Best of Behance: Patterns

At one point in time, it was possible for brands to carve out a unique space of their own through color alone. When we think of companies like Coca-Cola and Tiffany’s, their signature colors are often the first thing that comes to mind. While it may seem like the days of simply claiming a color are long gone, we’ve also seen that given enough time, as was the case with Youtube, even already-claimed color palettes can achieve a similar level of recognition in a different space.

With the barrier to entry for new brands being virtually non-existent, the market is more saturated than ever before, and finding a way to make a brand stand out is becoming more difficult by the day. Fortunately, color isn’t the only way to achieve brand recognition. In fact, there’s a powerful shortcut that can get you there faster than perhaps any other tool in your brand identity tool kit. Pattern presents one of the easiest means of creating instantly-recognizable proprietary visual treatments.

To explore this concept further, I’ve collected a few of my favorite projects from Behance that use pattern as an integral part of their approach to carving out a unique brand identity.

Source: Pop & Pac Studio

First up is the brand identity designed for Gabriel by Melbourne-based Pop & Pac Studio. The pattern treatment combines chaotic fusions of glitchy, melting waves, reminiscent of beds of sedimentary rock, and a broken-down sort of houndstooth. The patterns are paired with three different textures, appearing in different combinations throughout the cafe’s various collateral. Equal parts organic and geometric, the treatment might be overly-loud were it not for the reserved use of color that gives the combination an air of refinement and intent.

The textures and patterns appear in a number of different treatments across the cups, menus, and bags created for the cafe with my personal favorite being the perforated business card. Split right down the center with one half sporting a warm, slightly more saturated version of the patterns opposite a desaturated pink with a debossed texture, the combo is both cool and classy—chaos just collected enough to be chic. The pattern and texture treatments are also a perfect match for the cafe’s interior which features an equally eccentric collection of colors, patterns, and materials.

Source: ADD Branding

Next up is the brand identity for architecture firm Vila Brasil. Created by ADD Branding, the identity makes use of a modular pattern consisting of simple geometric illustrations of roofs, windows, and doorways. While on its own, the pattern isn’t particularly exciting, its modular nature lends itself to a variety of interesting layout opportunities. When used as a fill, the pattern acts as a grid, with its rectangular units acting as perfect containers for photos or text. Broken into its smallest pieces, the modules are used to form an abstract V & B, acting as the brand’s logo. Tilting the pattern off its axis also gives it a different energy, making for another interesting treatment for the firm’s business cards.

Source: Gabriel Ramos & Ian Silva

Finally, we have The Orla brand identity created by Gabriel Ramos and Ian Silva. Using an oval shape to form the basis for both the wordmark and pattern gives the identity a subtle sense of harmony throughout its different treatments. Because the elements are related on a structural level, there’s more freedom to experiment in terms of color and composition without sacrificing the cohesion of the whole.

While each of the projects explored here made use of relatively simple wordmarks and palettes, each was able to create a distinctive identity through the use of pattern. While the burden of distinction often falls on the shoulders of a brand’s logo, sometimes all you need is a pattern to create recognition.