Every year MARK tackle the visual identity for Manchester Literature Festival (MLF) – and every time they do something clever and appropriate. MLF is one of the biggest and best urban literature festivals in the UK; a showcase of the very best in contemporary writing from across the world. And this year (the 11th year, no mean feat in itself) MARK have surpassed themselves with a visual identity based around the visual distortions of book edges. A simple idea but one that has infinite legs.
Garbett have designed a very clever system for NYE in Sydney. Delightfully, the brand name was contained in the word ‘SYDNEY’ — by swapping the positions of the N and E, they were able to reveal the acronym for New Year’s Eve. Beautifully complemented with an illustration style that feels modern and uniquely Australian, Garbett’s designs have been applied all across the city to ring in the new decade. Click here to see more of the project.
A wonderful identity, beautifully and cleverly crafted by Paul Belford Ltd. for a Thai restaurant. It’s been years since I did some marbling. Perfectly representing the lovely spices being blended together. The logo, represents a flower, alluding to the fact that ‘Busaba’ can mean ‘flower’ in Thai. The petals of the flower logo are heart-shaped, drawing on two of the important philosophies that inform Busaba’s culture: ‘sookjai’ and ‘namjai’. ‘Sookjai’, meaning ‘happy heart’. Very tasty!
Rail Road is an exceptional project designed by Pacifica. The book is the print documentary of a film about the Portuguese surfer Nic von Rupp, directed by Gustavo Imigrante. Remarkably they have managed to create a physical piece that not only serves as a companion to the film but works as a compelling standalone book.
I’m in love with this work by my new fave agency Seachange. Supertrash is a disruptive new player in the waste management sector. A small, family-run collection service with a big purpose; to help divert waste from landfill through circular solutions. Seachange have created an iconic globe logo that references the circular economy. Overprinting is utilised to evoke repurposing and recycling, paired with bold pattern and copy.
Imagine if all rubbish collections looked this good.
Studio Dumbar’s work for Amsterdam Sinfonietta is wonderful in how it does so much with so little. Just type, colour, and scale. Oh, and it really sings when animated. Orchestras afford plenty of creative latitude to graphic designers—yet it’s rare to to see something this distinct, beautiful and off the beaten track. Encore!
Previously called the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, the institution has been renamed The Lester Prize for Portraiture in honour of the founding patron Richard Lester.
This shift has resulted in a simple and dynamic identity, cleverly leveraging the universal structure of portraits but in a minimal way. Just lovely…
Such a beautifully crafted icon and identity. Clever and simple.
For a company that distributes furniture and helps with saving space, this identity program is a great example of restraint—balanced with enough character, and in the most appropriate way, while still ensuring legibility remains. I’m quite a fan of this one…
Not sure which agency did these but very clever indeed. Made me smile!