Info
Optiphore is a duo of engineers based in the Netherlands. When they approached us to design their new corporate identity we wondered what Optiphore meant. To our great surprise, they showed us an etymological analysis of the word similar to what we do for our projects.
Optiphore
// opti- optimum, optimal + -phore suff. bearer, carrier //
At this point the typographic and only approach of their corporate identity became oneway, analysing the further data we had in our hands about the operation of the office and the services they offer, we made a grid system in order to create a font that will “carry” (-phore) the optimum performance (Opti-Optimum) but also their values.
The grid consisted of horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines where each character would be drawn in creating a monospace font.
More specifically, each character has externally strict angles and cuts, wanting to highlight their insistence on detail and accuracy while internally it had curves, giving the reader the human existence behind everything. After that we widen their width creating a solid base to give a sense of stability. Due to the location of the office in the Netherlands, this font was intended (and ought) to become an ode to Wim Crouwel with clear influences on fonts he designed. Additionally, we used a sans font that would execute all the further needs of the applications based on readability.
The necessary simplicity of white-black in combination with a bright colour (red) and a neutral (grey) colour to connect them, became the colour code of the identity. Bringing their application in the material world, we combined special stationery material and metallic Pantones as a reference to materials such as metal, construction surfaces and others that are found in their profession.
