“Clean, contemporary and bold – but a little bit fucked up,” was the brief to Magpie Studio for Seed Library, a London cocktail bar led by hotel chain Lore Group and master mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana. Mr Lyan, as Chetiyawardana is better known, wanted the new bar to espouse minimalism, with the branding harmonising with its orange-tinted interiors while standing out among the moody lighting.

Magpie Studio sought to reflect Mr Lyan’s cocktail-making process, which the creative agency describes as “a mix of science and art – sometimes clean and structured but also often free and organic”. Magpie created patterns inspired by vintage maths and science illustrations, which appear across printed assets as well as in motion on the bar’s website and social media.

CoType’s Ambit was chosen as the wordmark and lead typeface, further adding to the branding’s retro-modern feel. Lastly, in a nod to Mr Lyan’s scientific background, an excerpt from Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was entwined among the type.

Credits:
Seed Library
Category: Brand Identity, Launch
Entrant: Magpie Studio
Client: Lore Group
Design Studio: Magpie Studio
Creative Directors: Ben Christie, David Azurdia
Designers: Ben Christie, Ben Chamberlain, John Randall
Account Manager: Natasha Sutton