Global creative agency Studio Morfar has rebranded start-up consultancy True Altitude with a « psychedelic, surreal » identity, a « minimalist stamp-like logo » and « Japanese woodblock-style » illustrations.
True Altitude invests in tech startups
Helping them grow and scale their businesses. According to Torsten Power, founder and creative director of Studio Morfar, which describes its approach to clients as hands-on and « skin in the game », this is an important part of the brand identity.
While True Altitude primarily works with tech and finance startups
Power said the studio wanted to move away from the « clichéd blue and green websites with 3D graphics of rocket launches or stock photos of business people shaking hands » from brands typically associated with fintech. Instead, the identity is underpinned by mountainscape artwork by British illustrator Liam Cobb, which the studio says « represents the hard work of building a start-up ».
Cobb is the behind-the-scenes illustration behind the American Netflix animated series Midnight Gospel about a « space podcast »—like a podcaster traveling between his own wacky universes to interview his guests. Ball said he approached Cobb after seeing the show because he thought his « psychedelic, surreal style » would help differentiate True Altitude in the market.
Morfar Studios had to take into account that the majority of the audience would be made up of « long-time users from more corporate backgrounds, » Power said, so the team consciously avoided offending anyone by « pushing in too crazy a direction. » He added that while Cobb’s style is « beautifully unique » and somewhat futuristic, it also « weirdly resembles an old Japanese woodcut style, » adding a « nostalgic » familiarity to True Altitude’s identity.
The new logo loosely references Cobb’s illustration
Which contains a « minimal, stamp-like depiction » of a mountain, Ball said. Studio Morfar felt that the existing logo they had previously designed was too abstract. Feedback indicated that some people didn’t understand what it was, so the redesign took a more literal approach.
The studio emphasized warmth in True Altitude’s color palette
Choosing an off-white rather than bright white for the background, according to Power. Other colors used in the logotype are black for legibility, and a « warm shade of red » that Cobb uses as an « accent color » in illustrations.
For titles and body copy
Studio Morfar chose Colophon Foundry’s Grenette Pro, which describes Power as « the Goldilocks of quirky but serious enough corporate typography. » Poppins by Indian Type Foundry was chosen for the readability of its paragraphs, buttons, and notes.
Studio Morfar a également conçu le site Web de True Altitude
En mettant l’accent sur le fait de rendre tout « super clair, simple et puissant », a déclaré Power. Il a ajouté qu’il y avait occasionnellement des « éléments agréables » tels qu’un « effet de parallaxe magnifiquement animé sur Hero Hill » qui suit le curseur lorsqu’il se déplace. Pour les utilisateurs professionnels habitués aux documents Word, aux e-mails et aux feuilles de calcul, Power décrit le site comme un « reniflard visuel conçu pour le plaisir ».
Les agences et les pigistes « ne sont généralement pas intéressés à travailler avec plus d’entreprises » car ils estiment qu’il y a moins d’opportunités d’être créatifs, a déclaré Bauer. Au lieu de cela, il estime que « les contraintes et les bons défis conduisent finalement à de meilleures idées ».
La nouvelle identité de True Altitude a été déployée sur son site Web
Sa papeterie, ses vêtements, ses médias sociaux et sa publicité.
💡 Ressources & références
‘designweek.co.uk’ via : La nouvelle identité ‘psychédélique’ du consultant startup True Altitude.