Arndt Benedikt’s identity for Next Packet highlights the tech start-up’s forward-thinking approach

“The entire appearance is based on the interplay of rational and emotional components,” Art Director at Frankfurt-based design studio Arndt Benedikt, Marc Bötzius, tells us, discussing the decision-making process behind their identity for Next Packet, an advanced tech start-up launched to enhance hardware network expansions. “It was important to us that we break with clichés,” he continues, “and incorporate an approachable and human element in the deep-tech area as well,” reflecting Next Packet’s forward-thinking and progressive approach to the industry they look to affect and stand out in the very crowded technology space.

To achieve as much, Arndt Benedikt opted for a strikingly contrary concoction of typefaces in the form of Pangram Pangram’s sans serif, Neue Montreal, and their sharp serif release, Fragment. “We have supportively relied on a classical interrelation with high contrast,” Bötzius explains, reflecting a similar juxtaposition in the supporting typographic system, with the pair consistently alternating between headlines. As a result, there is a satisfying tension between tactile and technical tones; as Bötzius notes, “the visuals are strongly organic,” adding, “but still have the connecting element of the technical benefits,” reflecting the expertise of Nest Packet’s offering. “Both typefaces come from the same type foundry,” Bötzius remarks, “and are digitally optimized and work smoothly together,” taking advantage of the technical prowess offered by Pangram Pangram and their typefaces. 

The duality at the core of Next Packet’s identity is further emboldened by the use of colour, rolling with a calming yet electrifying use of blue. “The choice of colour also stems from the tension between technology and emotion,” Bötzius explains, championing the themes provoked by utilising the brand’s typographic output. “While the purple conveys warmth, support and humanity,” he details, “the dark blue stands for technology, trust and clarity.”

This notion is reflected equally in the brand’s wordmark, the bespoke construction of which underlines its technological founding. “It is a customised wordmark that, like the visuals, is inspired by the basic shape of honeycombs,” Bötzius explains, as seen through the tapered, transitional corners of the identity’s graphic output. “In addition, we made sure that the tapers and edges are sharp and clearly cut,” he concludes, “so that our logo guarantees good legibility even at a small size, across all devices and screens.”

Arndt Benedikt