One of the most interesting logo design projects I’ve ever worked on was the logo design for Audra Labs, a spin-off company from Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star). Audra Labs specialises in creating plant-based meat textures with all the flavour and mouthfeel of real meat. With more and more people turning to a plant-based diet for ethical and/or environmental reasons, the introduction of this technology, which allows for higher volumes of production at a far lower cost than other plant-based meat companies, couldn’t be more timely. I was honoured to design the logo for this innovative new start-up, and learned so much in the process!
The Sketches
To kickstart the creative process, I asked Dr Andrew Wan, the founder and non-executive director of the company, to explain the technology behind their plant-based meats to me. He very generously explained the process in a way that I, as someone who isn’t from a scientific background, could understand. From that discussion, I came up with several sketches based on my understanding of what he’d explained to me, and sent them over for feedback.
The first proposed idea was a stylised version of the name "Audra”, which means “noble strength”. I wanted the letters to fit nicely into each other, to bring a sense of structure and of individual parts coming together to form a greater whole. In the second variation, the emphasis on the upward triangles may also represent reaching for greater heights and a push towards innovation.
The second sketch was based on a pattern in sacred geometry called "The Seed of Life." The Seed of Life symbolises creation — each of the seven circles that form the pattern are said to represent the seven days of creation. The circular pattern and the meaning itself tie in with Audra Labs' vision to create a more sustainable alternative to the plant-based meat products that are currently on the market, allowing life to continue to blossom and thrive and the circle of life to continue in harmony. Since all life begins with and grows from a seed, this also represents the scalability of Audra Labs' process of creating plant-based meat. In this variation, I've shaded in three of the petals in the central flower to subtly represent the letter "A" as a reference to the name "Audra."
The third sketch is another stylised play on the word "Audra". If you look closely, each component of this design represents a different letter in the word. The individual letters come together to form a bigger picture, which resembles both the lowercase letter "a" as well as a simplified plate and cutlery. This stands for Audra Labs' focus on creating alternative, more sustainable food sources.
This last sketch is an even more stylised version of the name "Audra", using circles instead of triangles. The client had pointed out during an earlier conversation that the circular shape of one of the logos I sent as a reference could represent a circular economy, and they're also a great way to represent sustainability and a more holistic, ecological approach in Audra Labs’ work, since circles and cycles are an intrinsic part of nature. In this design, five circles are arranged in two rows and modified according to each letter in the word "Audra." The layering of the circles also represents strength when individual parts come together, which ties into the meaning of the name as well as subtly referencing the cellular structure of the plant-based meat.
Developing the Idea
It was the last idea that the client found most interesting, and so we proceeded to refine the logo design based on that. We refined the shape, thickness and proximity of the lines; tried out several colour options; and played with the positioning of the supporting text.
After weighing the designs against each other and discussing the pros and cons of each one, the client decided on this variation for the final design:
This was definitely one of the most fascinating design journeys I’ve ever been on. I’m very grateful to Dr Andrew Wan and the team at Audra Labs for having me on board for this project, and teaching me so much!
Read more about Audra Labs and what they do here and here.
