The Living Line - Hayes Davidson Rebrand

Paul Klee famously described a drawn line as a dot that went for a walk. It’s a beautifully simple concept of the origins of mark-making. All creativity starts somewhere.

Our new identity centres around the concept of the ‘living line’ - a linear representation of both our longevity as a studio and our constantly evolving and responsive approach. Our new logo is in constant motion, capturing the spirit of the studio and the creative process itself.

We worked with BOB Design to develop a full visual identity and new website. In an unusually collaborative process - we loved their creativity and playfulness and they in turn were intrigued by the tools and technology we work with - we workshopped a series of animations to bring the ‘living line’ logo to life. BOB designed the logo in a 4x4x4 wireframe so that its strokes shift when seen from changing viewpoints, revealing new positions across print and digital applications. We then built that in a 3D environment, and together we explored the ways that the line could move, testing forms, strokes, line weights and colour, before arriving at the final logo.

BOB echoed the wireframe grid in template layouts with equal numbers of columns and rows, and paired the logo with the house typeface Caslon Doric, a modern evolution of a classic font family. Tote bags, notepads and animated flicker books helped celebrate the rebrand launch in colour combinations which pair strong primaries with their softer pastel version.

Our rebrand underlines Hayes Davidson’s evolution as an international collective of skills and specialisms, responsive to the changing needs of our clients and developing compelling new ways to visually communicate ideas and ambition.

Project Collaborators:

Brand design: BOB Design Ltd.

Strategy and copy: Diane Hutchinson

Website development: Archive Studio