Branding for architecture & design business
Portfolio /
Almost one year ago, fate brought us the opportunity of collaborating with two artisans of beauty: Beatrice and Diana. With over 15 years of unmatched experience as interior designers and architects, they joined forces, driven by a shared vision to bring harmony and elegance into each of the four corners of the world.
In the domain of interior design, Beatrice and Diana embody the harmony of yin and yang, seamlessly blending two distinct yet complementary energies. These two women manage to combine methodological precision and attention to detail, with boundless creativity and artistic flair. Working with such a powerful duo, we began creating their brand identity. We tried to embed, as the heartbeat of their brand voice, the pursuit of perfection balanced with an elegant sense of humor.
Our collaboration had 4 elements:
Naming;
Brand strategy;
Brand design;
Communication strategy;
Process audit & consulting;
Naming
In terms of naming, the world „trancedental” was always on Alexandra’s mind. It perfectly describes the harmony and the attention to details they have. But there was also another word that kept on coming from their part: “PATRU” (literally translation: four).
We liked the sound of it, it was bold and could have a multitude of meanings. Taking it as a sign, we proposed the idea of naming their venture after this number, and they wholeheartedly agreed.
We usually connect the name with the tagline and the visual design. In this case, PATRU could be visually connected to a style reflecting the number four, and the tagline could easily position the brand: maybe a square with four corners, or the cardinal points. But given that their collaboration is so fresh and we have no industry niche, we decided to leave the name purposefully vague and build a tagline around the values of the brand.
Brand strategy
Since we didn’t want to use the number to be the central BEAM of the brand, we had to look somewhere else. We anchored the brand on four foundational values:
Humor: charm and wit, the brand’s tone of voice was destined to be a blend of sophistication and playfulness. This is something very appropriate for Beatrice & Diana’s personalities and we do not usually recommend it to other clients. It's very hard to implement humor in brands and also very delicate. But since they have this very witty voice in real life, we were sure they can make it consistent. This humor, bold and unapologetic, would serve as the brand’s unmistakable signature and would then be found in real life as it is their day-to-day voice;
Harmony: we observed a very harmonic way of working in their portfolio - attention to proportions, carefully curated colors and textures. Since the industry asks for beautiful visuals, we knew the brand’s aesthetic would be a testament to the integration of beauty and balance;
Active listening: at the core of their brand lies a commitment to their clients. Beatrice and Diana understand the true essence of active listening, empathizing withtheir customers’ dreams. With a keen ear, they adapt to their clients’ needs, ensuring each design captures the very essence of their vision;
Professionalism: While their elegant humor added a delightful touch to their interactions, professionalism would remain the anchor that held everything together. Beatrice and Diana know that at the heart of every successful project lays a dedication to keeping promises, respecting deadlines, and getting on all fours to make sure that the client is satisfied.
These values helped us to develop our tagline: interior design of classical proportions.
We think this tagline resonates with the brand's steadfast commitment to classical values. Emphasizing form, simplicity, proportion, clarity of structure, and pursuit of perfection, the essence of the brand had to be transformed into a suggestive phrase.
This statement also encapsulates the brand's dedication to crafting spaces that withstand the test of time, where each element finds its harmonious place, and every detail contributes to the desired aesthetic.
Brand design
The brand's visual identity draws inspiration from the captivating elegance of Fibonacci's sequence and the Golden Ratio. We know this is quite a cliche, but it is something we just felt like it needs to be integrated. At the same tim, wanted a very-very delicate approach to it, so we took the first 4 numbers with a mix of a ruler and the idea of a segmented line:
As the brand's image took shape, we turned our focus to the finer details, beginning with "PATRU's" logo design. With a commitment to reflecting the brand's classical values, we crafted a timeless, minimalist logo that encapsulates its essence.
To ensure versatility, we developed an ecosystem of constructions, offering the brand various logo configurations suitable for different materials and platforms. Now, "PATRU" possesses the flexibility to choose between the logo alone, the logo with symbol and tagline, or the logo with tagline in alignment with the publication size and context.
In terms of visual territory, we chose a highly classic approach. We knew Helvetica is a very appropriate font for this industry and the typography-focused layouts are a standard in the world of architects, but this was exactly our intention: to build visuals that speak the language of the industry, with a personal touch. We think this Massimo Vignelli approach is very (as in VERY) appropriate for PATRU.
Although the approach was classical, we still wanted a distinct and easily recognizable presence. We did that with:
Color selection: we embraced the simplicity and timelessness of black and white, while gracefully introducing coral as a touch of sophistication. Not only did coral add a dash of color, but it also fulfilled the personal wish of Beatrice and Diana, further infusing their unique identity into the brand;
Fibonacci line: as a decorative element in the layouts (see below how it was integrated);
Grids: we developed a system to integrate the content in layouts;
Communication
To ensure a powerful presence, we provided “PATRU” with several campaign ideas. Among them we proposed building an interior design podcast to share insights and inspirations, as well as a monthly surprise on social media, unveiling something special on the 4th day of each month and many others.
For us, it's very important that the client really knows how to implement the strategy in their day- to-day communication. That’s why we delivered:
An editorial plan for Social Media;
Visuals for Social Media ready to be edited in Canva;
Copywriting for the first set of 10 posts to Social Media;
We also developed their website (design, implementation, copywriting) and gave them a system they can easily manage on their own in the future. Check it out: www.PATRU.design
Process audit and consulting
From time to time, when the chemistry between us and our clients works, we love to be a part of the internal processes of their company: file organization, client process (materials we need for our clients), how to organize the communication, etc.
Since we had a great chemistry with Beatrice & Diana, we also worked intensively in:
Introductory presentation: a compelling presentation that reaches first time clients with the services, packages, philosophy of working with PATRU. We used captivating visuals, combined with the brand's signature humor and harmony, to ensure that clients are not just presented with services, but rather invited to experience their way of performing interior design.
Project presentation: we also worked on the presentation that reached out to current clients and showing the ongoing and completed projects.
Quotation: the way a financial offer looks like could impact the sale. We think it's very important to make sure the layout is clear and precise and the clients have a complete overview of the process. While using our own standard for quotation,we adapted it to suit their industry.
Briefing: we created an organized way for PATRU to receive information from their clients. A comprehensive Google Form each client has to fill before they start the work.
What does „PATRU” say about this experience?
"Cred că cel mai tare îmi place la Alexandra faptul că a găsit echilibru între crazy creative și structură/metode. Este extrem de creativă și plină de resurse și de obicei oamenii ăștia, indiferent de domeniu, nu livrează. Pentru că... "așa-i cu artiștii". Ei bine, Alexandra este artistul care s-a structurat. Bine, cel mai tare cred că-mi place că e îndrăgostită de arhitectură, și deci face research acolo unde nu poate fi decât foarte complex, sănătos și profesionist. Îmi place mult felul în care ne-a ascultat, auditat, înțeles ițele și le a ordonat că nici nouă nu ne vine să credem cât de frumos știm să facem :)). Este unul din puținii oameni care asumă complet ce face. Ca și client al Alexandrei poți să stai liniștit că ce a promis livrează la un nivel super profi. Abia așteptăm noi proiecte impreună❤️"
- Diana Popovici, co-fondator PATRU
Am descoperit-o pe Alexandra pe instagram cu puțin timp înainte să o contactăm pentru o ședință de consultanță, aveam puține informații despre ea. Însă, am intuit (și bine-mi pare) faptul că este omul potrivit pentru povestea noastră aflată la început de drum.
Din momentul în care am bătut palma cu ea, am știut că suntem pe mâini bune și cel mai bun lucru pe care putem să îl facem este să-i dăm răgaz, ca să facă ce și cum știe ea mai bine, astfel încât procesul să curgă organic, fără presiuni.
A fost o colaborare foarte frumoasă, umană (cu empatie, ascultare, atenție), firească și în același timp profesionistă. Ce poți să ceri mai mult? În ziua de azi, cînd trăim în viteză și când destul de multe lucruri sunt tratate la nivel superficial, oamenii care merg în profunzime sunt o adevărată binecuvântare. Alexandra este o astfel de persoană.
Apreciez capacitatea ei de a sintetiza și a surprinde esența și totodată subtilitățile.
Fiind la început de drum în formula asta, cu multe idei la purtător, aveam nevoie de ajutor specializat (că nu degeaba există profesioniști) care să facă un audit și să le materializeze într-o formă armonioasă și clară.
Alexandra împreună cu Iulian (Maestro Graphico) au fost echipa perfectă pentru asta.
Suntem norocoasele purtătoare ale unui brand care ne reprezintă și care este comunicat exact așa cum ne-am dorit, cu autenticitate, umor și informații relevante. Îmi place simplitatea brandului (font, logo, cromatică, proporții) și tonul vocii din comunicare, e genul de abordare pe care poate nu l-ai asocia cu domeniul designului interior, dar pentru noi funcționează atât de bine (I love that).
În plus, tocmai această simplitate lasă loc pentru ca povestea să poată evolua organic, nu este ceva finit.
Mărturisesc faptul că, n-am avut nici un fel de emoții în ceea ce privește colaborarea și nici o așteptare de la rezultat, am avut pur și simplu încredere deplină. (Ceea ce vă doresc și vouă dacă vreți să aveți un brand jmecher:)
Recomand cu multă căldură echipa asta dragă, pe mâna căreia m-aș lăsa oricând e nevoie de ceva pe partea de branding și comunicare. Beam, you rock!
- Beatrice Marta, co-fondator PATRU
Team & thanks
Beatrice and Diana's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we are grateful to have been part of this transformative process. Together, we've breathed life into their dreams, and "PATRU" stands tall, ready to embrace the world with open arms, spreading harmony and beauty, one exquisitely designed space at a time.
Client: Beatrice Marta & Diana Popovici;
Project & brand manager: Alexandra Crăciun;
Design: Iulian Tărnăuceanu;