Design and illustration by Karen Lilje
The Watershed logo is simple yet memorable. The design is a multi-layered, conceptual expression of “watershed”. The holding shape echoes the profile of the building in which the market is situated, duplicated as a reflection to introduce the idea of water. The dividing line represents “a moment of change” which ties into the ethos of the space. The line becomes a dynamic aspect of the identity and is used creatively in branded collateral.
This interactive, online infographic was visualised to explain the process of modern, digital-first book production. It was designed and developed in collaboration with Electric Book Works.
The process diagram was first conceptualised on paper as conceptual wireframes which were then developed further in Figma. A series of digital illustrations were created to visually represent the phases.
Using CSS and HTML, it is designed and coded to function as a responsive infographic, rather than a static image that doesn’t respond to a user’s device.
After working with Research ICT Africa for a number of years, we were commissioned to refresh their identity.
With a good understanding of the brand and the work that they do in Africa, a new logo and visual identity was designed. It is bold and simple, and works well across printed and digital media.
The new identity was applied to their corporate collateral and a comprehensive branding document was compiled that detailed their branding and publishing guidelines.
Ⓒ Research ICT Africa
This pro-bono social awareness campaign was created in the face of the worldwide pandemic. Social media posters were designed to increase awareness about the benefits of using a mask and the #masks4all campaign. The digital poster was shared widely on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp and the printable artwork was made freely available for printing physical posters.
The communication was subsequently translated into various South African languages.
Lawful Living is a multi-format reference book of South African law, applied to everyday life and business.
The identity design is bold and accessible. Applied to the print and digital interfaces, the design ensures that users can find what they need quickly and easily.
The identity of the Lawful Living brand is consistent across all media and communications, including the logo design, book cover, stationery, social media campaign, and print advertising.
It is further extended to a child series of books which use a secondary colour palette, but still maintain the strong design and branding of the original publication.
The Daily Maverick, an independent news service, has published a book to commemorate a decade of news reporting and journalism.
Hybrid Creative collaborated with developers, Electric Book Works, to create a product that is available as a beautifully crafted, printed book as well as a responsive book website.
The digital interface is designed as a user friendly, easy to navigate collection of journalistic pieces. The architecture is inspired by the content and defined by a timeline. The timeline serves as the primary navigation and interactive menu. The digital design is visually aligned with the printed page design to enforce the product branding and reader experience.
Cartly is a business tool that provides all online needs in one, easy to use platform. A series of easily identifiable icons were designed to assist user navigation and to support the text content on the website. Using the Cartly colour palette, the icons were created to work on a transparent background. A colour background option was also designed.
The Economy is a multi-format, open-access economics textbook that is used by over 230 universities worldwide.
The multi-format textbook demanded a design that is effective in both print and digital environments. The final design is beautifully simple and user friendly.
The design was first conceptualised on paper and then detailed prototypes created on screen. Once the design was finalised Electric Book Works created the CSS and code style-sheets that control the page layout for both print and screen to ensure a single source master file for all outputs.
The content is intentionally designed to look less like a conventional textbook and more like an informative and visually engaging resource. The design is flexible, accommodating multiple in-text and sidebar elements, while maintaining a strong visual identity across all formats. It includes graphic details that make the content more engaging and easier to interact with. Colour keys are incorporated to help teachers and students navigate the content.
The online edition of the book takes full advantage of the digital platform with embedded video, interactive quizzes and self-marking questions, animated figures, and popup references and definitions. The website is mobile friendly, accessible, and can be easily and conveniently used as an open educational resource.
This project won an IAB Silver Bookmark 2018
This delightful product idea was such fun to develop. The identity included the typographic School Memories logo on the cover and then a series of fun illustrations which were used throughout.
A series of folders were designed that can hold school memorabilia and then bound together to create a beautiful album.
This identity was developed for a life coach who promotes the idea of self transformation through storytelling. The graphic imagery in the design is inspired by the sun and symbols representing the sun. Transformation is conceptually and visually depicted in this visual identity through the sequence of suns that become more detailed.
For this client their business card is a primary networking and marketing tool, so it needs to be memorable. With this in mind the concept of transformation is further enforced by the mechanics of the card. It is visually simple on the outside but opens up to reveal a beautiful interior. A die cut is positioned to reveal the transformation series of suns.
Stitch works in conjunction with Bethany Home to provide a platform for women to educate themselves and thereby earn an income making beautifully crafted picnic blankets. The design is friendly and feminine, perfectly capturing the brand. The brochure includes product photography illustrating the beautiful shwe-shwe blankets, and a swing tag with folding instructions on the reverse accompanies each blanket to reinforce the branding.
The stylish branding designed for Fynbos etc. is inspired by the Western Cape flora. This richly illustrated and playful identity is applied as a homeware product range.
