyle & Co. to create both the visual
and verbal identity.
The Sydney-based studio were tasked with creating a name,
visual system, and verbal identity that reflects Huch’s vision: “To create
accommodation that would offer the architectural quality and com-

bold identity
fort of a hotel suite yet leave no trace within their environment.” The
studio delivered a brand identity that combines the bold, minimal, and
sophisticated pillars of Huch’s ethos.
At the heart of the identity is the Huch wordmark, which fea-
tures a visual reference to the traditional pitch roof house within the

for Huch
letter ‘H.’ It serves as a multi-purpose motif; “used to present imagery,
messaging, and function as a stand-alone logomark.” It can be seen
framing idyllic scenes of cosy campfires and serene woodland; acting
as a window to the great Australian outdoors.
The wordmark is made from a customised version of R-Typog-

invites us
raphy’s Flecha, chosen to emphasise the luxurious side of the brand.
To complement the wordmark, headlines are set in the friendly sans
serif Founders Grotesk X-Condensed. “It’s not a cheap, camping
experience, they are architecturally designed cabins, so we wanted
the type to reflect that sophistication.” Creative Director and Founder

to a cosy
Christopher Doyle explains. “Once we had that we wanted to offset
it with a bold, sans headline font. Founders, once again, delivering,”
Doyle adds.
The brand is tied together with a “rich, nostalgic palette.”

cabin in the
Designed to evoke “traditional outdoor experiences,” the vibrant
colour choices derive from the elements; featuring warming yellow
and orange hues (‘sand’ and ‘ember’) alongside cool leafy greens
and calming blues (‘stone,’ ‘fern,’ and ‘midnight’).
The brand’s verbal direction, like its colour palette, is warm and

wilderness
welcoming. It also aims to emphasise the cabins’ small designs. “We
wanted to communicate feelings of escape, nature, and local commu-
nity, but also luxury and sophistication,” Doyle recalls.
“As considered and crafted as the cabin designs
are they are still minimal and small, so the tone
of voice also had to convey that concept but
without feeling basic,” he concludes.

Words—
116 Poppy Thaxter 117
118 119
120 121
← A selection of logo sketches and wordmark exploration. 124 ↑ Typeface explorations. 125
↑ A selection of architectural silhouettes that were
explored as a visual language for one of the concepts. 126 127
↑ The three final logotype directions. 128 129
130 131
↑ Alternative concept explorations. 132 133
07— Maniac
Studio

Nud

Year— Typefaces—Aperçu by Colophon Foundry, Website— Instagram—

2021-22 Ballpoint by TDF, Office Times by Boulevard LAB 134 [Link]/maniacstudio @[Link] 135
Maniac
Mexican branding agency Maniac Studio have partnered with local
speciality coffee house and sourdough bakery Nud to craft an identity
that embodies the spirit of their relaxed environment and slow-living
sentiment. Delightful, timeless and playful, the resulting brand capt-

Studio’s
ures the simple joy of bread and coffee combined, as well as the
emotional ‘nudity’ behind the happiness one finds in their first sip or
first bite.
Continuing their exploration of human sensations, Maniac
Studio found a balance of neutrality, simplicity and character; opting

delightful
for a monochromatic palette. “Black and white are inherently neutral
and timeless colours and perfectly comply with our intentions for the
brand,” they tell us, also noting the convenience and cost-effective
nature of the decision. “At first, we considered using nude colours
because it made a lot of sense with the name, the illustrations and the

identity for
concept,” they suggest, “but we preferred not to be too obvious and
avoid the cliché.” These subdued hues are then paired with a striking
choice of typefaces, with the studio opting for Aperçu Condensed and
Ballpoint Script as the primary typefaces, alongside the use of Office
Times Round for the wordmark.

Nud captures
“Aperçu Condensed was the perfect complement to maintain
that neutral environment without compromising the aesthetics and
the brand’s personality,” Maniac Studio remark, bolstering Nud’s lively
energy through the juxtaposition of Ballpoint Script’s letterforms. “It
was selected to create a sharp contrast with the grid structure of the

the simple
typesetting,” they explain, “while we wanted the identity to feel neutral
and simple, it was important to have a smooth element that brings a
sense of ease and breaks the monotony.”
Harmonising the identity’s exploration of contrast and simplicity

joy of bread
is the charismatic introduction of Nud’s signature character series;
with each of the iconic figures representing a different sensation.
Slightly peculiar and endlessly charming, the illustrations perfectly
capture the sincerity and silliness of the brand, firmly cementing
the identity in avoidance of tropes associated with the speciality

and coffee
coffee scene.

combined Words—
136 Harry Bennett 137
138 139
140 141
 ↑ Looking for lovely characters that convey
142 a genuine sense of serenity and enjoyment. 143
↑ We wanted an ‘expressive’ but minimal logotype ↑ Trying different typefaces in order to maintain the
that could match with the branding concept. 144 slightly classic but casual look we were looking for. 145
 ↑ Putting together illustrations and preliminary
146 logo variations to determine the best match. 147
148 149
← Colour exploration; it helped to us decide to discard nude ↑ Lovely interaction between logo and illustration that
colours because it was too cliché or obvious for the brand. 150 represents the feeling of freedom, just like being nude. 151
↑ Final typesetting that shows the dynamic
and harmonious appearance of the brand. 152 153
08— Mother
Design

Park Lane

Year— Typefaces— Website— Instagram—

2020-21 Folio by Konrad Bauer and Walter Baum 154 [Link] @motherdesign 155
Mother
Calling the luxuriant uptown of New York its home, the 47 story Park
Lane hotel was first built in 1971 in line with the nearby properties
known as ‘Billionaire’s Row.’ Having, however, found itself bogged
down in historical outlooks on luxury, the hotel was in need of an

Design’s
identity that shed the weight of antiquated traditional characterisa-
tions and its fuddy-duddy visual coherence. Instead, embracing the
uniqueness and individuality of the building, the identity crafted by
NYC and London-based studio Mother Design champions a contem-
porary take on luxury; drawing inspiration from the hotel’s historical

eccentric
and environmental context.
From the innate eccentricity of Park Lane’s interior, textures
and colours, Mother Design were spoilt for playful references; imme-
diately translating this flamboyancy into a nebulous and opulent
wordmark. “Our main point of inspiration is Central Park, adjacent to

identity for
the hotel,” Creative Director Matt van Leeuwen tells us. “The mean-
dering paths of the Park reflect themselves in the wordmark,” he
adds, drawing further influence from the nature-inspired work across
Art Nouveau typography, and translating these throughout the fluid
baroque construction of the lettering. Resulting in something organic,

Park Lane
whimsical and referential to the building – be it the oval frame of the
hotel’s windows framing the visual identity, or the introduction of
organic-ephemera-inspired patterns.
This poetic and seemingly romantic has then been delivered
across the extended brand; from Park Lane’s warm tone of voice to

hotel sets the

the use of tender, pastoral hues. “Colours are directly inspired by the
park,” van Leeuwen recalls, “to give a flexibility and range to the ident-
ity we developed a unique colour palette for every season.” Giving the
brand the space to evolve with the times – staying forever relevant –

standard for
whilst feeling effortlessly in harmony with the environment it inhabits.
Implemented across the identity is the supporting use of
Bauer’s sans serif Folio, providing a contrast to the whimsical forms
of the wordmark and patterns. “As the hotel, designed by Emery
Roth & Sons, bridges the gap between modernism and postmod-

NYC’s up-
ernism,” van Leeuwen explains, “so does our identity,” noting Folio’s
mid-century publishing and aesthetic. “It has a lot of
individual character,” he concludes, “it was made
in a pre-digital age, and thus gives it a slightly
imperfect quality in its typographic image.”

town luxury Words—

156 Harry Bennett 157
158 159
160 161
↑ Step one: removing ‘Hotel.’ 162 163
164 ↑ Early days. 165
 ↑ Windows inspiring type, blocks
166 emerging, inching towards Art Nouveau. 167
↑ Pushing contrast. 168 169
 ↑ Exploring modularity, combining the rigidity
170 of the building with the flow of the Central Park. 171
↑ Getting close. 172 173
09— The Brand
Identity
MOUTH-
WASH Studio

Year— Typefaces—NB International by Neubau, Website— Instagram—

2021 JHA Times Now by JHA 174 [Link] @[Link] 175
The Brand
After many months of planning, designing, uploading and everything
in between, we were incredibly proud to launch our new identity
and website in October of 2021; crafted by the unstoppable team at
MOUTHWASH Studio in Los Angeles. The idea behind it all was to move

Identity 2.0:
from a typical ‘blog’ aesthetic, with the aim of further establishing
our site as the most trusted stop for information and inspiration in
the graphic design industry. To do so, we established a simple core
principle: Resource for Graphic Design. Home to a curated selection
of projects, interviews and insights from the industry alongside a store

collaborating
full of physical and digital products that are both beautiful and useful.
We worked in close collaboration with the MOUTHWASH Studio
team to develop an adaptable system; introducing new features to
our digital experience while polishing up familiar interactions that
our visitors have grown to know and love. This was a massive under-

with MOUTH-
taking, as it required transferring over six years’ worth of articles to
a new structure, but it has given us the flexibility to grow and flourish
for years to come.
One of the key introductions was the bookmark feature, made
for those who use our site as a research tool and destination for inspi-

WASH Studio
ration. The development of an intuitive tagging system has streamlined
the search process, making it easier than ever to find something
specific or explore new territories.
Ultimately, all of the decisions that we made
together with MOUTHWASH Studio were focused

to create
on flexibility; with the need for our identity to
be just as comfortable online next to thou-
sands of other identities, as it is on the
cover of a book or stitched into a label.

our identity
and website
Words—
176 Elliott Moody 177
178 179
182 183
184 185
↑ The goal was to explore a wide range of directions to
see how far we could push the brand while still allowing ↑ Ultimately we felt like a sans serif sentence case
it to take a backseat to the featured work. 186 typesetting struck that perfect balance. 187
↑ This direction took a fairly editorial approach, taking notes
from print publications, newspapers, and stationery systems. 188 189
E WEEKLY THE WEE
THE—BRAND THE WEEKLY ROUND UP
IDENTITY® MARCH 22 - MARCH 28

UND UP Love St. Studio’s identity for

real estate project Fabricka ROUND UP
MARCH 22 combines charm with
industrial precision
MARCH 2
RCH 28 MARCH 28

SWIPE UP
TO READ MORE

190 191
↑ Exploration on a bracket system and how this could
extend to other elements of The Brand Identity platform. 192 193
194 195
↑ Once we had the key pieces of the brand in place, we began to
explore what the full type-stack was going to look like. Adding in
a clean serif font gave the brand a sense of balance and voice. 196 197
10— PORTO
ROCHA
Vevo

Year— Typefaces— Website— Instagram—

2020-21 Plain by Optimo 198 [Link] @porto_rocha 199
PORTO
Leading international music video network Vevo sought a visual revival
of their brand, turning to NYC-based design studio PORTO ROCHA
to reintroduce them to the world; following research that showed a
global confusion in what exactly it is that Vevo does. Providing 24/7

ROCHA’s
access to the world’s greatest music video collection, Vevo hosts
an expansive library of over half a million videos – with an average of
more than 26 billion views every month. Spanning original content
and up-and-coming musicians to the world’s musical greats, Vevo
has quite the clientele, and therefore also faced the issue of speaking

identity for
to multiple audiences. In fact, Vevo needed to converse with not only
the specific fans of every genre but also the ad drivers and the music
industry itself.
With research indicating the value of the existing wordmark’s
international and inter-generational recognition, PORTO ROCHA took

Vevo rein-
the opportunity to expand beyond the latter, and to occupy a space
more true to the brand. A space of cultural, musical and editorial
ambition, as well as a space indicative of their expertise in their respec-
tive field. The result carefully balances the presence of Vevo’s brand
alongside the recognition and emphasis of the artists they support.

troduces the
This was structurally and aesthetically achieved through the
dynamic introduction of an adaptable, ever-expanding modular system,
inspired by the notion of amplification. Fundamentally kinetic, the
system is effortless and endlessly responsive; scaling vertically and
horizontally in different ways across different content, whilst remaining

music video
harmoniously in continuity with one another.
Innately in-tune with the graphic execution of Vevo’s systematic
identity is the complex complementary colour system, which provides
hierarchy and information across the breadth of the brand and its

network to its
applications. “Colours can respond to artist imagery,” PORTO ROCHA
tell us, “but we also developed a comprehensive system wherein each
music genre/subgenre corresponds with a specific colour within the
palette,” they add. “This approach makes it easy to create genre-spe-
cific communications,” such as red denoting rock music, “helping

widespread
viewers differentiate between the types of music content at a glance.”
PORTO ROCHA’s monochromatic approach to the more corporate
context of Vevo’s brand is similarly indicative of their choice to introduce
Optimo’s sans serif Plain as their primary typeface. The purely pragmatic
and functional architecture and intent of which makes for a diligent bal-

audience
ance of graphic composition in the light of variable colour, content
and character. All while – importantly – providing humanity and
warmth to the brand through its grotesque construction.

Words—
200 Harry Bennett 201
202 203
204 205
 ARIANA GRANDE
COUNTRY SABOR
GRANDE

TROPICAL

ARIANA

ARIANA ARIANA
GRANDE R&B GRIME

POP TOP 50 INDIE

ARIANA GRANDE

POP POP EDM BEATS

INCOMING DSCVR

ARIANA
GRANDE

↑ One of our directions explored how typography could become a ↑ When developing directions, many layouts are explored to
more distinctive elements of the system, framing the content and make sure the system can work for all forms of content, whether
establishing a more curatorial voice for the Vevo brand. 206 it is celebrating a particular artist or showcasing a genre. 207
 Dscvr
Hot
New Music
Nathy Peluso
Sana Sana
this
week

Dscvr
New Music
For Fans of Dscvr
The Academic

Djavan
Luedji Luna
Liniker

↑ We explored how colour would function within the identity, making use ↑ Social post sketches explored how typography could
of a system of opacities that reflected the core idea of amplification. 208 act as a framing device for the content within the platform. 209
↑ Once the core idea had been identified, we began to explore ↑ As one module expanded or contracted, the modules
how it would function in motion. The wireframes above illustrate on either side would respond. This rigging procedure is
the idea of amplification and how it would come to life. 210 integral to the system and the way it behaves. 211
↑ We explored the idea of amplification in all its forms, ↑ A colour system was developed to identify the correct opacities and
and looked at how the system could flex in different ways tints. The specific values changed for each colour, and also according
while still speaking to the same idea. 212 to the number of modules within the composition. 213
 Dscvr

Indie

↑ Once we had settled on the final idea, we explored all ↑ Testing out different layouts helped us to refine the
the different ways in which the brand could come to life. 214 system and make it work for all different types of content. 215
217
 Studio
Interviews

218 219
 Interview
with
Tristan O’-

220
Shannessy,
Elliott Moody
Interviewed by—
Marx
Design
221
 “Looking back we’re
just happy we got
the best result.”
EM What year was the project started and completed? complications – I believe this is really is the genesis of
us achieving a result we’re really proud of and the client
TOS April to December, 2020. getting a great outcome for their business.

EM What was the brief and scope of work? EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the
unused designs and ideas?
TOS Our work for Autex Acoustics covered full strat-
egy and design. Strategy included: defining the audience, TOS There were some good executions we put forward,

222
interviewing installers and architects for insights, brand and some that were in retrospect a little weak, or potentially

personality and positioning, range rationalisation, tone of functionally difficult for a company of their size.
voice, copywriting. Graphic outputs included: logo, symbol Ultimately, the execution they ran with is by far
and identity, corporate stationary, presentation templates, the best one we put forward – and you can’t say that for
livery and motion graphics (with a partner), direction on every project you work on. So to answer the question,
photography and a comprehensive brand manual for their looking back we’re just happy we got the best result.

Elliott Moody
inhouse design team.
Interviewed by—
EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced
EM Who worked on the project from your team? throughout the project?

TOS Ryan Marx, Tristan O’Shannessy, Manuel TOS There was a few weeks in the project where we
Payan, Janine Bickerton, Kate Phillips, Anushka Harri- were trying to nail the brand’s wordmark and symbol,
son, Hannah Jensen, Prudence Marx & Nicola Kearns. which included a few presentations and a few rounds of
feedback. Though it added a little time pressure to the
EM How long did the project take to complete? project, I wouldn’t say it was a challenge, or at least not
an unwanted one – I think crafting logos would be our
TOS 14 weeks over 9 month period. favourite way to pass the time. Once we were in alignment
with the client on that and had a chosen direction, the rest
EM What did the client think of the concepts? really clicked into place and was worked through without
any real difficulties.
TOS Just about everything we presented was well
received, but much was disregarded for various reasons
– sometimes functional concerns and sometimes not every-
one internally was aligned on a particular concept.
In the end, the best solution we put forward was
chosen, which is a great position to be in, and validates
their concerns and justifies our exploration and persistence
for a good result. The client never questioned our strategic
approach or the graphic idea we were trying to capture,
which allowed us to focus on execution without added
223
Interview

Heydays
Kjelsnes,
with
Lars

Interviewed by—
224 Elliott Moody 225
 “They were really into
this sophisticated and
very different vibe.”
EM What year was the project started and completed? their industry) has very different vibe that the 1st direction
with its sharp graphics and typography.
LK Started and finished in 2021. What was unfortunate at the time was that the
second direction didn’t resonate so well visually and was
EM What was the brief and scope of work? disregarded – we really liked the conceptual thinking
behind it.
LK We rarely get a detailed brief, but work it out with
the client in an initial phase. But they had an understand- EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the

226
ing of what they issues need help with and they initially unused designs and ideas?

wrote them down to us like this: they’re in quite a tradi- LK Looking back I think the direction we went for
tional industry, where they’re one of few who do things makes a lot of sense. The semi-random output of the 2nd
differently. They had a hard time telling who they are and (recycled) direction doesn’t really make sense for the strat-
what it is they do – it’s complex and they didn’t have their egy we laid. But it still looks kind of fresh though, just
story straight. wasn’t a fit.

Elliott Moody
They needed to find that simple story that could
Interviewed by—
resonate with many. A big challenge was that the story they EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced
told resonated well with scientists and professors – not the throughout the project?
people actually buying their solutions.
Their website is bad and doesn’t do the job of LK
The project also involved naming – and we came
telling about a tech-oriented company. up with the name Carrot in the first round. However the
CEO wasn’t convinced – and we had to do a full second
EM Who worked on the project from your team? round of names (which was fine). Then after about two
weeks of complete silence – all of a sudden we got word
LK Sandro Kvernmo (Goods), Lars Kjelsnes (Hey- that Carrot had gotten the OK. We were so eager to get
days), Synne Flaa (Goods), Mike Patterson (Heydays), started on the visual concepts at that time!
Camilla Martinussen (Goods), Martin Sanne Kristiansen On a team level, the Design Director (Lars) had to
(Heydays), Carl Wellman (Heydays), Derek Ercolano go on a paternity leave midway through the project – whilst
(Goods) and Sofie Svanes (Goods). others joined the team at that time – causing some hurdles
for the process naturally.
EM How long did the project take to complete?

LK About 8 months.

EM What did the client think of the concepts?

LK They were super happy with the initial concepts.

An important feedback early on was that it needed to look
tech, but they were really into this sophisticated and (for
227
 Couchman,
Interview

Moniker
Brent
with

Interviewed by—
228 Elliott Moody 229
 “They needed a
visual identity that
built recognition.”
EM What year was the project started and completed? the team was focused on finding something that could be
inviting and accessible to new audiences without alienating
BC The work officially launched in 2021. the existing crypto audience.

EM What was the brief and scope of work? EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the
unused designs and ideas?
BC We were originally brought in to explore a new
symbol for Coinbase. Once we got started it was apparent BC It was a rare project where the final work used

230
that there was a larger need and opportunity for the visual most of the pieces we were excited about along the way.

identity system. The company was going through massive Of course we had pieces that were interesting for different
growth with huge success as the most trusted and easiest reasons and we'd love to have found a way to keep them
to use platform for the cryptoeconomy. in the mix, but we were really proud of where the work
They needed an identity that reflected this position, landed.
balancing the excitement and energy of this new financial

Elliott Moody
world while communicating the trust, security, etc. they'd EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced
Interviewed by—
been known for. And to reach a wider audience, not just throughout the project?
the typical crypto crowd, they needed a visual identity that
built recognition for the brand but also allowed for a really BC
There’s an established visual language within the
wide range of expression to speak to new users. crypto space that we wanted to avoid to make sure they
stood out, but also wouldn't alienate existing users. This
EM Who worked on the project from your team? was a fine line to balance.
The crypto space is changing so often that it was
BC Brent Couchman (Executive Creative Director), often a moving target in terms of the competitive landscape.
Nate Luetkehans (Creative Director), Jeremy Evens (Cre- We really needed to reduce the brand down to it’s essentials
ative Director), Monica Greenwald (Senior Art Director), to keep things moving forward throughout the process.
Bobby Tannam (Type Designer).

EM How long did the project take to complete?

BC The visual identity system phase of work was 11

months. We continued to work with them after the launch/
IPO and are still working with them now.

EM What did the client think of the concepts?

BC It was an open and collaborative process with lots

of ideas in the mix. There was a lot of excitement about
various concepts, but it was clear from the beginning that
231
Interview

Hatfield,
OMSE
with
Ed

Interviewed by—
232 Elliott Moody 233
 “How can we honour
two cultures whilst
embracing tradition
and modernity?”

234
EM What year was the project started and completed? EH We’ve always presented two routes at the concept
phase. One that pushes the client beyond where they see
EH May 2021 - August 2021. themselves, and one that goes even further. The client
loved both routes and could see them both working but was
EM What was the brief and scope of work? keen to create a super bold brand that reflects the mixing

Elliott Moody
of cultures and uniqueness of the product. Resulting in the
Interviewed by—
EH The client came to us with a unique product that decision to develop route two – in the mix.
mixes botanicals from both India and Japan. Creating the
world’s first Indo-Japanese craft gin. EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the
The brief was quite open at first, and asked the unused designs and ideas?
question – how can we honour two cultures whilst embrac-
ing tradition and modernity? EH We’re always proud of the ideas we present, but
This lead us into the naming phase where we look to push our clients as much as possible. Our unused
explored themes that embrace this idea of two cultures concept for Doja told a tale of two sides, Japan and India.
coming together. Which was realised in a unique and bold way. In this
instance, the idea of combining and mixing ingredients
EM Who worked on the project from your team? and cultures was better represented in concept two.

EH Holly Farndell (Project Manager), James Kape EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced
(Creative Director), Ed Hatfield (Senior Designer), throughout the project?
Matt Gilbert (3D Designer), Julia B. Aguiar (Freelance
Designer), Dylan Parry (Copywriter), Jem Elliott (Strate- EH A challenge that comes with mixing together
gist), Patricia Doria (Illustrator). cultures is language. For Doja, we had to craft an identity
that managed to mix three different languages – Japanese,
EM How long did the project take to complete? English and Devanagari. To make this work, we created
contrast between English (primary), and Japanese and
EH Four months. Devanagari (both secondary).

EM What did the client think of the concepts?

235
 PARSONS
Interview

Parsons,
Craig
with

Interviewed by—
236 Elliott Moody 237
 “Our mandate
was to evolve the
HERO brand.”
EM What year was the project started and completed? CP In the end, we really simplified the process for
HERO by creating a design system that could zero in on
CP 2020 – 2021. what they do – the real way to shop virtually. With people
placed at the heart of the identity, I could really play with
EM What was the brief and scope of work? that idea. Some of the early explorations were inspired by
the art of communication and I had fun creating various
CP HERO set out to preserve and optimise the value symbols born from that idea.
of human connectivity. The concepts that weren’t implemented, like the

238
Our mandate was to evolve the HERO brand with speech marks that form an ‘H,’ could have formed second-

a strategy, voice and identity system to take them forward ary layers over time but I’m happy with the final outcome
on their mission to empower people through better online and most importantly, the client team was too. Bold graphic
shopping experiences. elements, dynamic type and striking colour created a visual
system that HERO could confidently take forward.
EM Who worked on the project from your team?

Elliott Moody
EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced
Interviewed by—
CP Kim Parsons: brand strategy and copy. throughout the project?
Craig Parsons: brand identity and design.
CP I embraced the challenge to revisit the ‘R’ in the
EM How long did the project take to complete? wordmark with an open mind. Squeezing the detail (and
given time to do so) is a gift on any project! The variations
CP Four months. explored ranged from restrained to expressive and we
landed on a more modest ‘R’ that settled comfortably with
EM What did the client think of the concepts? the letters on either side of it. A good, healthy conversation
around design can be a unifying process for a project team.
CP The client was open to exploration from the onset
and the process was conversation-rich, which we love. I
get excited whenever we can talk about the design on the
table – where everyone cares enough about the outcome
to share, stay positive and entertain possibility.
HERO instantly embraced the motion opport-
unity with the ‘H-window’ – an animated state where the
wordmark slides to reveal photography of the shopping
progress. This device serves as a visual interaction because
the brand and the people who make the transaction have
distinctively different shopping experiences.

EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the

unused designs and ideas?
239
 Interview
with
Christopher

240
Doyle,
Elliott Moody
Interviewed by—
Christopher
Doyle
& Co.
241
 “As always, it’s a
shame to see all
that work get
parked. That’s how
it goes though.”

242
EM What year was the project started and completed? CD The client responded well to all the concepts.
However, they were very focussed on the brand feeling
CD The project commenced in May 2020 and was accessible but also sophisticated so that drove the decision
completed in October 2020. the go with the final direction.

Elliott Moody
EM What was the brief and scope of work? EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the
Interviewed by—
unused designs and ideas?
CD To name and brand a new company that offered
short-stay accommodation in a range of architecturally CD I still really like them all. I felt like we had three
designed cabins. distinct directions that worked for different reasons. As
always, it’s a shame to see all that work get parked. That’s
EM Who worked on the project from your team? how it goes though.

CD Christopher Doyle, Emily Sneddon, Josie Young. EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced
throughout the project?
EM How long did the project take to complete?
CD I think the biggest challenge was the naming.
CD Six months. Finding a name that is strategically appropriate, feels and
sounds right, and can be secured is hard. Harder than the
EM What did the client think of the concepts? visual side of things I think.
243
 Interview
with
Andrés

244
Domínguez,
Elliott Moody
Interviewed by—
Maniac
Studio
245
“We all agreed that
this brand must be
soft, cute and casual.”
EM What year was the project started and completed? AD Even though there are so many interesting ideas
that we explored from the beginning, we are convinced that
AD The entire process, from the initial talks until the we took the right approach for this project. It is a simple
delivery of the final product, was between the end of 2021 concept, but many people recognise themselves and feel
and beginning 2022. part of it and, if we add the positive feedback, we do not
regret our choices.
EM What was the brief and scope of work?
EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced

246
AD We were commissioned to design a coffee house throughout the project?

and bakery that has a Mexican-French influence which AD There were endless characters that could be illus-
is now on trend. The process involved the creation of a trated, so we had to think about possible scenarios where
concept that could have a relaxed atmosphere and diff- that brand could be used to find the ones that represented
erentiate from others. We created the name, brand identity, ‘Nud’ the best and were recognisable.
illustrations and collateral. Definitely, the illustration phase was the one that

Elliott Moody
made us think over and over.
Interviewed by—
EM Who worked on the project from your team?

AD This project was commissioned to Andrés, how-

ever the entire team always discusses the course of a pro-
ject to ensure the best approach.

EM How long did the project take to complete?

AD Within 3 months we went from the first conver-

sation to the project release.

EM What did the client think of the concepts?

AD The concept was very clear from the beginning,

but we needed to explore the style and the feeling. After
some conversations we all agreed that this brand must be
soft, cute and casual, and also encourage consumers to
empathise with the product and the environment.
This process was joyful, coordinated and had
good communication with the client.

EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the

unused designs and ideas?
247
 Interview
with
Mark

248
Sloan,
Elliott Moody
Interviewed by—
Mother
Design
249
“We had spirited
discussions with them
all along the way.”
EM What year was the project started and completed? to create a truly unique identity for the space which was
taking shape in parallel.
MS Started: 2020. Completed: 2021.
EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the
EM What was the brief and scope of work? unused designs and ideas?

MS We were brought on to develop the brand strategy, MS It’s wild to look back at the early stages of any
verbal identity and visual identity for The Park Lane Hotel, project. We were pushing on the edges, holding space

250
which was once towering over Central Park South in the for gut feelings and half-baked ideas, exploring all kinds

late 1970’s, but now had lost its lustre and relevance in the of directions the work could go. When I see some of the
context of a revamped ‘Billionaire’s Row.’ We endeavoured details you’ve chosen to highlight, they each remind me of
to create a more eclectic, artful, inclusive place which could specific conversations that were taking place in the studio
cater to more diverse audiences and stand in stark contrast at the time – unused files are wonderful time capsules in
to its stuffy neighbours. that way.

Elliott Moody
Interviewed by—
EM Who worked on the project from your team? EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced
throughout the project?
MS Matt van Leeuwen, Yaya Xu, Molly Dauphin,
Vanessa Hopkins, Sam Wright, Danielle Horanieh, Nathan MS One of the major challenges of this project was
Manou, Katt Kiner, Mark Sloan, Betsy Dickerson and COVID’s arrival in 2020. We were excitedly pushing the
Jorge Badillo work forward when the entire project was suddenly halted.
The hotel changed ownership during the pause, and we
EM How long did the project take to complete? were unsure if we were even going to be able to complete
the work. Thankfully we resumed towards the end of 2020
MS Eight months (over a 15 month period). and finalised the system.

EM What did the client think of the concepts?

MS We had spirited discussions with them all along

the way – it was such a lovely collaboration. They were
excited by most of the early design directions on some level,
but the route we ended up crafting and delivering struck a
chord and rose to the top of their list almost immediately.
Not only did we have the hotel owners (High-
gate) around the proverbial table, but the newly appointed
general manager (Prince Sanders), the interior design
firm (Yabu Pushelberg) and the muralists (En Viu) were
also involved. With these voices in the mix we were able
251
 Interview
with
Mackenzie

252
Freemire
Elliott Moody
Interviewed by—
MOUTH-
WASH
Studio
253
 “Unlike other
rebranding exercises,
we needed to create
a system that served
a dual purpose.”

254
EM What year was the project started and completed?
a project is always an eye-opening process. There’s always
a mix of things that didn’t quite hit the mark, other bits
MF Kicked off and launched in 2021. that ended up informing the final outcome, and ideas that
while could’ve led to something great, maybe weren’t the
EM What was the brief and scope of work? best fit for the project at hand.

Elliott Moody
It’s interesting to go back and see the progression
Interviewed by—
MF Strategy, brand DNA, brand identity, logomark, of the work with fresh eyes, paying close attention to
wordmark, colour system, typography system, symbols, moments where the work slowly starts taking shape and
icons, characters system, brand collateral, web design, is refined into the final result.
web development.
EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced
EM Who worked on the project from your team? throughout the project?

MF Ben Mingo (Partner, Head of Design) MF One challenge that we faced from this project
Mackenzie Freemire (Partner, Head of Design) was in regards to creating a brand identity that didn’t
Abraham Campillo (Partner, Head of Direction) overshadow the work featured on the site. This was a
Alex Tan (Partner, Head of Strategy) good obstacle for us to have as it pushed us to rethink our
Jason Annas (Sr. Strategist) approach towards the system we were creating.
John Burgess (Sr. Motion Designer), Unlike other re-branding exercises, we needed
Shayna Fowler (Head of Operations). to create a system that served a dual purpose of feeling
ownable, while making space for other bodies of work to
EM How long did the project take to complete? equally stand out.
The amount of content and information we had at
MF Nine months from kick off to launch. hand proved to be quite a technical challenge as well. It was
a very different obstacle from designing something from
EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the scratch, taking into consideration we could easily translate
unused designs and ideas? the previous content over to a new platform, while adding
new functional elements to supplement. Luckily Adrien
MF Revisiting concepts and ideations from the start of Picard was able to make this challenge look effortless.
255
 Interview
with
Joseph

256
Lebus and
Elliott Moody
Interviewed by—
Nicholas
Schröder,
PORTO
257

ROCHA
“The process was
very iterative.”
EM What year was the project started and completed? changes from the first round to the second. Our main focus
for round 2 was refining the selected direction with the
NS We started working with Vevo on this project in client to create the best possible version of the proposed
the second semester of 2020, working on strategy, visual, identity system.
and verbal identity. In 2021 we moved into the guidelines
phase and finalised the project supporting the Vevo team EM What are your thoughts when looking back at the
in initially implementing the brand. unused designs and ideas?

EM What was the brief and scope of work? JL The unused designs and ideas are interesting in
how they showcase the way in which we typically approach
NS Our work started out with a discovery and strat- a project at PORTO ROCHA. Guided by the initial dis-
egy phase when we interviewed multiple stakeholders covery and strategy, we took a deep dive into the world
across different departments of the company. of Vevo, experimenting with several sketches, techniques
This resulted in a few key opportunities that set and approaches.
the groundwork for the rest of the identity. We created The process was very iterative, as we tried to
Vevo’s visual and verbal brand world and formalised that tackle the same problem from multiple perspectives. The

258
thinking into interactive brand guidelines. To roll out the result was an array of potential ideas and paths forward

branding, we finalised the project by providing some key that attempted to address the ideas that came up in the dis-
design and motion assets. covery phase. From this, we singled out the ideas with the
most potential and refined them to create a final outcome.
EM Who worked on the project from your team?
EM Can you highlight any challenges that you faced

Elliott Moody
NS Creative Direction: Leo Porto, Felipe Rocha throughout the project?
Interviewed by—
Design: Joseph Lebus, Fionn Breen
Motion Design & Video: Fionn Breen NS Vevo’s wordmark is globally recognised, yet there
Project Management: Nicholas Schröder, Claren Walker was less awareness about the breadth of Vevo as a brand
Strategy: Natalee Ranii-Dropcho, Bryan Wolff and general confusion about what exactly it is that Vevo
Tone of Voice & Copywriting: Natalee Ranii-Dropcho does. This presented our first challenge and as we thought
3D Design: Bruno Faiotto about how to approach this, we had to be considerate of
Web Development: Fluxo their different business channels.
Case Study Photography: Sarah Hopp As a B2C and B2B company, Vevo faced the
question of how to communicate different messages across
EM How long did the project take to complete? multiple audiences – from music fans to ad drivers and
the music industry. The visual and verbal identity needed
NS The full project and work phases took approxi- to have the flexibility to be able to reach their consumer
mately 8 months from start to finish. and business audiences while maintaining a cohesive
branding message. Building out Vevo’s brand presence
EM What did the client think of the concepts? presented another challenge as we had to approach it with
deliberation to not overshadow the artists the brand uplifts.
NS The client was excited by the overall concept of Additionally, Vevo produces content globally on a daily
amplification, as it covered many aspects of their business basis, so we were faced with the challenge of creating a
– amplifying artists’ voices, amplifying music to millions system that was easy to implement at that scale and pace.
of people, and amplifying the ads placed in the platform.
They also responded positively to how flexible the system
was and how confident the brand became through both
design and the tone of voice. There weren’t many drastic
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Publisher— Words—
The Brand Identity Elliott Moody, Harry Bennett
and Poppy Thaxter
Design—
Harry Bennett Typefaces—
NB International Pro,
ISBN— JHA Times Now
978-1-8381193-5-5

Special thanks to Christopher Doyle & Co., Goods, Heydays, Maniac Studio,
Marx Design, Moniker, Mother Design, MOUTHWASH Studio, OMSE,
PARSONS and PORTO ROCHA for their contributions to the book.

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