DANKO
Creative Monster
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DANKOMADE

Sustainable Furniture Studio Identity • BERLIN/BARCELONA

 
 
 
 
 

in 2017, I transitioned my creative focus toward freelance visual design... and developing an independent furniture studio.

 
 
 
 

Built primarily with industrial materials salvaged from around Berlin, the simple, brutalist-minimalist furniture aesthetic required an applicable brand identity.

After deciding on the name and securing the domain, I began logo ideation by combining digital and analog concepts, using the Bauhaus-inspired geometric logo elements from this online portfolio.

 
 
Years ago, I found this rusted old M20 steel nut and tempered it into a ring. This piece of jewellery/hardware later became the inspiration behind the DANKOMADE logo.

Years ago, I found this rusted old M20 steel nut and tempered it into a ring. This piece of jewellery/hardware later became the inspiration behind the DANKOMADE logo.

 
 
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By combining the simplified DANKO D shape with a hex nut silhouette, the DANKOMADE logo was conceived. 'Clever simplicity' became the identity language, defining all other design decisions.

 
 
 
 
 

From here, I expanded this modest concept into business cards by stamping contact information upon slices of leftover wooden veneer. 

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I then rolled individual cards and inserted each of them into an M20 nut, identical to the 2.2 oz. original worn on my right pinky finger.

 
 
 
I also created a custom brand iron, again using M20 nuts, a 36" threaded bolt and some large washers. By grinding the D into the end of the bolt and fitting a nut overtop, the literal branding of finished furniture pieces became a reality.

I also created a custom brand iron, again using M20 nuts, a 36" threaded bolt and some large washers. By grinding the D into the end of the bolt and fitting a nut overtop, the literal branding of finished furniture pieces became a reality.

Business Cards

Business Cards

 
 

I chose DIN as my typeface for practical (and historical) reasons, and shot images of finished pieces amongst neutral backdrops, creating a visual catalogue. I then designed a straightforward, responsive website focused on product imagery.

Instagram and Pinterest became the obvious social media channels for exposure, curated to attract a refined, modern clientele who value craftsmanship, sustainability, simplicity and industrial style.