The freedom of design to explore what freedom looks like.

Exploring design boundaries for brands that are needing to reflect evolution are dream projects. They happen visionary clients value objectivity and new thinking are truly valued. Whalar is one of the world’s first global creative agencies that connects brands to the most passionate creators and influencers. Global CCO Christoph Becker and I partnered in a multi-month exploration, to find an identity that spoke the same language as the creators who uphold Whalar’s brand-first mission. The creative challenge begged the question “what if the identity stood for the freedom, creativity and individuality, the very things creators value themselves.”

IDEA
Whalar liberates the creative voice.

DESIGN STRATEGY
Inspired by the spirit of the post modern media canvases like MTV, and 1970s Xerox’d punk flyers on New York City telephone poles, creating a digital first language for a pioneering creator’s platform had to be rooted in originality. A key visual element is a step and repeat pattern, creating an amplification technique where graphics feel as if they are growing exponentially, like voices. This fluidity is supported with a typographic approach where a variable type , typeface, supports the scaling of typographic arms, crossbars and ascenders, that mimic conversations, emblematic of Whalar’s relationships to brands and creators. A brutally honest flash photography style was proposed that puts the spotlight on people. This toolkit of elements contributes to the idea of freedom, a creative playground and emulates how individual expression can help amplify the biggest brands in the world.

RESULTS
After multiple speculative experiments, a design toolkit to be used internally was developed. Functional and inspiring, the experiments were further developed internally.

Design Strategy / Branding / Art Direction
FPO Photography from multiple sources including Keena and Elseph Vincent