autonomous FURNITURE COLLECTIVE

One of the most exciting  projects we have worked on this year is the development of the brand and graphic identity for Autonomous Furniture Collective.  A Victoria BC based company that develops furniture made with traceable resources by local designers.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Kirk Van Ludwig and Jodie Webb a long time ago, and when they decided to start their own furniture company they, invited me to be involved with the graphics and brand direction.   Since the first meeting I was blown away with their product and concept for their shop.  After our first meeting I knew we needed to design something that is relatable not just locally but globally.  Their product has so many unique qualities that I wanted to be part of the brand: traceability, local design, quality design, unique materials, and the list keeps going.

 

Alta Table by Autonomous Furniture Collective

 

To have a solid product in the marketplace we needed to start developing a brand that will complement the product and the idea behind it, as well as where the product was going to be sold.  After all, Autonomous is a new business and we wanted to use their fresh approach as an advantage.

 

Walnut  Coffee Table and Ebony Bow Tie Detail

After much deliberation, the name was decided: “Autonomous Furniture Collective” – We wanted to give the shop a gallery feel and create a new experience for every customer.  Every time you purchase a piece you will know where the history of the wood or other materials used – their former life and where they are coming from; in addition to the designer of the piece – Autonomous’s designers are mostly local and talented artisans that are members of the Furniture Collective.  People who appreciates good design, quality, and timeless pieces that act as sculptural forms while maintaining their ability to be used in everyday life. The pieces become a part of your home and lifestyle developing a nice natural patina and depth.  Aging as they would in nature.

 

 

After we had the logo designed we needed to position the company, so we came up with a phrase to distinguish them in the marketplace - “the new west coast”. This phrase was born as a way to let the customers know that this is a new product and that it is possible to re-invent what people consider to be pure west-coast design.  After all, the main material in their furniture pieces is sourced in the west coast. We further this notion with the phrase “Sculptural forms that are at once urban and rural”.

 

 

With all the brand elements and logo in place it was time to start having some fun and develop their stationary package.  We wanted something sexy, unique and memorable; just like their pieces of furniture.  We selected a beautifully textured, thick paper in black and we foiled the card in gold to reflect that they are current and that the product is pure quality. 

 

 

The launch of the brand was at IDS West this year and it was extremely well received, the pieces have already been invited to 3 of the most prestigious show rooms in Vancouver.  Thanks to the power of social media, design gurus such as Margot Austin and Joe Ruggiero have shown interest in the pieces which is an incredible sign.

 

IDWest 2013

 

All in all we cannot wait to see how far Autonomous will go in spreading the product around the world.

 

Intrigued???  Visit their new showroom and be surprised!!!

 

2101 Government Street, Victoria B.C  V8T 4P2

www.autonomousfurniture.com

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

CONDESEO – A logo concept

Earlier this year we were invited to brand what has become the most important Gynecology Congress in San Luis Potosí, México – CONDESEO ( National Congress for Safe Pregnancy and Obstetric Emergencies).  This is the first time a congress of this magnitude was presented in Mexico, and even though the logo work was pro-bono (as it was a non-profit event), it was also a great opportunity to support my brother Dr. Paulo Meade Treviño who was the executive president for CONDESEO, it was also inspiring to design something that was going to be heavily featured in my home country.   He wanted a new and contemporary image that could represent the event and showcase the state of  modern medicine in México.  When he completed my creative brief for the logo I was actually surprised to see that he wanted something new, fresh and different.  - “Please don’t give me another logo with a mother and child” (apparently this is the standard in the industry).

 

After we discussed the direction for the logo/brand for the congress I was very fortunate to be given carte blanche to design the graphic identity for the event.

 

 

Here are the thoughts behind the logo:

 

1.- First of all, we wanted to convey a message of communication as this was going to be the first opportunity to discuss this particular topic, also, all the best Gynecologists from México and Latin-America were reuniting for the congress.

2.- We wanted to use colours that represented the city where the congress was going to be held – San Luis Potosi, México – We got the inspiration from the colour that you can see when the sky sets at the end of the day.  The skies of my hometown are famous for these hues

3.- To maintain the simplicity we used an organic form and reproduced it 3 times, reducing its size to convey the Mother, the Doctor, and the Child while the interactions/transparencies and changes  in colour represent the meaning of their relationships, the smallest element, which is an oval figure represents – Life and the  moment of birth. 

4.- For the typographical solution we used a font from the Zag family to playfully arrange the text in a block using uppercase lettering to represent the importance of the event.  The softness and roundness of the typography was selected to add a friendlier atmosphere.

 

This congress was held last week and it has been considered the best congress ever held in the field.   I just want to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of my brother for organizing CONDESEO and  setting the bar so high and for inviting us to participate. 

 

I invite you to see a quick video of the congress and the branding elements used throughout.  From banners, to pins, and informational brochures, etc.

 

CONDESEO

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

Introducing… Meg de Candia

This is quite possibly our most fashion forward logo yet.

 

We were thrilled when international handbag designer Meg de Candia asked Meade Design Group to help her re-brand herself with a new logo, business cards, and an invitation/brochure design.

 

I also believe we had all the right ingredients for this project.  The trust of a talented designer, a gorgeous product to inspire us and a dream come true for any designer – Carte Blanche.

 

 

We wanted to create a look that would hold it's own against heavy-weight brands such as Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Balenciaga and Kate Spade. Not to toot our own horn, but we think we did with this clean but edgy logo with strong diagonal lines, juxtaposed directions and stacked typography.

 

The logo also lent itself to a stunning use of repetition with her images and a beautiful custom pattern that was used inside the business cards and layered onto the image at the back of the brochure with a detail shot of the gorgeous hides she uses in her designs

 

 

Please visit the identity and print galleries to see the complete project.

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011