Shaping spaces: Otherwise’s origami-like identity for architecture firm TOAD finds forms in folds — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design

When Tony Osborn, founder of Tony Osborn Architecture + Design (TOAD), an architecture firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia, sought a brand refresh, he turned to the expertise of Canadian agency Otherwise. Tasked with capturing TOAD’s ethos of pushing creative boundaries, they responded with a comprehensive rebrand, featuring a new logo system, brand illustrations, collateral, and revamped colour palette and typography. Additionally, they refreshed TOAD’s verbal identity with a new tagline and rally cry, culminating in a redesigned website that encapsulates the brand’s innovative spirit.

TOAD creates environments that boast shared and layered experiences, respectful of how built environments impact the human experience. Their design approach is modular and rests on their ability to cleverly play with shape and colour. The identity created by Otherwise acknowledges these facets and more; it not only reflects the brave and free-spirited attitude of the firm, but does so in a uniquely ‘TOAD’ way – through the folds of paper. While TOAD was initially reluctant to include any kind of animal references, the brand agency knew that there was a potential route to explore the playful side of the name. “Starting with the idea of paper,” says Founder and Creative Director Lauren Sandberg, “we began to think about a folded toad and what the paper would look like when completely unfolded, with the fold marks showing how each fold contributed to the final product while revealing the process.”

Building upon this idea, the team crafted a wordmark that would channel the “layered experience” of TOAD’s work. Sandberg also points out the “human” and “handcrafted” side to this, which ties into TOAD’s human-centric approach. “In an age where much of what we do as designers happens on a screen,” she says, “incorporating small, human touches into any project fosters a sense of connection.” Starting with Blef Strong, designed by Maciej Połczyński from Le Laïc: Type Foundry, Otherwise customised the typeface – making adjustments like straightening the crossbar in the ‘A’ and altering the blank space in the ‘O’ to a different shape to better align with the folded paper visuals. “We selected this typeface because its line and point precision reminded us of the accuracy required in origami,” Sandberg adds.

To complement the rectilinear forms of the wordmark, Displaay’s Saans Light brings a straightforward, clean and timeless flavour – “something that wouldn’t compete with the bold wordmark and would be easily legible across various channels.” Azeret Mono, also designed by Displaay’s Martin Vácha and Daniel Quisek, was selected for its utilitarian characteristics and ease of use for future output from the client, without Otherwise’s involvement.

Otherwise’s Senior Designer, Tori English, crafted a suite of vibrant illustrations to represent the TOAD team, utilising the identity’s entire colour palette to align with the firm’s new look. Each illustration is hand-drawn to capture the unique personality of team members, highlighted by personal touches like including team member Igor’s little puppy. Drawing inspiration from Shepard Fairey’s iconic ‘Hope’ poster, the project embraced layered colours to create dynamic and expressive portraits.