ARKEN's identity runs on binary motion | Mindsparkle

Mindsparkle Mag

ARKEN is an Amsterdam-based digital-first creative studio who work with ambitious teams on unique online experiences, combining thoughtful design with meaningful interaction. They’ve worked with the likes of LVMH, L’Oréal, Netflix, and LEGO, amongst others.

The brand, created by STAGECREW, is a bold juxtaposition between technical precision and analogue nostalgia, that uses micro-elements like crosshatches, lines, grids and print-inspired detailing to frame the logotype and central mark, which themselves were inspired by 80s Eastern signage, film and literature, softened by their use of overlapping kerning and soft curvature. In motion, these elements behave in binary, with a focus on patterns, on/off repetition, and small moments of rotation that add character to the movements. Each brand element was made specifically, with no outside reliance on photography or other typical media.

One central consideration when constructing these elements was that they should all work together; not just in the same composition, but in terms of how they work as layers. From the custom merch through to the OOH deliverables, the thinking was for the logos, technical elements, and typographic details to always be able to interact with each other in interesting ways, often with 3-4 elements directly overlapping. This managed chaos is critical to capturing the energy of what ARKEN feels like.

A series of unique backgrounds was also created by deforming an earlier, discarded version of the mark, pushing, pulling, stretching and transforming it various ways to provide a flexible element that is prominently used in the brand’s internal materials.