FranklinTill’s new “versatile” block logo that changes colour
Studio Commission has rebranded design research group FranklinTill with a simple, rectangular logo that is filled with various colour combinations, depending on where and how it is applied.
Design research group FranklinTill has a new identity, which plays on the idea of colour and material swatches.
FranklinTill is a studio made up of researchers, designers and writers, and researches ways to make design more sustainable through the use of materials. It also advises brands and design businesses on use of form, colour and materials in general.
The sustainability group has been rebranded by design studio Commission, which has given it a rectangular, block-based identity made up of two colours.
The colours change, but the proportion of the colours stay the same, with one filling up two thirds of the rectangular box and the other filling up a third. This has been done to represent the length of the two words “Franklin Till” when placed side-by-side.
The rectangular shape represents colour swatches used in the design and textile industries, and has been used for “endless” colour and material combinations, says FranklinTill.
This has been achieved through using different paper types and weights to create “tactile contrasts” when the logo is applied to print materials. Complementary colours have been chosen for different applications, such as employees’ personal preferences on their own business cards, or to match imagery on the FranklinTill website.
The aim is that the block acts as a visual icon associated with FranklinTill, regardless of the colours and materials used. The logo is “simple” and “versatile” for use across all touchpoints, says FranklinTill.
David McFarline, creative director at Commission, says: “Our starting point was to focus on what the studio does best — design, colour, and materials. An initial point of reference was the colour-calibration cards used to match colours accurately in photography and print.”
The new branding is rolling out across a new FranklinTill website, social media, print materials such as letterheads, compliment slips, textured stickers, business cards and marketing materials, and merchandise such as a range of enamel badges.
For me, the purpose of a logo is too be easily identifiable so that application of the brand becomes ownable through a consistent design language. The typeface is surely too recessive and there appears to be a lack of consideration for how the logo/brand will be executed across different touch-points where you have a very small engagement window (3 seconds for example). However, I do like the use of the rule of thirds to frame and pair the colours.
In other words: Doesn’t stand out enough.