Cocoon
Brand Identity
For this second-year group project at University, I worked with Slavi Kaloferov and Daniel Styles.
The brief asked us to design and present a visual identity for a start-up business based in Portsmouth during a fictional initiative called ‘Dockyard’. To support local independent businesses, the Dockyard initiative involves using twenty repurposed shipping containers which would house these start-ups.
Cocoon is the brand we created based on the brief my group was assigned – the ‘upcycled and repurposed furniture’ start-up who have a shared passion for sustainability, creativity, and craft. They aim to rescue and breathe new life into discarded household furniture items and stop them from becoming landfill, by encouraging the local community to consume with a conscience. As well as offering repair, repaint or repurpose consultations, they offer live demos and workshops to engage the local community and inspire them to transform unwanted furniture themselves.
The name Cocoon embodies their mission to provide a safe space for furniture to begin the next stage of its life cycle. The tagline ‘the art of transformation’ further emphasises this.
Inspired by the craftsmanship, materials and tools involved in upcycling furniture, the brand design reflects various wood joints and fastenings. The bold, abstract shapes based on these materials form the brand's logo, spelling the brand name.
To complement the logo, we chose the typeface Poppins for its high degree of legibility and its modern and friendly feel. The colour palette further embodies their creative energy and passion for craft with a playful edge.
By using a couple of segments from the logo, I wanted to take this identity further (because of my own personal interests) and add some more visual interest to the brand, creating the brand pattern. Transforming into something new, the pattern successfully reinforces the meaning behind the brand name and mission and reflects their creative personalities.
As a team, we applied the visual identity of Cocoon in various ways to meet the requirements of the brief. We also proposed and mocked up additional relevant branded ideas and items that could help promote their business. We decided to divide the deliverables between us, so I was responsible for: the stationery (business card, letterhead, compliment slip etc) and an Instagram page. Each of us got to explore additional branded items, so I chose a vehicle wrap for a van (to transport large furniture items), a printed ticket to the grand opening (to enhance the customers' experience with a tangible ticket as a touchpoint), and a reusable face mask (due to the COVID pandemic).
Overall, the brand has an eye-catching and quirky personality that establishes Cocoon as a culturally and socially engaged brand, whilst creating a fun and inviting atmosphere to inspire others to live more sustainably.