Oficina + Parque: A Modular Identity
La Oficina de Parque is a bar located in a park with the intention of offering digital nomads and local freelancers a place to grab a cup of coffee and work in a comfortable, leafy environment. Given the opportunity to design the brand identity, we asked ourselves: What comes to mind when you think of an office? A graphic identity was born based on the iconic visual language of the Microsoft Office Excel program, merging various recognisable elements of park life.
Excel’s grid and typographic language (ARIAL) offered a ready-made, versatile system that would adapt to any application, print or digital. Using the grid as a foundational structure, single cells provided the building blocks to create unique layouts. Groups of cells could be merged together like Lego to bring a text to the foreground or, alternatively, the grid could be blocked out in white or in colour to create visual hierarchy, align elements or highlight parts of the design.
We based the logotype itself on a merging of cells, with the name ‘La Oficina del Parque’ typed in Excel’s distinctive Arial font against the white or black background of an empty cell. Subtle details, such as the small cube at the bottom right hand corner of a selection or the alphabetical cell indicator at the top of a spreadsheet were maintained in order to strengthen the digital origins of the brand identity.
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Each graphic application was designed against the Excel grid formation, and yet we could play with a distinctive look and feel, depending on a particular use. The cells allowed us to create modular illustrations inspired by different elements from the park, such as leaves, flowers, bees and a fountain. Using a muted, natural colour palette with sparks of orange, the blocked out cells combined to form a set of simplistic and playful designs. For the menus we maintained the format of a typical table of costs, exploring decorative texts and abstract designs for the coasters and placemats. The grid structure also allowed for particularly adaptive web and app design, with photographic elements introducing another layer to the visual language.
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