Urban Climb by Base Design
‘The weaker the brand character, the greater the need for distinctive visuals’. Said someone, at some stage. And of course, the principle works in reverse. It’s an important point: if the core is strong, the exterior can – and often should – be more malleable, softer, less obviously an exercise in ‘branding’. Countries, cities, communities; we all have a sense...
Forskningsrådet by ANTI
2022 was, let’s say, an interesting year for Forskningsrådet (The Norwegian Research Council). The public institution, which provides public funding for research and innovation across a wide range of fields, usually operates without controversy or intense public scrutiny. This changed in September 2021 when Norway held its national elections and got itself a change of government. And along with that,...
Tembo by Perky Bros
When I first caught Perky Bros’ latest project I misread it as ‘Tempo’, the speed at which music is played. Timing is everything, or so it is said. For real estate company Tembo this notion takes the form of patience; the time to grow gently and judiciously. Property development, momentarily paused during the pandemic, seems to have recovered and is again...
LBDO by Universal Favourite
Self-care is nothing new, but our understanding and appreciation of it as a society has grown enormously in the last half century, and especially recently when it became a trending topic during the isolation periods of coronavirus in 2020 and 2021 (70 million hashtags on Instagram, and counting). In the dawn of this enlightened thinking, products in this space have...
HUB Residential by DNCO
Property development continues to boom in London. It’s difficult to see how any of this is really benefitting those most in need, or whether housing is even being designed to be resided in at this point, acting as a ‘store of value’ for those much wealthier individuals. Recently developed areas appear like ghost towns at night. Having just moved, and...
Baseline by Garbett
‘There’s better ways to build’ is Baseline’s opening gambit on its landing page. And Surrey Hills-based Garbett worked with the government and commercial builder to bring this and its core values of simplicity, precision, clarity and transparency to life. ‘Every successful build needs the right foundation’. This notion is expressed through a single unit that expands and grows into a dynamic system of blocks, not quite...
Leapling Films by F37
Leapling Films is a Manchester-based independent production company founded by ‘leap year baby Chris Lane’. For those that don’t know, this included myself until an hour ago, the word ‘Leapling’ is used to describe somebody who was born on the 29th February. Chris is a member of The Production Guild. His work has been seen by millions of people worldwide, and his credits as...
Vessel Floats by Order
In the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Greenpoint sits Vessel Floats, a new flotation and deprivation therapy spa that draws on the continuing interest in concepts such as mindful living and wellness. Through considered interior design and visual identity, the latter developed by New York-based studio Order, Vessel Floats intends to further develop and bring to modernity an experience that has been around...
CareerTrackers Awards by Garbett
CareerTrackers is an Australian charitable organisation that addresses Indigenous disadvantage by developing professional career pathways, internship programs and links with private sector employers for Indigenous university students. It does this through a model adapted from an African-American internship program that has been tackling disadvantage for over 45 years. This model sees students intern with sponsoring companies with the intention of converting them...
Anton&Anton Kioski by Bond
Anton&Anton (A&A) is an alternative to and antithesis of the large supermarket chains. Staff are described as relaxed, smiley and proud. Their ranges (mostly) organic, some homecooked and also available online for home delivery. With a desire to express an approachable, playful yet credible positioning, and a need to develop a cohesive set of packaging and communications assets A&A worked...
Arper 2018 by Clase bcn
Arper is an Italian furniture company producing chairs, tables and furnishings for community, work and home spaces. They seek an elegant resolution of function, form and finish which is founded on a total design philosophy that covers design, production and long-term impact. Arper commissioned Spanish studio Clase bcn to develop and design a new on and offline graphic identity for all...
Sydney Design Festival by Re
Sydney Design Festival has been running for 20 years, making it one of the oldest design festivals in the world. It provides its visitors with an opportunity to understand design practice in all its forms, to bring to light problem, process and response, and to foster a closer connection with the designers and businesses helping to shape our collective futures. With a...