A colour-shifting, material-switching brand identity for futures research agency FranklinTill
Caroline Till and Kate Franklin set up their futures agency FranklinTill in 2010 and it has since become one of the most respected and influential forces in global design innovation. They deliver research-based strategic insight and inspiration to world-leading brands in the lifestyle and design sectors, and share their findings through editorial, exhibitions, events, workshops and industry-leading publication Viewpoint.
Our identity for FranklinTill is inspired by – and visually defines – the core area of their expertise: colour and material. The focal point for the identity is a simple colour block, in two colours, proportioned 65:35 to reflect the percentage of space occupied by the letters of Franklin and Till in the company name. Its form mirrors the colourweights used in the textile industry to illustrate the recommended deployment of colour palettes, and also pays tribute to the techniques used in marquetry, bringing a material dimension to the logo.
The stationery demonstrates the sensory flexibility of the colour blocks, allowing for different combinations of colour and card to be used for each member of the FranklinTill team. Everyone has an opportunity to communicate their individual identity within that of the wider company through their unique colour choice and material selection.
'We wanted to bring across our focus on colour and material and have this sense of texture and tactility running through everything. We find Commission are one of the most tactile graphic design studios; they really focus on texture, even on purely digital-based output.’
– Caroline Till, co-founder, FranklinTill
FranklinTill’s new branding coincides with the launch of a new website, rebuilt to reflect the remit of their activity in consultancy services and editorial communications, and to share its research insights. Featuring on the upper right of each page, the FranklinTill colour block is coded to automatically change its palette as the user navigates around the site, informed by the colour proportions of the main image on each page.