Something exciting waits beyond the horizon: Studio Kiln unpacks its brand refresh of Mayda — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design

Mayda, a global creative studio with a focus on the future, takes its name from the phantom island that’s been popping up on North Atlantic maps for centuries. True to its enigmatic namesake, the studio – with a practice spanning advertising, entertainment and tech – is all about charting unexplored territories and entering new and exciting realms. Their refreshed identity, designed by Studio Kiln, emphasises this futuristic and exploratory ethos, with a visual language that centres on the perspective-point of the horizon.

As this idea of “exploring beyond the horizon” is so integral to Mayda – and their name, their vision and their process – Studio Kiln ensure this is a focal part of the wordmark, whereby an expanded ‘Y’ in the logo, made using radial lines, represents a dynamic portal to creative possibilities. “After exploring more classic logo formats,” says Co-founder & Creative Director Nathan Smith, “communicating this story through the ‘Y’ in Mayda served as an oddly perfect focal point, placing the story at the very heart of their logo; accentuating the horizon concept (like the classic centre-shot sunset), and creating a tension fit for representing the unusual, futuristic creative powerhouse that Mayda is. It was so wrong that it was right.” 

Aligning with Mayda’s future focus, the Cornwall-based studio introduces WELTKERN’s Everett and Everett Mono as the brand’s typefaces, complementing and contrasting with the angular cuts of the ‘Y’ while also providing a “contemporary, techy framework.” “This pairing helps Mayda feel grounded while still leaving ample room for the brand to adapt and evolve across touch-points,” says Smith, suggesting that the duo’s versatility allowed them to strike a balance “between minimalism and visual intrigue.”

Much like the typography, the colour palette strives to spark interest, featuring a combination of “technological” greys, “anchoring the identity in a contemporary, tech-forward space,” with striking neon tones to create soft, glowing lights – evocative of something bright and enticing beyond the horizon.

In its entirety, the identity is crafted to support creative work while maintaining a distinct presence, ensuring flexibility across various media and reinforcing Mayda’s role as a frontrunner in innovative creativity. “As a creative studio ourselves, we were critically aware that creating an identity for a creative company takes restraint and subtlety,” says Smith, reflecting on the project. To not overpower or overwhelm Mayda’s own creative content, the identity’s central elements (the Y portal and horizon imagery) serve as foundational anchors, and can be tailored to ‘ramp up’ in moments where brand expression is required, or scale down to suit the context.

“The quieter forms of brand expression came to life when working on Mayda’s site,” Smith continues. “This pushed us to look for subtler and more nuanced ways for the brand to live and afforded us the ability to develop the idiosyncrasies we feel often resonate most. These developments on the site then informed the overall brand, creating a versatile toolkit that can scale across different media – from expansive screens to intimate interactions. By focusing on a simple and adaptable visual language, we ensured Mayda’s identity could seamlessly integrate with a wide variety of creative outputs.”