From whopping refreshes to a climate change concerto, here are some things that made us say “That’s Interesting” in the studio this week.
A whopping refresh.
Burger King strides confidently into the new year with a new look, inspired by both the legacy and the new food journey of the brand. JKR and Burger King worked together to express the unique characteristics of the fast food brand – mouth-watering, big, bold, playfully irreverent, and proudly true. The resulting new logo, colour palette, typography and bright illustrations give the brand freshness, simplicity and a distinctive character. In an uncertain, changing world, the bold, natural and retro flair of the design also challenges the conventional fast food narrative and transports us to better times, subliminally reassuring us of things being better again soon.
Juicy design here
Feel the unseen.
Have you ever imagined what your emotions look like? Or even how you could understand and process them in physical form? Spanish design student Ariadna Sala Nadal did exactly this: she has designed a series of mental health tools for survivors of child sexual abuse. The Balisa tools help survivors translate their emotions into tangible elements, and thus make it easier to communicate how they’re feeling. The kit includes 21 different modules, each with its unique colour, weight and texture, developed in collaboration with psychologists. Each piece represents a different emotion or step in the healing process. How can designers use visual communication to help us understand, express and manage complex and intangible issues?
Learn more about feelings here
The right attitude.
Here’s a beauty brand with real attitude… TooD Beauty! Based in the US, the brand celebrates one of the most important values in life: self-acceptance. As a first generation Iranian-American, founder Shari Siadat struggled to fit into a beauty standard that simply wasn’t for her. So she created a cosmetics line that celebrates the beauty of being, without the pressure to conceal or conform. For example, the TooD collection includes 10 shades of Brow Colour Cream, which encourage users to play, express and experiment with their brows, or any other feature they see fit. There are no rules about where TooD should go, as long as you are celebrating who you are. Smaller brands like TooD are born inclusive, progressive and disruptive – how can more traditional and established brands keep up?
Celebrate you here
Climate change concerto.
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra joins the fight against the climate crisis with a new version of Vivaldi’s classic series of concertos, The Four Seasons. The updated composition – called The [Uncertain] Four Seasons – reflects how the climate has already changed and will continue to do so, unless we act. The composers drew on climate prediction data to create a new, sinister and ominous sound for Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. So, for example, Spring is no longer joyful and triumphant, but heavy and melancholy to convey the effects of extreme weather conditions like wildfires, hurricanes and earthquakes. A new, impactful way of delivering a message that is impossible to block out: that the change on our planet is now a crisis, and we need to act now.
Tune in here