01Case study
Sample projectForma Objects
A quiet identity for an imagined ceramics label, drawn from the weight, proportion and surface of the objects it carries.
- Discipline
- Brand identity
- Sector
- Product
- Year
- 2026
- Services
- Brand, Packaging, Art Direction
Overview
Forma Objects is a fictional studio pottery making small runs of vessels, cups and planters. The brief we wrote for ourselves was simple: build an identity that feels as considered as a hand-thrown pot, and that steps back whenever the objects are in the room.
The result is a restrained system of a drawn wordmark, a monogram cut from the profile of a vessel, a palette of clay, chalk and charcoal, and a set of tags and labels that work as hard on a shelf as they do in a shipping box.
Challenge
Ceramics brands tend to fall into two camps: rustic and handwritten, or so minimal they disappear. Neither suits a maker whose work is precise but warm. The identity needed to hold both qualities at once without leaning on clichés like brush marks or thumbprints.
It also had to work at very small sizes. Most people meet a pottery brand on a swing tag, a stamp on the base of a cup, or a sticker on tissue paper. If the mark only worked large on a website, it would not work at all.
Creative approach
- 01
Proportion first
We traced the silhouettes of twelve pieces and found a recurring ratio between shoulder and base. That ratio sets the monogram's curve, the wordmark's x-height and the margins of every printed piece, so the system literally shares the shape of the work.
- 02
A wordmark with weight
The wordmark is built on a sturdy grotesque, redrawn with slightly softened terminals and a wider O. It holds up when debossed into card or stamped into clay, where thin strokes would fill in and disappear.
- 03
Material over decoration
Rather than adding pattern, we specified uncoated board, a single clay-red ink and blind embossing. The packaging gets its character from texture and from what is left blank, which keeps attention on the pots.
- 04
Photography with long light
The art direction asks for one object, one light source and one shadow. Darker frames show the matte glazes; paler frames show form. Both rely on natural light and no props beyond what a pot would actually sit beside.
Deliverables
- Wordmark and vessel monogram
- Colour palette and material specification
- Swing tags, labels and base stamp
- Stationery and packing inserts
- Photography art direction guide
- Brand guidelines for in-house use
Timeline
Weeks 1–2
Listen and define
Studio visits, object audit and a short written positioning.
Weeks 3–4
Visual idea
Three routes narrowed to one, tested at tag and stamp size.
Weeks 5–8
Make and refine
Wordmark drawing, print tests on three paper stocks, packaging prototypes.
Weeks 9–10
Ship with care
Guidelines, artwork files and a photography reference set.
Studio roles
- Creative direction
- Brand design
- Packaging design
- Art direction
Sample project created for the Vortex template. Not real client work.
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Contact
Have a good one in mind?
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