Studio Ocra
Studio Ocra is an interior design studio based in the USA. Being an intentionally small studio, Andrea and Valeria — Italy-licensed architects, create one-of-a-kind interiors, buildings, and products across New York area. They reached out for a full rebranding to clearly communicate Studio Ocra’s essence to attract more high-end projects.
We had conducted a comprehensive research and identified the studio’s DNA, mission, vision, values, and style that have revealed the main communication and unique selling points, brand codes, and key semantic associations which underlie company’s strategic communication and identity. We have made our way through the company’s name, that previously had no strong justification, and have given it a meaning. “Ocra” is an Italian word for the color Ochre, the most ancient color. Therefore, the color ochre has been introduced to get the name a visual representation and communicate one of the brand codes — European Design Sensibility that stands for the studio’s capability to preserve valuable heritage of the space, and reflect it in interiors, thus creating spaces that portray their true self with a unique personality. Hence, ochre refers to the past, while the blue refers to the present. Sustainable and cruelty-free approach has also been an integral part of Studio Ocra along with usage of unique materials and textures. Thus, all of these have got semantic associations in authentic brand phrases, activities, and identity — involving sophistication and tactility at large. The studio is refined, but clear, so it was decided to opt for a pared-down brand identity that has emphasised only the essential. The symbol has got an abbreviation of the wordmark with the line that represents "elevation" referring to the company’s mission of elevating daily experiences. A visual language has been extended to the line as a graphic component across some touchpoints to reinforce the studio recognition. Typography has combined serif and sans serif typefaces with no contrasts in font sizes to convey the studios’ soft-minimal style, while the hierarchy has allowed to deliver information in a clear way.
We have carved a path forward with the tone of voice and communication plan to break the audience roadblocks while encompassing all the topics the studio is made of. No cliches or trends. We have designed all the essential online and offline brand collateral as well as introduced unique physical elements to enhance authenticity. The sensory branding through smell, hearing, taste, and touch has taken place at some touhchpoints. Finalised the project with a brand book consisting of 62 pages.
