THE BACKMATTER

A blog dedicated to Graphic Design and Branding. Curated by Belgian graphic designer, Bob Janssens

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Senne

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Senne & Nicky

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Twist by Communal Creative / communalcreative.co

Twist is a smart LED light bulb that combines adjustable lighting with high-quality audio, via a built-in AirPlay speaker. The seamless technology removes the annoyance of hubs, wires and installation, providing a simple solution for a smarter home. 

With the elegance in product, we elevated the delivery experience by creating a packaging system that adds polish and delight. The unveiling journey is mapped by the rich brand colors, playful illustrations, and unique product display with a footprint that doubles in size once opened. An attention to material was key in final execution—each box is finished in a soft touch paper, creating a great hand-feel for those opening, and spot varnish moments to add visual depth to branding and text. These moments translate into a system that houses the one, two, and three-bulb packs.

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MeetDistrict by skinn branding agency / skinn.be

Meetdistrict was developed by skinn branding agency for their client Ghelamco as a vision on future work places. Our contribution was the realisation of a complete strategy, a new brand and vision for the interior design of the concept on future working places.

The result is a responsive workspace where the atmosphere is compliant with the needs of the entrepreneurs and their visitors and has inspiring workplaces and meeting spots. And more, there are sports facilities, shops, diners and coffee shops, day care, etc. In fact Meetdistrict is a 10.056m2 professional space where working is part of an inspired life.

The naming in fact is the intersection between a place for innovating enterprises (district) and one for professional meetings (meet). The project evolved into a village with a Meet Street, Work Spaces, Meet Spaces, etc. and central you’ll find the Market Place, a meeting place for vivid dialogues.

Developing a supporting app to facilitate the reservation of their meeting places and other communication tools are a great foundation for general community feeling of the more than 500 professionals staying, working and living at Meetdistrict this moment. The analogy with a village is complete when you see the ample facilities for day-to-day shopping, sports and recreation.

Skinn developed this Meet & Retreat concept after an international market survey of divers concepts and styles of future work places. Inhabitants and visitors can mingle stress free in fully equipped meeting rooms (Meet) and withdraw afterwards a 100% focussed at their individual Work Spaces (Retreat). Skinn branding agency realised the start-up phase as a base for the visual development of the content (logo, stationary, website, signalisation...).

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Catching Moonbeams by Toby Ng / toby-ng.com

The light of the moon was chosen as a metaphor for Antalis paper printing effects project to promote their black, grey and sliver paper. The project is presented in a set of two volumes within a specially designed moon-textured case.  The whole set is designed to capture the concept of ‘Catching Moonbeams’, highlighting the ephemeral and illusory nature of light, darkness, colours. Its effects take the reader in the first volume, ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, from black, a place where there is no reflection from the light of the sun, to the second volume, ‘By the Light of the Silvery Moon’, where the experience of light and silver are subtly illustrated.

‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ is an experiential journey – both visceral and texturally rich. As readers touch and feel the different paper textures and printing effects, they are taken step by step to the moon. Finally, with man’s first step on the moon, the impossible becomes possible, the dream comes true through the prints and textures – we can touch the moon!

In the 2nd volume, ‘By the Light of the Silvery Moon’, we continue to catch moonbeams in a simple paper sample booklet showcasing Antalis’ black to grey and silver papers.

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Sandeman 225th Anniversary Collection by Volta / volta.pt

In 2015, Sandeman celebrated its 225th Anniversary. Their pioneering spirit in the wine business has been unprecedented, with a permanent attitude of innovation and creativity towards its products and the business itself. Always true to its History, Heritage and Legacy, Sandeman is still true to itself and is now not only 225 years old, but also 225 years strong. Selling no less than an average of 18 bottles per minute, Sandeman is one of the biggest producers in the Porto wine business, constantly thriving to improve its premium perception, with exclusive products that are a testament to its quality. When they called VOLTA to help them celebrate their anniversary, they asked not only for a premium perception in every material produced but also for us to develop a concept that truly explained the brand’s history and attitude. In close collaboration, we decided to create 6 stories, that together tell the story of The House of Sandeman’s 225-year-old success and commitment to quality.

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The Kettle Black by Pop & Pac / pop-pac.com

When Nathan Toleman, owner of the renowned Top Paddock café in Melbourne gets in touch about developing the identity for his new café, how could you possibly say no! Along with top interior design firm Studio You Me, Pop & Pac have developed a modern type-driven identity for Melbourne’s newest and talked about culinary destination. The café has been featured on Broadsheet and the Postcards television show. Our solution reflects the well known phrase ‘the pot calling the kettle black’ by making subtle visual juxtapositions in a statement that is bold and complementary to the interior design.

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Aliment by Frédérique Gravier / Béhance

Creation and layout of a fictional newspaper done in the course of Typographie:base (DES2214) at UQÀM given by Lucie Lacava.

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Hicks by Face / designbyface.com

Identity System + Stationery for a real estate group that offers development, solutions and capital branches based in Chihuahua, México. 

Hicks is a new-generation real este group with big ambitions. They are in the process of building a state-of the art mixed-use project with architect Fernando Romero in Chihuahua, Mexico. Our job was to develop their brand new identity system, which was divided into three different companies from the same HICKS group, each of them specialized in a specific area to complement each other and develop amazing projects. 

FACE created a very simple yet modern visual system where each company is based on a specific set of geometric patterns and classic color palette. A very elegant, timeless identity that reflects the finesse and sharp vision of these new companies. Simple, modern, beautiful, just the way we love doing things.

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Marou Chocolate by Rice Creative / Béhance

The National Gallery Singapore is a new art museum occupying the former Supreme Court and City Hall sites in downtown Singapore. The gallery houses the largest, most comprehensive collection of modern South East Asian artwork in the world. The gallery was keen to partner with Marou Chocolate and co-brand a range of chocolate bars for their store, which would represent both Vietnam and the exceptional architecture of National Gallery.

The Gallery is comprised of three distinct spaces: Historic, Modern and Transcendent. We created a set of icons based on these themes. With the spaces identified, Marou were able to conceive 3 flavours that matched them in spirit. Standard chocolate was used as a ‘control’ in the historic bar. Chile infused chocolate represented the modern tree structures which connect there two buildings. Finally, Sea Salt chocolate was chosen to represent the light dappled atrium.

Our next challenge was to properly represent Vietnam. In keeping with the hand-made nature of Marou chocolate, Rice sought to wrap the bars in an authentic and traditional Vietnamese art form. The clear choice was Đông Hồ, a traditional print-making art form, which originated in a small village in the North of Vietnam. Everything in the process is hand made. The paper is made from Mulberry bark, with a sparkle added from crushed oyster shell. Red pigment is derived from terra cotta, green and blue pigments are from natural indigo plant parts, Black ink comes from charred bamboo leaves, and the white pigment is simply powdered shell. We worked with a family whom have been practicing this art form for 500 years (21 generations). Bridging ancient Vietnam with a modern structure in Singapore,  we created motifs using our icons, and commissioned the artisans to print each wrapper. Each bar chocolate then, is wrapped in a unique Đông Hồ price of art.

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Campens by INK Studio / inkstudio.be

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Risør Kammermusikkfest by Superblaise Oslo / superblaise.no

When we first began to shape the logo symbol for Risør Chamber Music Festival, we based it on the violins’ four strings. They represent the essence of what we want to visualize. As each string has a distinctive vibration and tone, the lines of the logo also correspond with the landscape of Risør. The horizon, the white houses, the pier and the sea combined become the epitome of the Risør Chamber Music Festival: A unique festival where something completely new unfolds in the meeting between the city, the people and the music.

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BUNA Artisan Coffee by En Garde / engarde.net

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La Revolución by Guillem Casasús Xercavins, Javier Arizu, Carlos Bermúdez & Anna Berbiela / Béhance

Naming, identity and art direction for a Mexican take away in Sant Cugat. Being the first of its kind in the area, the project demanded a solid and direct communication in order to position and get to know the place in the city. 

Playing with the concept of Mexican Revolution, we developed a strong and direct visual communication based on copywriting, photography and illustration.

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Elenfhant by atipo / atipo.es

Naming and brand identity for children online boutique. All items are carefully curated by Petra Van der Hunk from around the globe to showcase a range of beautiful, stylish and unique products for children and their homes.

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Hennessy Concert Series 2015 by Rice Creative / Béhance

Since 1996, Hennessy has been bringing the world’s most respected classical musicians to perform at the historic Hanoi Opera House in Vietnam, for the Hennessy Concert Series. In 2014, Hennessy approached Rice Creative to give visual identity to this prestigious event. After the success of Hennessy’s Concert Series in 2014, Rice was asked to continue developing the identity system for the 2015 Series, and beyond.