The co-working scene has taken the creative industries by storm. But amongst London’s 84+ creative working spaces, only 14 focused on a specific creative industry, with just two of those devoted to the world of film and video. Knowing that London’s movie makers didn’t just need a place that could meet their needs, the London Film Society set out to create a place they could find and call home.

The London Film Society is a collective of industry creatives from across all disciplines. Set with their ambition to launch a co-working space for the film community, they approached us to design a distinctive visual identity that would be unmistakably cinematic — and fit for the launch of their new venture.

Our challenge was to balance the imagination of filmmaking with institutional convention. Beginning with a striking typographic logo, we took inspiration from classic cinema and the darkroom to create a multifunctional brand identity that brought to life the creative functionality of the Society — and dealt a playful wink to the film community.

Set in a cinematic black and white, the logo brings together film industry inspired iconography with a graphic yet classic typography. A grid-style layout brings together each element, taking the form of a film camera. Static or animated, the logo encapsulated the playful brand.

The signature iconography is translated across elements of the design, from digital platforms to printed collateral and environmental details throughout the space.

Our design process began with a discovery workshop with the founders of the Society where we explored the purpose, vision and aspirations for their next venture. An explorative and collaborative design process followed as we took them on a journey through a variety of design routes to explore and define the brand.