While hunting for a file I recently came across Tyler’s early design explorations for Bluebird, the name we initially chose for Storybird (but wasn’t available or for sale). If you like identity design, mood boards, and ephemera—scroll on.
Our starting point was to soak up ephemera from the ’30s to the ’50s to keep us focused on a slower, non-digital visual culture. We loved anything with a faded texture that suggested time and tactility. (Can I say “tactility” in a blog post and not sound pretentious?) Note: click the images for a larger version/detail.
We also explored book brands we love. Penguin for their cover system, Ladybug for their simplicity, and Eric Carle for his color and texture.
Tyler took all these inputs and began sketching several logo ideas. We were resolute on a logo and adjoining name rather than a wordmark. (I think we wound up with the perfect logo, but we’re still debating how to treat our actual name.)
Notice the two facing birds to the bottom right of the beetle on the left page? Those (rather angry looking) birds spun out into a crucial idea: using apostrophes as the sole ingredient of our logo.
Ah, our pudgy little baby. I love the trompe l’oeil—the whole bird facing right vs the bird head facing left. I was sold the minute I laid eyes on it.
PS. Speaking of laid, let’s not forget the eggs. (‘Though we haven’t figured out how to use them yet.)
I’ll see if I can dig up the cover system sketches for a future post.
