Campbell Hay’s identity for Ikon presents them as the trusted brand to call if you need a workplace

Functioning within the highly competitive landscape, Ikon designs and develops efficient, inviting workspaces. To help set themselves apart from their competitors and also signal a time of great growth for the company, Ikon called upon London-based brand consultancy Campbell Hay to imagine an identity for them. When the team began dissecting the brand’s business, one thing became clear very quickly – none of the workplaces Ikon crafts is off-the-shelf, and to provide a customised experience for each of their clients, they work alongside a troop of collaborators on every project.

“Ikon’s approach is highly focused on people, collaboration and creating long-lasting relationships. This is an important part of their company’s DNA,” Design Director Wai Ming Ng tells us. To allude to this collaborative nature, the team leaned on a + sign that features two arrows almost colliding, allowing it to also nod to the idea of a meeting place where people and ideas come together. An ownable brand mark, the symbol is the first thing one sees – especially in motion assets – before it slides over to make space for the wordmark, set in Scto Grotesk A from Schick Toikka.

The geometric sans serif was chosen for its sturdy, straight lines that evoke “a sense of stability and reliability,” shares Senior Designer Carolyn Ang. Conceptually, this held a mirror to Ikon’s business, as they confidently take charge of pulling ideas from their clients to craft a space that responds to their every need.

However, the identity needed a bit of softness too. To add a bit of warmth, the team “introduced subtle curves to soften the overall appearance of the letterforms, making the brand feel more approachable,” adds Ang, and also picked Items by Schick Toikka as the secondary typeface. “We wanted something that felt warm and human to reflect Ikon’s focus on people and relations,” Ng reflects. Alongside the set of typefaces, the colours also help to elevate the brand, with a neon yellow used as an accent, signalling Ikon’s sharp thinking that helps them create spaces you’d actually want to work at.

Campbell Hay

Ikon