A New Era for Branding: Introducing Emblème
A Single File for a Comprehensive Brand Identity
Your average handover of a brand involves sending over separate files for the logo, icons, and animations, but a new identity system, Emblème, is here to change that. Emblème is a whole brand system that can be handed over as a single file, making it accessible across print, digital, and motion.
What is Emblème?
"It can be used for everything from editorial layouts to signage, UX design, and kinetic brand applications. Motion designers can animate identity elements straight from the font, developers can activate them via CSS and JavaScript, and print designers can work with them just like traditional typography – all from the same file," explains Andrew Bellamy, founder of Otherwhere Collective, who created the new system.
The 1/1 Licensing Model
At its core, Emblème is about redefining how a brand is built, packaged, and handed over – streamlining workflows while unlocking new creative possibilities. The 1/1 licensing model means that Emblème is unique to one brand, making it kind of like the NFT of the typography world. NFTs might have gone out of fashion, but this feels like a potentially new era for the world of type.
Challenges and Technical Issues
The sheer scale of the project meant that seeing it through was a challenge, says Andrew. There were also some technical issues that made things tricky, as was ensuring that every component – typography, icons, patterns, motion, and color – worked seamlessly across print, web, and motion design.
Ensuring Consistency Across Platforms
"Fonts aren’t traditionally designed to handle this level of complexity, so making sure color and ligatures functioned consistently across different platforms took extensive testing," he says. "Technically, integrating logos, motifs, and dynamic animations into a typeface pushed font technology beyond its usual limits. Working out how to make icons, motifs, and emblems accessible directly from the keyboard – no matter what OpenType settings or software a user was working with – was a major challenge."
The Font and Its Functionality
Aside from the technical issues, making sure Emblème works as a font was key to this project. "Emblème is built on a beautifully crafted sans serif typeface – meaning it had to function not just as a technology-driven identity system, but as a refined and versatile typeface in its own right," says Andrew.
Conclusion
Emblème certainly seems impressive, though whether or not it’ll take off as a way of working remains to be seen. To learn more about the project, visit The Otherwhere Collective’s site.
FAQs
Q: What is Emblème?
A: Emblème is a comprehensive brand identity system that can be handed over as a single file, making it accessible across print, digital, and motion.
Q: What can I use Emblème for?
A: You can use Emblème for everything from editorial layouts to signage, UX design, and kinetic brand applications.
Q: Is Emblème unique to one brand?
A: Yes, Emblème operates under the 1/1 licensing model, making it unique to one brand.
Q: How does Emblème work across different platforms?
A: Emblème works seamlessly across print, web, and motion design, thanks to extensive testing and technical integration.
