Emily Romero is a Philadelphia artist and craftsperson specializing in bespoke paper marbling. Our paths crossed on Instagram and my mind started racing with ideas. We became penpals of sorts and Emily agreed to let me update the branding for her business.
Emily is deeply inspired by the French region of Provence where her family is from and where they regularly spend summers together. It informs her color palette and acts as constant source of creativity. I set out to draw a logotype that spoke to traditional book arts and calligraphy, that also felt a bit modern and adventurous to reinforce Emily’s playful approach to her craft.
In addition to the logotype, I wanted to provide Emily with a symbol to use as a printer’s mark or icon for instances where her name wasn’t applicable. Emily suggested the cigale - or cicada - a symbol of Provence. I whole heartedly embraced the Cigale. The creature is a bit mysterious and perhaps even magical as it speaks to the idea of rebirth after death. It felt quite right living along side the alchemical process of marbling. To create the cicada, I applied the design system developed for the logotype - a combination of curves, straight lines, and open spaces - to create a symbol that felt like it came from the same pen.
With colors pulled from Emily’s Botanique Drawn Stone pattern, the identity system consists of a flexible series of 4 logos - a horizontal logotype, a stacked vertical logotype, a monogram, and cigale icon. The system is supported by Sandrine Nugue’s typeface, Moulin, available through Commercial Type which offers a hint of calligraphy but remains strong and readable, acting as a supportive foil for the custom lettering of the logos.
