The Project
UrBestSelf GmbH came about as a Start-Up focused on personal development and well-being according to the principles of Positive Psychology. In collaboration with the Rowohlt Verlag the company is responsible for the content, production and publishing of the bestselling 6-Minute Book Series: The 6-Minute Diary, The 6-Minute Success Journal and The 6-Minute Diary for Kids - currently used by over 2 Million people in more than 21 countries worldwide.
The need for a re-branding was urgent & of great intrinsic value: the company had evolved and matured steadily over the years, having naturally out-grown the initial design framework. The core value of development with focus on the self are to be conceptually and visually given a major role.
My Role
In my capacity as a designer for the re-branding project, I hold the pivotal responsibility of shaping the new logo and design concept. Further project key contributors were Sevnur Acar-Spenst, who led the design team, and Cathy Bisenius, responsible for the social media visual appearance. Our combined expertise has resulted in a revitalized brand identity that reflects innovation and a unified creative vision.
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Visualizing Individual Essence & Development
The logo formulates a simple and widely recognizable composition, integrating a point/circle as a clear visual manifestation of the essential presence and role of the individual. From the self as initial starting point, emanates the name - vision and mission concurrently - with a crescent gradient of boldness towards the self. This simple, yet effective gesture, not only lends the compact logo a sense of freshness, youth dynamic clarity, it furthermore symbolizes and stands for the positive progressiveness that it visually represents.
Design Components: Unleashing Exponential Growth
Typography
The exponential growth of the font weight underlines the "development" attribute. The Font Family Museo appears to be emotionally friendly and informative at the same time. The choice for the Museo Sans Rounded derives from the similarity to the 6-Minute stamp present on the cover of every German 6-Minute-Diary. This referral sparks an instant connection between the elements.
Corporate Colors
A careful and thought-out selection of colors was made, as a means to represent the values and mission of the company. Three main tones were selected: dark petrol - symbolizing introspection, gold - mostly used in the books and 6-Minute products - bringing in shine and a sense of quality and coral - providing refreshing vitality throughout.
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Circling Identity: The Crucial Element in our Graphic Concept
The role of the circle: As central element deriving from the logo it symbolizes the Self, as a catalyst and concentrated force for action. On a different level and through other forms of representation, it also suggests a clearly delineated, harmonious personal space, inside which one can be oneself. A place to rest; a place for consciousness and stability. Within this frame of work, while the circular form is used as a symbol in itself, it also constitutes a template for framing symbols, messages or other graphic elements such as photos.
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Authentic Narratives: Crafting Messages through Grayscale Imagery
The photographic material suggested by me aims at portraying the human being, specifically focusing on emotions and a sense of authenticity. Photographs in grayscale are used, mainly due to their neutrality and consequent capacity of being more easily perceived and read. As opposed to the vibrant colored photographs commonly used in advertising, the use of images in grayscale recalls a documentary-type aura, more appropriate and in-line with the objective, message and mission they serve.
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