How to reinvent the image of software development, with Control Studio’s identity for turntabl

In contrast to the often corporate and impersonal reputations of other companies in the industry, London and Accra-based software agency turntabl was built to change people’s perceptions of software development; spotlighting its technical excellence and highly skilled workforce. turntabl is striving to make a difference in Ghana by developing a sustainable enterprise with a quality focus and a global outlook.

As a focal point for Ghana’s tech scene, turntabl stands out from the rest of the market with a bold and unconventional look that, like its employee-owned model and philosophy, subverts the aesthetics of software agencies. In order to achieve this, brand, design and digital agency Control Studio introduced a new visual language, led by a distinctive wordmark. 

“Our approach to the turntabl wordmark was to focus on igniting and inspiring people to see software development in a different and unique way,” Creative Director & Founder Alexander Bajada tells us. The starting point was Boulevard LAB’s Avenue Mono, which was then modified with pixels. “In this way,” Bajada continues, “the wordmark could be generative, adapting to the situation. These pixels represent disrupting a sector that feels tired and disingenuous. They can be used to represent a different way of looking at problems that no one has ever considered.” 

The accompanying typefaces, Pangram Pangram’s PP Mondwest and PP NeueBit, reinforce the brand’s goal of shifting perceptions. “The inspiration for this came first from exploring software engineering’s primary way of working, which is lines of code, or source,” Bajada continues. “By using lines of copy to symbolise lines of code, we communicated the buildings of a better future.”

Using turntabl’s headlines, the Dutch studio created a mix of letters and programming symbols, communicating that, even though the team at turntabl speak complex software languages, they can always communicate it in a way that everyone understands.

Across the identity, an electric colour palette acts as a metaphor for the brand’s contemporary energy and diversity. “We used the colours to allow turntabl to feel confident and proud, whilst positioning turntabl as the new-school, innovative, energetic player in the market,” Bajada concludes. 

Control Studio

turntabl