The Edit: five projects including NB Studio’s triumphant identity for Birmingham Royal Ballet

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.

The arrival of Cuban-British dance icon Carlos Acosta as Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director has supercharged the company’s mission and desire to be bigger, bolder and braver in the global dance scene. Instilling this attitude into their brand, their identity has been triumphantly revitalised by London-based creative agency NB Studio; revolving around an emphatic wordmark that dynamically fills the width of whichever space it finds itself within. The wordmark’s impactful typeface of choice is Compacta BT while its serif supporting act, Tiempos, pays tribute to the company’s classical origins. Together with vivid colour and intense photographic treatment, the identity turns up the volume on the artistry behind ballet; aiming to take it to places it’s never been or seen before.

Employment Hero is an Australian HR, payroll and people management platform, designed to make the administrative side of work easier and more rewarding for everyone. With a highly anticipated expansion into overseas markets on the horizon, they turned to Sydney-based studio Design by Twist in search of a visual and strategic realignment of their brand. The studio’s solution revolves around the concept of bringing the ‘hero’ to life; working with artist Alec Doherty to create a charming brand character that acts as an advocate for better employment. In order to let this character shine, the accompanying graphic language is kept intentionally clean and straightforward, with soft colours and friendly sans serif typography playing a supporting yet significant role.

Cable Factory is the largest cultural centre in Finland, with over 300 tenants that include museums, galleries, artists, musicians and dancers. Despite playing host to more than a million annual visitors, it has traditionally been perceived as a place suitable only for Helsinki’s ‘cultural elite.’ Seeking to change this perception through a new identity system, Cable Factory turned to Helsinki-founded multinational design agency BOND; resulting in a playful graphic language that uses the company’s name as a springboard. The logo forms the basis of the system, doubling up as a moving, rotating cable with an infinite number of variations. This idea is inspired by ‘Let Me Be Your Mental Dentist,’ a now-iconic mural by Thierry Noir which has been on display at Cable Factory since 1994. Through repeating, mutating and combining familiar shapes and colours, the identity is capable of producing limitless new takes on Noir’s much-loved artwork.

Oxford Hill’s bentonite-based hair styling clay is made with only five clean and natural ingredients, providing an alternative to the chemical-ridden haircare products that line the shelves of our stores. New York-based designer and art director Simoul Alva was invited to define what the brand should look like, working on its identity and packaging system from scratch. Her solution aims to mirror the brand’s natural ethos, using handwritten text to capture the personal aspect of self-care and grooming alongside a no-nonsense black and white colour palette. It has also been designed with Oxford Hill’s future products in mind – striving for a level of simplicity that will provide a memorable on-shelf presence compared to the often busy and jargon-centric designs of mainstream products.

Floh is a dried flowers brand born from a passion to introduce a touch of small, simple and individual beauty into our homes. Created by Italian design duo Antonio Calvino and Alessia Visicaro, their identity aims to tie together the past and the present in reference to the dried condition of the products themselves. The centrepiece of the system is Bely Display, which was chosen as the lead typeface due to its elegant, contrasting letterforms and impact at a variety of sizes. The colour palette was again selected in reference to the nature of dried flowers, with the shades of beige and maroon coming from them directly while aiming to bring a contemporary edge.