Put a ring on it: a silver ring seals the deal in Studio Loutsis’ identity for Common Bond 2022

Marking a grand celebration of architecture and a union of like-minds, the annual gala, named Common Bond, stands as the paramount fundraising event for the Center for Architecture (CFA) and its esteemed partner, AIA (American Institute of Architects) New York.

The identity for Common Bond 2022 was developed by Brooklyn-based Studio Loutsis, who honed in on the idea of unity between the two institutions with their design direction. “Historically, the symbolism of a ring represents the commitment between two parties for eternity,” Founder & Creative Director Taylor Loutsis tells us, which became the key motif of the identity. The abstract ring, formed by the letters in COMMON BOND, therefore signifies the central role of CFA and AIA New York in uniting the city’s design community. Additionally, the symbol itself aligns with the organisations’ goal of a more equitable future.

The typefaces selected for the identity, Helvetica Narrow (Bold) and Pangram Pangram’s Editorial New (Regular), were chosen for their similar structural widths and the institutional feeling they evoke, reflecting the prominence of CFA and AIA New York within the world of architecture.

“Somewhat of an expected trope, we selected the Pantone silver to mimic the feeling of a literal sterling silver ring,” says Loutsis, describing the rationale behind the metallic colour as the hero hue. To establish the right typographic hierarchy, the studio conducted extensive tests and experiments to determine the values of silver in print production. For instance, some sections of the poster received up to four applications of metallic Pantone to produce a rich, vibrant silver. Meanwhile, the titles of individuals on the second and third folds of the invitations received a light hit of the press (50%).

The invitation, in its printed form, was ingeniously designed to double as a keepsake poster once unfolded three times. The idea behind this thoughtful design was to ensure that the impact of the event would not be limited to a single evening.

In digital outputs, using the concept of a ‘ring’ both as a noun and a verb allowed the team to explore the visual potential of the identity in a more exciting and expansive way. For example, the latter was represented by actual movement in digital assets, and by 3D rendering in print materials, which felt particularly apt for the architecture community. “From the beginning,” says Loutsis, “we really wanted to introduce motion in the identity, as CFA and AIA New York had not explored motion in the identities for their previous annual galas. There were many digital projection and television screens enabling us to explore this medium.” And conceptually, the motion reinforced the core ‘ring’ theme, while allowing for the integration of a typographic lockup with the ring and the details for the evening.

Studio Loutsis