The brand identity projects I work on tend to originate from startup businesses, particularly those established by professionals branching out on their own. City Mediation was no exception. The founder was in the fledgling stage of his London based mediation practice and was still ironing out the finer details of the business setup when he reached out to me. His very pragmatic approach meant that the visual identity, tone and presence of his new business could all be devised concurrently with the service and platform conception, merging together in time for the official business launch.
The business facilitates mediation sessions for parties locked in conflict, be it at work, at home, or within the healthcare industry. Pursuing the courts to settle such disputes is a costly and drawn-out practice that often a mediator can help resolve with much less frustration.
Brand identity development
The visual identity for the business was the product of my tried and tested explorative creative process. By seeking to understand the service the Client provides I was able to generate concepts for a logical and relevant brand kit supporting the astute, corporate persona the Client was aiming for. The logomark is a multi-faceted narrative of the business aims, presented in a crisp, bold and dynamic motif that purposefully straddles the line between classical grandeur and contemporary simplicity. I used the C and M initials as a foundation for the piece, where the dual central strokes of the M act as the negative space in the bowl of the C, thereby interrupting what would otherwise be a continuous loop, symbolising how endless conflict is broken by the introduction of mediation. Moreover, the terminals of the C are inward and outward arrowheads, representing direction and progression; the notion that mediation is conduit for moving on.
Versatile application of the logo is assured owing to its flexible design adaptations in both linear and stacked compositions, as evidenced in further digital and print collateral produced for the Client.
Website design and development
The business website was to be of simple design and aimed to uphold the brand values established during the logo development phase. The content throughout was fairly text-heavy and asset poor, so to offer relief and carry the identity further greater emphasis was placed on the visual structure of the site design, with thick, modular blocks and bands forming the page layouts. In particular a bold choice was made with the masthead. The logo and navigation portion runs vertically in a column beside a space dominated by the page title. This space also features an oversized photographic element punctuated by an animated burgundy overlay angled parallel to the detailing in the logo motif. The stark and divisive nature of this angled aesthetic works well to represent the conflict of two parties, and is a mechanic carried forward into the rest of the brand collateral.
Business stationery design
Completing the brand kit, the business stationery set I produced for the Client also utilises the diagonal composition, exhibiting a variety of brand colour combinations and both arrangements of the logomark. A double-sided business card and an A4 letterheaded paper design are accompanied by a HTML driven email signature which, like the website, is entirely device responsive.
T-shirt challenge