A new era for vinyl: SUPERHAUS’s identity for Impressed lends the record label a modern edge — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design

SUPERHAUS, headquartered in Sydney, undertook the responsibility of crafting the identity for Impressed, a boutique record label renowned for its curation of top-notch vinyl music. Under the leadership of Belinda O’Brien, the studio set out to establish the label as a highly sought-after lifestyle brand with a cult-like following, leveraging the exclusive and rare nature of vinyl records to shape its unique identity.

During discussions with owner and Managing Director Luke Bevans, the studio delved into his personal background, including his obsession with bands like Oasis and New Order while growing up in the UK during the ’80s and ’90s. “This led us down a rabbit hole of Manchester, rave culture, etc. and Peter Saville and Factory Records are always top of mind in this world,” O’Brien tells us. Inspired by Saville’s interest in juxtapositions, the identity embodies the contrast between analogue and digital, old and new, and classic and avant-garde. “For Impressed,” she continues, “as a vinyl brand – a historic medium in a modern age – we unpacked this idea and were inspired by the vibrant minimal patterns, primary colour palettes, codes, and op-art and punk aesthetic that made Saville’s work distinguishable.”

As part of the identity, a key goal was to create a brand mark that felt futuristic, while also paying homage to the nostalgic roots of vinyl. “We explored the ideas of amplification and tactility of sound, time travel, thinking outside the box, and vinyl as art,” says O’Brien about the process that led the team to the final mark, which is a play on the most simplified forms of a record and its sleeve – circles and squares. “When you land something so simple and stand out that says essentially everything the brand stands for, the rest flows naturally. Also, if it’s not the client but the designer saying “let’s make the logo bigger,” you know you’re onto something.”

The rest, as O’Brien says, did flow naturally. “Once we started repeating the shapes,” she continues, “a whole world opened up,” where the design extends beyond the logo into graphics, patterns, grids, and layouts across the brand. The studio aimed to elevate the designs into art forms, amplifying the brand’s impact.

The team selected Haffer XH as the brand’s primary typeface, hand-picked for its captivating and slightly distorted feel. This font, sourced from Displaay Type, exudes a sense of uniqueness and accessibility, making it the perfect choice to represent Impressed. Reinforcing the brand’s theme of juxtaposition, the typeface was paired with “the futuristic sans Acid Grotesk, the reverse contrast Neureal that has a really industrial, mathematical and raw feeling, and the VCR font Camcorder which is on-the-nose nostalgic,” shares O’Brien.

An intentional design element is the overlapping or bleeding of letters within the typography. “With type,” O’Brien notes, “we sought to embody the idea of the contrast of gritty tactility that stands the test of time, and shiny futuristic ideals that speaks to progress and innovation.”