The graphic identity of our practice needs to work in all formats, both electronic and printed. There should be enough information on company templates, for example name qualifications, postal email addresses and contact numbers etc.
Practice Name.
Deciding on a name was an important part in setting up the practice as this would influence how the studio is represented. Simplicity was a key aim, with the name needing to be clear and memorable. We also wanted the name to be relatable as an architectural practice, using design terminology representative of our company. Potential names discussed during development included: Seven, Collective, and Scale Space. Following exploration, studio.SPACE was chosen as the practice name. Use of the word 'studio' represents our ethos of working as an open and collaborative design environment. Use of the word 'SPACE' gives reference to design terminology, with the decision to use capitalisation of this word made to enhance graphical appearance.
Logo.
When designing the studio logo our intention was to create a simple design, reflecting our ethos and clearly demonstrating our brand name. We arranged the company name in different formats as shown below:
Through a vote, the team decided on the logo below as it was easiest on the eyes.
Colour Scheme.
The overall branding colour scheme is black and white to create a clean, professional appearance, with an accent colour used to give emphasis and create a studio identity. The accent colour orange was first tested, as this colour expresses creativity, enthusiasm and success. However after testing orange, this accent colour proved to lack the visual clarity we wished to provide throughout our branding. Therefore the decision was made to use blue. This colour expresses a sense of professionalism and confidence.
Templates.
Having developed our practice name, logo and colour scheme, studio templates have been created to bring the branding strategy together. When operating as a Partnership we had to write the names of all partners. However, once changing to a limited company we had the choice to remove the partner names (as seen below). The following branded templates are shown below: Business Cards, Letter Head, Email Footer, Minutes and Drawing Sheet Title Block.
