Born Identity: How the Core77 Design Awards Identity took shape

Posted by core jr | 27 Jun 2011 | Comments (3)

If you registered early for the Core77 Design Awards, you received our jumbo limited-edition invitational poster. Designed by Studio Lin it features the identity and style guide for the awards program on the back. What you don't see is the explorations that led to this artifact. Here then are the designs that, in a nod to one of our entry categories, never saw the light of day—until now, that is.

Studio Lin takes us through the design for the Core77 Design Awards identity, a presentation of four design directions he took from the project brief. Key words to be translated visually were: established, unique, playful, optimistic, celebratory and integrity. We think the concept we ultimately chose nails all of these qualities beautifully.

Stay tuned for the full schedule of our Core77 Design Awards Jury Announcements as we unveil, category-by-category, LIVE via webstream from around the world, the winners of our inaugural Core77 Design Awards!

p.s. Click on the images for details in full-size!

Direction A:

This direction is based on a bold abbreviated logotype that can be configured in different ways. The bold san-serif is paired with a sign-painter font referencing the use of similar fonts in Core77's current branding.

Examples of the logotype in different configurations: website, poster, invite, and business cards. Special features include a custom slip sleeve invite and a website that configures itself differently with every visit.

Direction B:

This direction is based on a fixed backdrop for changing content.

Examples of the logotype in different configurations: website, backdrop, invite and business cards. Special features include a notepad that serves as an invitation, a two-columned website with basic, static information in the left column and constant updates in the right column.

Direction C:

This direction is based on a custom logotype that we picked for its combination of ornate and geometric qualities. Stacking it in an off-center way animated it in a playful way. Belgium type designer Dries Wiewauters, who has developed custom fonts for notable designers such as Mevis van Deursen, created the typeface.

Here we see the logotype in use on an invite, letterhead, business card, and envelope. Special features include a set of seals, the most ornate of which has 77 points referencing Core77. The invitation is designed as an actual ribbon.

Direction D:

We all really liked the bold, abbreviated nature of Direction A, and the uniqueness of the letterforms in Direction C. So we paired the two ideas and came up with this logotype that allows the letterforms to be shown bigger and abbreviated for a faster read.

The logotype is most often used in a large abbreviated form. Here we see it applied to a poster, invite, envelope and the 77-point seal.

The Choice

After deliberation, we decided to move forward with Direction D because it evoked the established yet playful spirit we were going for and. After reviewing various color schemes, we went with the bright orange for its bright, optimistic feel.