The Edit: five projects including YUNGBLD’s electric worldbuilding for skincare brand Educated Mess

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.

Educated Mess, a skincare brand founded and formulated by chemists, approached full-service creative studio YUNGBLD to help drive their relevance and sales among Zillenials (a term used to refer to the cohort between millennials and Gen Z). In response, the team delivered a comprehensive brand overhaul and brought their ‘bold, messy vision’ to life through the brand outputs, introducing a work-hard play-hard, BS-free creative direction. And, to stay true to the concept, the entire project was ideated and produced exclusively by Gen-Z and Millennial creatives. With a focus on Y2K imagery and references, products are showcased in a bold and captivating way, through larger-than-life proportions and playful 3D graphics.

On the cover of ILOVEDUST x NIKE 4, a fiery hot sauce food truck is parked. The fourth edition of ILOVEDUST’s Nike publication compiles a range of projects executed by the studio for the athletic apparel giant. The UK-based design studio partners with the retailer on a wide selection of projects across various categories such as football, running, Jordan, and yoga. Outputs span branding, typography, animation, OOH, and beyond. The 108-page book was part of a package gifted to their clients at the Nike World Headquarters, presented in a tote bag as a thank you note for their successful, long-standing relationship. Since 90% of their projects involve motion, this publication provides an opportunity to showcase them in print, while also including self-initiated artworks, projects, and interesting illustrations and 3D styles. As 2023 marks 20 years of ILOVEDUST, they opted for an extra special touch in the production of their fourth ILOVEDUST x NIKE book. In addition to the illustrations, the cover features spot UV touches, embossing, and some dazzling fluorescent yellow pages scattered throughout the book to enhance the reading experience.

In the cannabis market, plenty of brands have opted for the demure route, selecting muted hues, pared-back visual elements and leaning into the ‘wellness’ bracket. Los Angeles’ Dibs Reserve isn’t doing that, oh no. In a burst of eye-watering neon and bouncy, bubble-like lettering, the cannabis vape brand leans heavily into the wave of nostalgia gripping today’s youth culture. Featuring a colour-drenched mix of ’80s, ’90s and the Y2K aesthetic, the visual identity – created by Brazil-based branding, design and packaging studio Blank Design – is a rollercoaster of fun and creativity.

While a dog may not comprehend the complex human-caused nature of climate change, their owners most certainly do! Bearing this in mind, London-based industrial and brand design studio LAYER has embarked on a partnership with Earth Rated as part of an extensive rebranding project. The two-year project encompasses a thorough rebrand of the dog product company, along with the introduction of a new range of products that celebrate Earth Rated’s sustainable values, advocating responsible consumption through the principles of ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle.’ LAYER has redesigned the Earth Rated poop bags and dispensers to enhance user-friendliness. Rejecting the novelty of a squeaky ball or a honking duck, the new line of toys – crafted from recycled and natural materials – showcases elegant geometric shapes and textured surfaces that encourage interaction, delivering an intuitive user experience for both pets and their owners.

Infer, a London-based start-up dedicated to improving data use and analysis in businesses, approached Mast to help shape the company’s identity. Designed with individual analysts in mind, the Colorado-based studio introduced a straightforward yet visually engaging brand presence. The vibrant colour palette draws inspiration from SQL language, and the clever use of ‘blocks,’ which resemble SQL tags, contributes to the brand’s unique identity. These blocks, with their versatility to highlight information, provide context, and be arranged in various layouts and stacks, establish a modular visual language that further nods to the data stack that Infer is revitalising.