The Edit: five new projects including Dirty Labs by Mast

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.

In the early stages of 2020, Denver-based design studio Mast worked with Dirty Labs to devise the identity and packaging system for their revolutionary laundry detergent. 99% biodegradable and biorenewable, their enzyme-based formula does away with the harmful chemicals that are present in the majority of mainstream brands. Mast’s solution takes advantage of Dirty Labs’ characterful name, balancing seriousness and fun through a combination of straightforward typography and expressive geometry. With the formulation so central to the product itself, geometric patterns wrap around the packaging to visualise the enzymes at work; adapting in size and arrangement across canisters, boxes and online. Dirty Lab’s symbol is constructed from six overlapping pieces, creating a flower-like shape in its negative space to subtly represent their commitment to green cleaning.

Located in San Diego since 2016, Bing Haus serves coffee, drinks and desserts and aims to be a space for customers to slow down, rest and find a sense of community. Looking for a holistic solution to their brand representative of their values, they commissioned multidisciplinary designer and photographer Meiwen See; who in turn prospered with a blend of clean typography and personable illustration. Adopted from an existing typeface, her custom sans serif logotype is paired with the store’s name in Korean as a subtle nod to its owner’s heritage. See’s retro monoline illustrations add a layer of charm to the refined typographic approach; while earthy colours add sophistication as a reflection of the store’s dark green and wood interiors.

Rebel is a small scale, artisan producer of cured, fermented and smoked meats; located in the coastal English city of Brighton. Tasked with creating an identity in-line with their tradition-swerving ethos, local design agency Myles Lucas Studio conceived a bold brand language that doesn’t take itself too seriously. At its core is an intelligent system of colourful stickers that allows Rebel to produce small batches of specific products without the need for large and costly print runs. Using a combination of Colophon Foundry’s Lisbon stencil typeface and the Mono version of Klim Type Foundry’s Founders Grotesk, Myles Lucas Studio has developed a brand representative of the Rebel name that thrives in its maximalism.

Mediatel is a provider of media tech, data and thought-leadership; running two news platforms and a global events operation from its base in London. Studio Blackburn, a creative agency also located in London, were commissioned by Mediatel CEO Greg Grimmer to take the company’s brand from “the world of CMYK” to one of “vibrant RGB.” Their solution moves Mediatel away from their previous cliché icon of an on/off switch in favour of a more mature and authoritative sans serif masthead. Straightforward but not devoid of character, typography is set in Grilli Type’s GT America and is accompanied by a red ‘blinking cursor’ symbolising a state of readiness. Using the cursor as a starting point, brand applications are filled with block-like patterns that carry a distinct, ‘always-on’ sense of movement.

Driven by the belief that our pets are animals like us and deserve the same amount of respect, love, well-being and nutrition as human beings, Animals Like Us produce natural dog and puppy food made with fresh freeze-dried raw meat and organs; all from their location in New Zealand. Auckland-based studio Marx Design, commissioned to create Animals Like Us’ identity and packaging, chose to celebrate the love between a well-treated animal and its owner through a goofy, vibrant and jovial solution. ‘Happy’ colours and quirky cartoons of dogs give the packaging a youthful personality, while clean sans serif typography acts as a functional anchor for messaging and product details.