The Edit: five new projects including Photoworks by Cause & Effect

Each and every day, we're lucky to discover dozens of interesting and inspiring projects from around the world. From global identities and campaigns to side projects and independently published books, The Edit is home to five of them; every two weeks.

Photoworks is an international photography platform and registered charity that’s provided opportunities to artists and audiences since 1995. Glasgow-based creative agency Cause & Effect kicked off their rebrand of the organisation at its Brighton HQ back in September 2019, in which they “defined a mission, vision and tone of voice”. The resulting identity system is bold, flexible and built to stand the test of time. Taking inspiration from a range of photographic influences, the agency created a custom logotype based on the Bold weight of Production Type’s Proto Grotesk. The addition of a circle to the ‘r’ is a subtle visual nod to a lens or camera shutter button. In application, photographic and digital content always takes centre stage, with the logo consistently placed vertically in the top left of the canvas. Speaking on the rebrand, Director Shoair Mavlian says “it feels like we are now equipped for the next chapter of Photoworks’ story and it’s really great to have Cause & Effect be part of it”.

Tucked away on the cobbled backstreets of Norwich, Rabbit is a coffee house that serves a range of locally-made delicacies. Before opening, they approached nearby branding studio The Click in search of a visual identity, who in response, came up with “a simple typographic ‘twist’ – pulled out of the hat”. The ingenious solution is one of those that feels like it could never have been anything else, but it only works as well as it does because of the intentionally restrained aesthetic and careful typeface selection. The logo is complemented by a simplistic black and white palette, which allows it to shine on Norwich’s busy and vibrant streets while being a subtle nod to how one might prefer their coffee.

Founded by restauranteurs Hans Välimäki and Arto Rastas, Bardem is a modern-day speakeasy in the heart of Helsinki. With a refined menu and only 40 seats, the bar offers a contemporary take on the past within a laid back, moody atmosphere. Its identity by design agency Kallan & Co aims to match those traits through a “not too serious or ‘craftsy’” approach. Statues with alter egos, random photography of life, on-theme typography and whimsical illustrations come together to form an eclectic mash-up of past and present.

From humble beginnings in the 1950s as a small scale manufacturer of steel furniture, Formway has today become a leader in the design of ergonomic seating through industry-leading research, design and innovation. A renowned example of their work is Knoll’s Generation, which was designed as the world’s first multi-mode, multi-posture task chair. As Formway do not have a retail or public presence, Australian studio Design by Toko was able to take a more abstract, playful approach to their identity. Fully embraced by all stakeholders, the resulting logo appears deconstructed and divided in application. As well as the core brand, the studio developed a product and studio culture documentation guide to ensure uniformity across all touchpoints.

Flaam is a boutique music festival that takes place annually in Nitra, Slovakia. Founded in 2014 by a group of close friends, curious art fans and avid festival-goers, it has slowly developed into one of the country’s most exciting and unique experiences. Bratislava-based studio Andrej & Andrej reinvents the festival’s identity every year, starting with a meeting to discuss “what can we do differently to everyone else?” For 2019, they looked at the vague photographic approach taken by many other festivals around Europe. In response, they illustrated a series of vibrant avatars that represent the personality and mood of each artist on the line-up. They’re combined with a hectic and stretched typographic approach, which was chosen to “get a little movement into the identity”.