logo design, branding
Isonlab is a logo design and branding project for Isonlab s.r.l. (www.isonlab.it). They contacted me to refresh their logo and brand identity, to better reflect their values as a company, and help them stand out among the competition.
Isonlab is a wide spectrum technology company, offering everything from custom software to VR services, AI and robotics. They wanted me to redesign their old logo (see below) and brand identity. The company felt like it outgrew the scope in which the logo suited them, due to their rapid expansion. Isonlab needed to be visually modernised. In addition, they felt that their old logo was unable to capture the fundamental company values, but only a surface level expression.
The main issue with the original logo is that it aims to capture merely what isonlab does, rather than what it is. It aims to do so by morphing some letters into recognizable shapes. This makes the logo hard to read, adds some consistency and legibility issues and is hard to scale properly. Simplicity was a key factor in the design process for the new logo, especially because in the business sector in which Isonlab operates clean design stands out among a sea of over processed, often skeumorfistic and pictorial “logos”. Simple shapes, clean lines, strong recognisability and meaningful symbolism are pinnacles of the new Isonlab logo direction.
The logo is comprised of two elements: the mark and the logotype. The mark was designed to handle the recognizability aspect by itself, leaving the logotype free to stand as a simple lowercase word written in Avenir Next Demi Bold.
The Isonlab mark is unique, very readable and simple enough to be drawn from memory: all of this contributes to a very high level of recognisability among more complex or elaborate signage. That being said, the design process involving the mark didn’t stop at recognisability. It was important to make this mark meaningful and carry symbols that people could identify with. These symbols do not necessarily have to be self-evident. In fact, they aren’t by design. These symbols are the foundation upon which the logo was constructed. They are important not to the external world, where the logo serves purely as an identification anchor, but more to the internal team working and making Isonlab, as well as its partners. Powerful symbols tie people together. In this regard, the mark serves as a flag. A flag for the values that Isonlab tries to uphold more than any company of its kind. The comprehension of these symbols creates a double layer of meaning to the mark: a purely visual, external layer and a deep, symbolic, secret layer accessible only to those who pay enough attention or are close enough to the company. This “we know the secret” aspect of the logo can be bonded over, and is definitely a great conversation starter. In addition, it shows a level of care and attention to detail that overcomes simplistic and shallow pictography. This, in the very best sense, is a symbol in of itself and extends over to the company as a whole. This mark symbolises creative, out-of-the-box thinking. It represents approaching a problem from multiple angles/dimensions and never taking the apparent at face value. This is, at its core, why Isonlab is able to produce results that are often cheaper and more efficient than its competitors. This is what makes Isonlab stand out.
Removing two edges of the isometric box symbolises breaking out of constraints, of what is to be expected. Essentialy, creating something new from something that apparently can just be the way it is.
Introducing the two donuts has two main purposes. The first is to hint at where Isonlab operates as a company, namely in the technology sector. The donuts resemble pins in printed circuits, or flexible joints in mechanical parts.
The mark construction starts with a hollow isometric box. This is the box, metaphorically speaking, that Isonlab thinks outside of. The three dimensions of the box, the three visible sides, represent the multiple viewpoints you can examine when approaching a problem.
In its final form, the mark is morphed into a clean, two dimensional symbol that built on a strong foundation of meaning. While clearly bi-dimensional, it still retains a few hints at its three-dimensional origins, like the unusual cut corner in the top left.
The coexistence of elements native to three dimensions (former box) and elements native to two dimensions (donuts) creates an interesting mix of different coexisting ways of thinking.
The second reason why the two donuts exist is to start grounding the whole composition in two dimensions. They pin the tridimensional aspect of the former box to the bi-dimensional plane.
Of course, the brand extends beyond the mere logo. The new isonlab color is a bright green, building on the old logo but adjusting the temperature towards cooler tones. The main mark is used prominently everywhere, from custom letter envelopes to patterns that can be applied to letterheads.
The front of the cards is designed in a portrait format, allowing for better content distribution. This format can be turned into an ID badge in a pinch as well, making it incredibly versatile. The typography was specifically designed to work for this use case. The backs come in two variations: a simple isonlab logo mark in the center and a mere piece of the isonlab mark. The latter is meant to be used at conventions, where a bunch of business cards can be arranged on a table to create a big mark at the center from which interested parties can draw.
The Isonlab rebrand is a solo project and was developed with the usage of a variety of tools, main ones being Affinity Designer, Publisher and Photo, as well as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Design is a product focused process that distills what is meaningful from what is possible. I'm a passionate visual designer based in FVG, Italy, focused on UI/UX design and brand identity.
