[no. 005] typography 25/ Corporate Identity

I have always been drawn by corporate identity works. I suppose it is because it is the beauty of creating a body of work with various applications while still retaining a single identity that fascinates me. While I was looking in the Typography 25 annual, I came across some corporate identity pieces that I found of interest.

The first one is for a company called Foto Motel Rent Studio that is shown on page 46. The style of the design is like an old-fashioned real estate ad, it gives off a vintage feeling. To me, the aim of this is to evoke memories of a simpler time, a nostalgic time. After the viewer gets an overall feeling and is able to read further into the stationary and postcards, one can see that they have covertly composed photos of their real, modern-looking studio into the rest of the composition. These two settings, one classical, one modern, are juxtaposed into one large composition. Beyond the content of the identity project, I felt that the overall design was well done. The designer, Robert Neumann, used elements from the main photography into the rest of the other pieces. For example, the “Foto Motel” sign that is highly visible on the front of the postcards and business cards is used as a logo on the letterhead, as well as being the largest element on the flip sides of the cards. I think it is interesting how Neumann mixed up the placement of information on the letterhead. Usually, we are accustomed to seeing all the contact information at the very top, however, Neumann drops it down to the very bottom, in the lower right corner.



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Another identity project that I found of interest is on page 48, which showcases the company Grand Connect. This is a very simplistic design of two birds that are holding an envelope between them with their beaks. The use of curves in the oblong, irregular shape softens the feeling of this company. The use of a cursive typeface and the childlike birds also help this company come off as non-threatening and nurturing. I am led to believe that this company’s target audience is mainly women. Women are generally more sensitive to these small details and would appreciate a delicate design such as this. Overall, I think this project was articulated well and comes off as a solid, coherent piece of a single identity.