Designing for People, Cities, and Creative Resistance



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Gracia (she/her) is a designer and researcher currently based in New York City. Her multidiscplinary practice designs for & with those most impacted by design processes. Read more





Chemistry

Visual Communications Designer & Researcher

2021

In 2019, Chemistry began a process of rebranding after obtaining the B Corp Certification.

Like much of Chemistry‘s practice, the rebranding was fundamentally participatory, with the internal team driving the initiative from the ground up. We tested and reviewed our design concepts with trusted partners, clients, and friends, gathering rich feedback and input through conversations and rounds of user testing. The final design reflects all the valuable input.








The process began with relooking at the logo, which had always featured a circular symbol alongside the logotype of our name. As an established company since 2000, and with offices in Singapore and Amsterdam, there was a collective decision that the symbol could be dropped. We maintained the name and added a playful element by moving the dot of the 'i' to serve as a full stop. The result is a cleaner, more modern visual identity.

Experimentation & Divergence


We took the liberty of diverging broadly in various visual directions to explore a variety of ideas rapidly and place them in front of people to gather feedback. This allowed us to quickly get a sense of what resonated with our partners, clients and friends. There was a resounding preference for a direction that incorporated these gradients here:





The unique gradient element we developed mirrors the experimental and collaborative inherent nature of us as designers and in our approach to work. The gradients are free and always changing, illustrating the constant exploring and shifting of perspective as we grow in knowledge.

For our brand colours, we narrowed the selection to colour profiles associated with our values and affinities, like being human and planet-centred, tenacious in our drive, and thriving in innovation. The primary colours represent a modern and serious approach to our work. In contrast, the secondary colours inject playfulness and balance that reflects our creative spirit and willingness to experiment.