COMPONENTS

Logo
Collateral
Packaging
Website

RECOGNITION

A TEACHER AND A BLACKSMITH

Ulric + Arly is a Barbadian textile studio founded by artist Mark King. He named the company after his grandfathers, one of whom was a teacher, and the other who was a blacksmith. My job was to weave together Mark’s design and his Bajan heritage to create an elegant, contemporary brand identity.

LOGO AND IDENTITY

The logo was inspired by Arly’s iron work, but it was important that I mold that influence into something elegant enough to compliment Mark’s patterns. I created both a wide and a stacked version for extra flexibility, then built a crest for small areas like a favicon. The crest can also be transformed into a pattern of its own, giving Ulric + Arly yet another design element.

The Ulric + Arly logotype features a serif style that I’ve never seen before. It looks a bit like a classic wedge, but the serif starts a lot deeper down the stroke of the letter and it doesn’t extend out very far. To compliment the triangle shape of the serifs, I transformed the curved parts of letters like U and C into angles as well, which gives the type strength and personality. I finished by adding a spur to the stroke ends of letters like L and C.

WEBSITE

The keys to the website were white space and typography. Mark’s patterns are detailed, so I needed to give them plenty of room to breathe. I’m using Caslon as my font for body copy, hearkening back to the age when Mark’s grandfathers lived. Expo sets a stylish tone as the headline font and the mathematical feel of Arquitecta compliments the geometric artwork. I also took photos of Mark’s grandfathers and created an image of them together to establish the heritage of the brand.

PACKAGING

Because the patterns on the textiles are so stunning, I felt my job as a designer was to create minimalist packaging that puts the focus on the pieces. My primary goal was clarity, making it easy for someone to know at a glance what is contained in each of the packages. 

Symmetry is an important part of the elegance of these pieces. If a design had too much negative space, I added botanical illustrations to restore the balance found in the patterns. The illustrations feature plants found in Barbados.

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTION

Because Mark is based in Barbados, I wasn’t able to join him for the photoshoot, so I directed it from a few thousand miles away. I told Mark I had a vision for the photography that would put the housewares in context, then use props to create square compositions. I created vector guides for him to use on set as he photographed, then sent a detailed pdf with notes on lighting, lenses, and rigging.