Briefing in a brand identity for a branding network is more pressure than you might think. Those who choose to dedicate their lives to brand are often a particular, peculiar type. Detail-oriented, specific – people that enjoy knowing the ins and outs of something. The types to look under the hood. So, as we launch our brand today, we figured you'd want a peek behind the curtain. Don't worry – we've got you.
The brief was simple: create something timeless, luxe, without a hint of irony or cynicism. This place had to feel safe, familiar, and sacred. We wanted to hark back to the very origins of the word 'brand', to gild or embellish – initially that took us to molten metals, golds, and physical stamps, but over time this evolved to a flexible, workable system that looked as good digitally as it would physically.
Logo
We knew we wanted a serif font for the logo itself, but something that felt timeless and elegant rather than showy or overly detailed. Shauni notes:
"The ‘e’ of women – originally envisioned to be an ‘x’ to include all genders without losing its intention – was simplified down to three lines, becoming a character known as a triple bar, tribar, or trigram. Also known as an equality symbol; in mathematics it specifically means ‘identical to’."
This piece of design magic was a break-through, becoming the symbol that would perfectly encapsulate what we stood for. Shauni builds on the symbolism in this excerpt from our brand book: "The ancient Chinese bagua are eight symbols used in Taoist cosmology. Three solid lines is known as qián (乾), the trigram for Heaven/Sky (天). Qián represents expansive force and creativity."
Imagery & Colour
One of Shauni's incredible gifts is her ability to create tension that feels effortless. To another designer, 'make a neon tangerine work alongside feminine nudes, warm browns, and soft sage' might have been the point of no return. But to her, 'femininity' didn't mean flattening any of the complexity, friction, or eccentricity that lives within women. She has given us a palette that is both minimalist and flamboyant, warm and pared back – in short, it's everything. The nod to Classicism was unexpected, but joyful – who wouldn't want to create a museum full of the work of women?
Bold yet subtle aesthetic subjects representing personalisation and design done well in all forms... an appreciation for finer things, and pride in our work – often diminished, misunderstood, or made invisible due to gender discrimination.
The bold and colour-saturated landscapes and still life imagery from all over the world speaks to our desire to be placeless – we want to exist anywhere that our community does, and anywhere that incredible strategic and creative work is happening.
Cheetah
Think of her as a mascot; she is a symbol of prowess, ingenuity, agility, power – and even independence. "Cheetah" is derived from Hindustani Urdu: چیتا and Hindi: चीता (ćītā); this in turn comes from Sanskrit: चित्रय (Chitra-ya) meaning 'variegated', 'adorned' or 'painted'.
Cheetah are often solitary huntresses, but by necessity, rather than choice. Female-only coalitions of cheetah are known as 'sisterhoods'.
There is no feminine word for a cheetah – unlike a tigress, lioness, or leopardess. They cannot be defined by their femininity.
Our cheetah is lovingly known as Beyoncé – and if you have to ask why, well, we can't help you.
Archway
We've shared with you what we hope this network will be for its community – a doorway onto something greater, a stepping stone to where you want to be, what you want to create, who you want to meet. This symbol has a double meaning to us.
It represents opportunity, the unknown – an invitation and all we have yet to learn. But our archway is also a door – a door that can be open or closed. This acts as a reminder to us to acknowledge the unseen barriers we face. To show respect for our fellow women, for those who have worked hard to ensure that there are open archways, doors, and windows left behind them. We have an obligation to continue to do so for the women that follow us.
We hope you've enjoyed this peek into our brand identity and the beautiful work of our designer, Shauni. We'd love for you to visit her Behance and support her work, and even more if you could share it.
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