NORTHSTAR
North Star is a nonprofit shaping the psychedelic business around psychedelic wisdom to change mental healthcare and develop role models in the needed transformation of the business as a whole. Their mission is to centre psychedelic wisdom on psychedelic business.
Customized letters:
Nothing in nature is perfectly straight. We used the method of pulling letters through a scanner to arrive at distorted lettering. We then digitalised the analogue letters created. In order to keep readability without losing the fluidity, we decided only to have the letters N and S distorted. This makes the brand totally personal and unique.
We ran an exploratory brand project where we asked ourselves how we would redesign the logo for the nonprofit, which is committed to building transformational businesses in psychedelics.
northstar.guide
The typeface:
We chose the typeface Sweet Sans Pro is a homage to antique engravers’ lettering templates called “master plates.” Professional stationers use a pantograph to manually transfer letters from these master plates to a piece of copper or steel that is then etched to serve as a plate or die. Though rich in history, Sweet Sans is made for contemporary use. It is handsome and functional.
We chose the typeface Sweet Sans Pro is a homage to antique engravers’ lettering templates called “master plates.” Professional stationers use a pantograph to manually transfer letters from these master plates to a piece of copper or steel that is then etched to serve as a plate or die. Though rich in history, Sweet Sans is made for contemporary use. It is handsome and functional.
Customized letters:
Nothing in nature is perfectly straight. We used the method of pulling letters through a scanner to arrive at distorted lettering. We then digitalised the analogue letters created. In order to keep readability without losing the fluidity, we decided only to have the letters N and S distorted. This makes the brand totally personal and unique.
Lower case:
Subtle and less loud, but a statement.
Subtle and less loud, but a statement.
Icons:
We came up with 4 different iconic symbols. A simple star, the 8 point star–symbol for direction and guidance, and 2 fluid variations based on your current icon–inspired by Paul Rand’s work. Through the scanning process, we realised that the edge had a slight holographic colouring, which we then emphasised in the design to add a hint of colour. The simple logo allows wide application and gives room for artist collaborations.
We came up with 4 different iconic symbols. A simple star, the 8 point star–symbol for direction and guidance, and 2 fluid variations based on your current icon–inspired by Paul Rand’s work. Through the scanning process, we realised that the edge had a slight holographic colouring, which we then emphasised in the design to add a hint of colour. The simple logo allows wide application and gives room for artist collaborations.
Recommendation:
We recommend the medium-weight version with the 8-point star.
Output:
speculative brand positioning
speculative brand identity
Team Credits:
Alexandra Plesner and Oliver Clarke
All images and videos courtesy of the team.
