BARIN HAN, Istanbul
CRITICAL SHIFTS Exhibition | 10 / 2024
EXHIBITION SITE↗ | CATALOGUE↗
BRIEF: Visual identity inspired both by the nature of the venue and an exhibition concept. Barin Han is a former atelier of Emin Barın, pioneer of the art and discipline of calligraphy in Turkey. 'Critical Shifts' is an international group exhibition on the nature of change.
Key visual, digital, street banner, 5 stores exhibition navigation folios, floor texts, labels, site, printed catalogue
CRITICAL SHIFTS Exhibition | 10 / 2024
EXHIBITION SITE↗ | CATALOGUE↗
BRIEF: Visual identity inspired both by the nature of the venue and an exhibition concept. Barin Han is a former atelier of Emin Barın, pioneer of the art and discipline of calligraphy in Turkey. 'Critical Shifts' is an international group exhibition on the nature of change.
Key visual, digital, street banner, 5 stores exhibition navigation folios, floor texts, labels, site, printed catalogue
RESPONSE: Visuals combine geometry principles with ruptures and turns. Laid flat, exhibition materials carry 15° typography tilt. Applied in space with multiple dimensions and inclines, same principles form a more complex multi-angular system. For digital carries and folio navigation (display typography cases) - lead words are tilted, for leaflet (mixture of display and body typography) - cover is folded in a way to make tilted cover look flat, for labels and floor texts (large bodies of text) - the typography remains straight but base plastic is bent triangularly to lean 15° to the wall.
HOW TO LOOK @ ANIMALS
08 / 2022
Series of animated illustrations
BRIEF: Series of animated illustrations suggesting an alternative view on the animals.
08 / 2022
Series of animated illustrations
BRIEF: Series of animated illustrations suggesting an alternative view on the animals.
RESPONSE: The series disassembles animal footages into abstract imagery taking away anthropocentric lens from a human perspective. The lead imagery was reworked from a stock footage of a goat looking directly into the camera, suggesting the switch of roles between the observer and the observable. Lead image's pattern is formed out of different states of a goat's pupil, supportive visuals feature the @ sign.
In 2025 illustrations were used by the emerging media about animals PRIRODA.IO. Posts' design featured in carousel are courtesy of the media.
In 2025 illustrations were used by the emerging media about animals PRIRODA.IO. Posts' design featured in carousel are courtesy of the media.
ROVESNIK | 2019 — 2021
Cafe, bar, community
BRIEF: A visual identity for a brand of multiple services: food, music, culture, events. The company planned to remain responsive to the changeable demands of the young audience, thus the design system needed to include a room for future variations.
Logo, street sign, interior and exterior visual carriers, social media guidelines, special promo campaigns, digital and print, menu
Cafe, bar, community
BRIEF: A visual identity for a brand of multiple services: food, music, culture, events. The company planned to remain responsive to the changeable demands of the young audience, thus the design system needed to include a room for future variations.
Logo, street sign, interior and exterior visual carriers, social media guidelines, special promo campaigns, digital and print, menu
RESPONSE: A dynamic visual identity. A logo that refers to a sign of equality (=) and evolves it into transformable linked entities. A construction set can accommodate typography or serve as a series of graphic signs.
Links between building elements represented connections between members of the community. Such memorable visual feature allowed the brand to undergo an indefinite number of esthetic changes while remaining recognisable. The carousel contains the initial identity and its versions on different physical and digital carriers developed through a period of two years.
Links between building elements represented connections between members of the community. Such memorable visual feature allowed the brand to undergo an indefinite number of esthetic changes while remaining recognisable. The carousel contains the initial identity and its versions on different physical and digital carriers developed through a period of two years.
ROVESNIK | 2019 — 2021
Cafe, bar, community
BRIEF: Subidentities for different types
of Rovesnik's events.
Cafe, bar, community
BRIEF: Subidentities for different types
of Rovesnik's events.
RESPONSE: Selected events' posters. Wildly assorted.
NONAME ROASTERS | 2020
Anonymous network
of coffee roasters
BRIEF: An identity for a delivery service of packaged roasted coffee and accessories.
Logo, site, cans and samplers packaging, social media guidelines, brewing instructions' semiotics
Anonymous network
of coffee roasters
BRIEF: An identity for a delivery service of packaged roasted coffee and accessories.
Logo, site, cans and samplers packaging, social media guidelines, brewing instructions' semiotics
RESPONSE: Visually wise coffee culture is depersonalized. General search for any coffee related product would return a pastel palette showcasing latte art and smiling people holding steamy cups with edges of their drop sleeve sweaters.
The idea behind Noname Roasters (nnr) was an alternative geek view on a traditional coffee perception. The suggested identity was inspired by hackers' culture. The logo simply consisted of \_/° and elaborated the sign in ascii and kaomoji art patterns for product's packages.
The idea behind Noname Roasters (nnr) was an alternative geek view on a traditional coffee perception. The suggested identity was inspired by hackers' culture. The logo simply consisted of \_/° and elaborated the sign in ascii and kaomoji art patterns for product's packages.
DAVID LYNCH'S RETROSPECTIVE | 2019
Event
BRIEF: A series of posters to announce the screening of three David Lynch's movies: Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire.
Event
BRIEF: A series of posters to announce the screening of three David Lynch's movies: Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire.
RESPONSE: A series of posters and a leaflet with a program. Being a big fan of David Lynch's work, I've mimiced his approach to time distortion in call to actions, suspending a moment of viewer's attention in an uncertain time loop: "If today was yesterday, you'd be watching Blue Velvet", "If today was tommorow, you'd be watching Mulholland Drive" and "If today was the day after tomorrow, you'd be watching Inland Empire". All posters contained clearly visible screening dates to remain functional. The leaflet was designed on a gradually increasing in size (up to the middle) and decreasing in size (after the middle) pages to support the cyclic narrative.
SUPERNOVA.IS
FUTURE STUDIES | 3 / 2022
Article
BRIEF: Six illustrations and twelve glyphs to accompany the media's study on the subject of the future. The material contained several approaches to planning, interviews with people supporting corresponding strategies and experts' POVs.
FUTURE STUDIES | 3 / 2022
Article
BRIEF: Six illustrations and twelve glyphs to accompany the media's study on the subject of the future. The material contained several approaches to planning, interviews with people supporting corresponding strategies and experts' POVs.
RESPONSE: I wanted to create a cohesive story both visually and conceptually, so I based the series around familiar pieces of digital interface: navigation app icons and macOS semiotics. The metaphor of planning as navigating a route always seemed relatable to me so I tried to illustrate diverse approaches to future planning through making "you're here" sign and traveller's arrow act differently in various scenarios: moving, changing, stalling, falling freely.
HSE ART GALLERY | 3 / 2020
THIS LAUGH IS GOING TO END IN TEARS
Exhibition
BRIEF: A visual identity for a collective exhibition of three contemporary Russian artists: Ivan Gorshkov, Danini and Dmitry Kavka. The funny in their works coexists with the terrible, the sad is neutralised by the grotesque, the serious can be devalued, and stupidity and savagery are elevated to the absolute.
Key visual, digital, street banner, entrance area folio
THIS LAUGH IS GOING TO END IN TEARS
Exhibition
BRIEF: A visual identity for a collective exhibition of three contemporary Russian artists: Ivan Gorshkov, Danini and Dmitry Kavka. The funny in their works coexists with the terrible, the sad is neutralised by the grotesque, the serious can be devalued, and stupidity and savagery are elevated to the absolute.
Key visual, digital, street banner, entrance area folio
RESPONSE: The main idea of the suggested identity was to visually interpret the name of the exhibition 'This Laugh Is Going to End in Tears' by showcasing mutability of emotions and combining polarizing symbols.
The visual language of the exhibition consisted of patterns and characters. The patterns played on the switch between smiley symbols ")" & "(" and accommodated carriers' typography. The characters created procedural transitions between iOS emojis (form :happy: to :sad:, from :clown: to :king:, from :party: to :skull: etc) and were used both solely and as a second layer for the patterns.
KV ADAPTATION FOR PHYSICAL & DIGITAL MEDIA: Ekaterina Altukhova
The visual language of the exhibition consisted of patterns and characters. The patterns played on the switch between smiley symbols ")" & "(" and accommodated carriers' typography. The characters created procedural transitions between iOS emojis (form :happy: to :sad:, from :clown: to :king:, from :party: to :skull: etc) and were used both solely and as a second layer for the patterns.
KV ADAPTATION FOR PHYSICAL & DIGITAL MEDIA: Ekaterina Altukhova
SKOLA | 2017 — 2020
Coffee & wine bar, creative community space in Tbilisi, Georgia
BRIEF: A visual identity for a brand of multiple services: coffee, wine, food, culture, events. The client wanted an "umbrella" identity to host several individual directions under the main brand.
Logo, street sign, window folio, social media guidelines, digital and print, menu, cups, placemats, cards
Coffee & wine bar, creative community space in Tbilisi, Georgia
BRIEF: A visual identity for a brand of multiple services: coffee, wine, food, culture, events. The client wanted an "umbrella" identity to host several individual directions under the main brand.
Logo, street sign, window folio, social media guidelines, digital and print, menu, cups, placemats, cards
RESPONSE: The name 'Skola' means 'A School'. The suggested identity inherited various patterns of school notebooks: checkered, lined, diagonal, copybook. Ornament distinctions has built a design system for different branches of the product: coffee & wine bar / restaurant / studio for experimental education / creative community space. Prior to becoming vector graphics, each pattern was created through a scanning distortion of actual school notebooks to bring the authenticity to the project and distinguish the results from similar interpretations of the school topic.
JEWISH MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE
THE IMPOSSIBLE IS INEVITABLE
Ideas That Change The World | 3 / 2018
Exhibition
BRIEF: Visual identity for the exhibition that showcased Israeli technological startups in a context of past inventions and contemporary artists' installations.
Key visual, entrance area, exhibition navigation, labels, digital and print promo materials, printed catalogue
THE IMPOSSIBLE IS INEVITABLE
Ideas That Change The World | 3 / 2018
Exhibition
BRIEF: Visual identity for the exhibition that showcased Israeli technological startups in a context of past inventions and contemporary artists' installations.
Key visual, entrance area, exhibition navigation, labels, digital and print promo materials, printed catalogue
RESPONSE: I was asked to create a graphic approach that would go beyond grid-based trends of the time, speculating the ways in which design systems might operate in the future. I wanted the language to be less structured and more bioinspired. The suggested key visual had a dynamic nature of letters' placement, connecting them via thin lines. Thus the entities remained liquidly changeable and suitable for formats of any proportions. I've also developed a custom font to create an illusion of forms revealing in front of the viewer's eyes.
SOLYANKA STATE GALLERY
NEW JAPAN. The Observer Effect | 4 / 2018
Exhibition
BRIEF: Visual identity for the exhibition of contemporary Japanese art. The exhibition built narrative parallels between practices of contemplation and observation, making the viewer a key participant in the narrative.
Key visual, entrance area, street banner, labels, digital and print promo materials, printed catalogue
NEW JAPAN. The Observer Effect | 4 / 2018
Exhibition
BRIEF: Visual identity for the exhibition of contemporary Japanese art. The exhibition built narrative parallels between practices of contemplation and observation, making the viewer a key participant in the narrative.
Key visual, entrance area, street banner, labels, digital and print promo materials, printed catalogue
RESPONSE: The identity inherited elements of optics: observer's eye (key visual) and viewing angles (design system). Visual entities complemented names of artists, curators and work titles with images of viewing angles, thus translating the idea of subjective points of view on the presented works and discussion topics.
ZIL CULTURAL CENTER
Emma Waltraud Howes
SCORES FOR DAILY LIVING | 2 / 2019
Performance and a series of talks
BRIEF: Visual identity introducing
the artist to the Moscow audience
Key visual, digital and print promo materials
Emma Waltraud Howes
SCORES FOR DAILY LIVING | 2 / 2019
Performance and a series of talks
BRIEF: Visual identity introducing
the artist to the Moscow audience
Key visual, digital and print promo materials
RESPONSE: I was inspired by the tool Emma used in her performance - a chalk holder capable of drawing parallel lines.
The suggested identity revolved around the scores of different angles and density. Linear structures hosted details of the main event and the supporting agenda.
The suggested identity revolved around the scores of different angles and density. Linear structures hosted details of the main event and the supporting agenda.
SUPERNOVA.IS
What You Need To Know
About Russian E-passports | 9 / 2021
Lisa Dorer's article on cybersecurity
BRIEF: Five illustrations for the article.
What You Need To Know
About Russian E-passports | 9 / 2021
Lisa Dorer's article on cybersecurity
BRIEF: Five illustrations for the article.
RESPONSE: I was inspired by Paul Virilio's quote mentioned in the article: "When you invent the plane you also invent the plane crash" and wanted the visual language to portray the mixed state of both hope and anxiety. Illustrations enhance the knowledge based article with a visual story of a fictional couple, who are trying to live their ordinary life: combing hair in preparation to get their passport picture taken, meet on a stairway, exchange keys, lay on a bed in the evening, all while surrendering themselves to a process of digitalisation. The recurring barcode element (blinds, comb, hair) is functional and leads to the name of the media in leet 5V3RHN0V4Y4 (SVERHNOVAYA).
SOLYANKA STATE GALLERY
MATTER OF HORROR | 11 / 2018
Exhibition
BRIEF: The exhibition aimed to demonstrate the coexistence of well-functioning interfaces and a bug that could have revealed itself at any moment. The work of the terrifying was observed in borderline states: the merger of biological and technological, the infection of systems with viruses, the disruption of network homeostasis.
Key visual, entrance area, street banner, labels, digital and print promo materials, printed catalogue
MATTER OF HORROR | 11 / 2018
Exhibition
BRIEF: The exhibition aimed to demonstrate the coexistence of well-functioning interfaces and a bug that could have revealed itself at any moment. The work of the terrifying was observed in borderline states: the merger of biological and technological, the infection of systems with viruses, the disruption of network homeostasis.
Key visual, entrance area, street banner, labels, digital and print promo materials, printed catalogue
RESPONSE: I was curious to find ways in which vector tools could create a disruption of the organized matter. Thus I conducted a number of experiments submerging different grid systems under the influence of distortion instruments.
SOLYANKA STATE GALLERY
BERGMAN. METAMORPHOSIS | 11 / 2018
Exhibition
BRIEF: The exhibition was organized jointly with the Embassy of Sweden in Russia and was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the director. The project brought together works of contemporary artists inspired by aesthetics and the personality of Bergman.
Key visual, entrance area, street banner, labels, digital and print promo materials, printed catalogue
BERGMAN. METAMORPHOSIS | 11 / 2018
Exhibition
BRIEF: The exhibition was organized jointly with the Embassy of Sweden in Russia and was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the director. The project brought together works of contemporary artists inspired by aesthetics and the personality of Bergman.
Key visual, entrance area, street banner, labels, digital and print promo materials, printed catalogue
RESPONSE: The suggested visuals explored light/shadow relationships as a signature feature of Bergman's cinematic language. Different ray shapes served a series of web announcements and supported spreads in the exhibition's catalog. Angularly cropped white labels on black walls of the gallery created an illusion of actual light beams in the space with no windows.
NEAT MY BIT | 01 / 2016
A concept of a recycling service for vector leftovers
SELF-INITIATED PROJECT
A concept of a recycling service for vector leftovers
SELF-INITIATED PROJECT
CONCEPT: Together with the intended work, a digital specialist produces a number of entities which might be considered leftovers. Such vector waste could contain old and rejected graphics or experiments that weren't used in a final product. Those bits do not hold a value on their own, but could possibly be useful as a recycling material. By combining leftovers of different authors into a variety of patterns, a speculative service NeatMyBit creates value through a result of collaboration. Product's patterns might be saved for digital reuse or got printed on paper or fabric. The site stores bits in categories from abstract to figurative, from simple to detailed and from linear to filled, introducing a new approach to the process of pattern-making. The prototype patterns contained real leftovers donated by over thirty digital specialists: designers, illustrators, architects and animators.
