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Archetypes Looking at archetypes from a psychological perspective in relation to graphic design
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The Everyman
Utopian
Minimalist
The Hero
Masculinity
Ego
The Innocent
Tradition
Nostalgia
The Giver
Helper
Hospitality
The Rebel
Iconoclast
Revolutionary
The Lover
Sensualist
Intimacy
The creator
Culture
Vision
The Jester
Joy
Lighthearted
The Sage
Philosopher
Wisdom
The Shaman
Catalyst
Realisation
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What is an archetype?
Through developed analytical psychology, Jung introduced the idea of archetypes. In turn, this work helped make psychoanalysis more acceptable. Archetypes were theorised for the purpose of psychoanalysis, and to categorise our levels of the unconscious and the conscious. Archetypes are described as ‘mentally expressed instincts from the past’.
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Jung’s theory bares similarity to
Living in a digital age will
Freud’s work on both conscious and
undoubtadly influence and warp
unconscious levels, where parts
those core instincts we all have.
of our being are hidden, and other
Environmental impact is certain to
parts are laid bare for everyone
determine part of what we are made
to see. Archetypes are essentially
up of, and viewing archetypes in this
ideas, and concepts based on our
way looks at the human mind today
human psyche, lodged deep within
in the perspective of cultural media,
all of us. Of course, by looking at the
and graphic design.
idea of archetypes in relation to the contemporary age, we are looking at environmental impact on our unconscious and conscious levels.
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contents
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8--13
38--43
The Everyman
The Lover
14--19
44--49
The Hero
The Creator
20--25
50--55
The Innocent
The Jester
26--31
56--61
The Giver
The Sage
32--37
62--67
The Rebel
The Shaman
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THE EVERYMAN
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The Everyman
The everyman is utopian in nature, believing that everyone is created equal. Where form and function work together, the everyman prefers lack of pretense, and can often prefer to blend into the silent majority.
Numbered by Martín Azúa
Numbered creates a graphic dialogue between a selection of objects designed by Martín Azúa. The unique pieces, numbered editions and commissioned objects explore a new functionality which includes emotional and conceptual aspects.
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The basic nature of this project marry’s utopian principle, and functional and simplistic design. The simple design gives the viewer the opportunity to think clearly and not be distracted by frivolity.
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Büro System by Socio Design
Büro works as a packaging design system, for a men’s cosmetic range. The utilitarian aesthetic works to showcase the unprocessed product without frill or decoration.
SD/ by Socio Design
A personal branding excercise, the simplistic SD/ logo runs across the range, with colour and format differentiating the product. The branding is absolutely neutral, and can be taken or left.
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THE HERO
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The Hero
Masculine in nature, the hero archetype is ego driven. A type of ‘hyper masculinity’ takes heed, and the hero is attracted to situations or things that make them afirm their stronghold over their gender.
Hudson Made by Hovard Design
The concept behind the packaging and branding for Hudson Made starts with the worker, and someone that works with their hands. The heavy duty stock takes a letterpress production process, giving the packaging strong and durable dimension, echoing the strength that is expected of the hero.
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The trend for growing facial hair ties in with ego, and masculinity. This type of product perpetuates the idea of traditional masculinity, and it’s laws of attraction. An outward and aesthetic visual indication of masculinity can be found in this style of emulating men of the past.
The matte packaging could reflect the way a man should go about his grooming. No fuss, basic and simple. This design also lends itself to a tradtional aesthetic, and a bygone era, where the majority of men would be workers and labourers, appealling to any man’s ego.
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Gentlemen’s Beans by Inject Design
An obviously masculine branding project by Inject Design. Gentlemen’s beans views coffee from a man’s point of view, or what would be a typical masculine reason to drink it. Coffee can be consumed strong or weak, and the branding would suggest that drinking coffee black and strong would tie in with being a masculine coffee drinker.
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The term strength engrains the idea that the act of drinking coffee can be masculine. Again, as seen with Hudson Made, the branding has been made to feel traditional, both in aesthetic, and with the materials used. Metal, dark hues of brown, and the bold orange colour all affirm that this project is aimed at the hero archetype.
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THE INNOCENT
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The Innocent
This archetype enjoys the looking to the past, and seeks comfort in nostalgia and tradition. This can sometimes hinder the innocent, and some may accuse this archetype of being predictable and boring, though on the flipside, this archetype can be viewed as being timeless, transcending all era’s.
KyrĂś Distillery Company by Werklig
This project looks to the brand history and heritage, and utilises all that makes this product good. An evolutionary as opposed to a revolutionary approach has been used in order for the design to stand the test of time.
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With design that is traditional is it’s aesthetic, often, the viewer would expect it to be of good quality, as again it would have proved that the product would have transcended many era’s in time.
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Marou packaging by Rice Creative Marou chocolate is a small company that bases itself in Vietnam. The packaging design depicts a twenty’s style, whilst showcasing aspects of the Vietnamese landscape. Cacao growns perfectly in the humid environment, and echoes chocolate packaging of old.
Rice Creative are also based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The project makes the most use out of what it already has; a trait that the innocent are known for. ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’.
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Abarrotes by Savvy Studio Abarrotes is based in Mexico, as are Savvy Studio. The branding is simplistic, and is without decoration. The branding runs across formats, to the interior design, where traditional tiling, and text layout are prevelant. Abarrotes appeals to those that want a slice of traditional cafe culture. The brand feel high quality without trying to hard.
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THE GIVER
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The Giver
The giver enjoys sharing, and being hospitable. The sharing of culture, tradition and ways are passed around joyfully by the giver. Just as much happiness is met from receiving as it is giving. Names, faces, and the act of socialising are all part of being the giver.
Chairish by Mucho
Chairish is clearly a play on words, and the branding obviously encourages the buyer to cherish any chair that they buy from the company. It promotes the act of giving too, and feels personal for the buyer, when looking at the brand.
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The choice of colour reflects the love heart symbol, and the overall essence is that of giving. The bold pink/red colour attracts the viewer, but does not dazzle the eyes, and in conjuction with the choice of imagery, they branding should make anyone feel loved.
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Bunch by DIA
Bunch use the idea of sharing names, and personal stories to sell a drink. The act of sharing your name with someone is quite a personal interaction, and ‘first name terms’ is often the beginning of any friendship. Each name has it’s own colour code, making the brand feel even more customised. This in turn oddly, gives each flavour of drink it’s own personality.
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Carluccio’s by Irving & Co
Irving & Co. specialise in branding and packaging design, and do ongoing work for Carluccio’s restaurant. They use hand redered techniques often, and this gives a personal touch to their projects. Top right, the hand written elements point to traditional Italian market, where the jars would simpy be written on.
This gives the packaging a sense of the hand made, and a closer interaction between maker and buyer. Below, are easter treats, again made to look hand made, as if they are to be given as a personal gift. This all ties in with Italian hospitality, where the giver archetype is hospitable in nature.
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THE LOVER
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The Lover
The hedonistic nature of the lover revels in being sensual, having the world centre around them. The lovers enjoy being treated, rather than treating others, and use their senses to thrill seek. Touch, smell, taste, tangibility are all the lovers aims in life. Never mind about tomorrow when you are a lover.
Bardot by Landor Associates
Bardot takes the lollypop, and creates a luxurious and bespoke feel for the buyer. The lover archetype instinctually seeks individual gratification, and where Bardot caters for this is in the expense, and style of the product. A lollypop should be a cheap product to buy, but this sensual delight, is both visual and tasty, giving the brand an individual, indulgant edge.
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Bardot uses imagery taken from the human anatomy, and in particualr, the lips. A sensual part of the body, the lips in this context encourage the buyer to meet their lips with the product. The lover is a sensory seeker, and Bardot promotes this kind of interaction.
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TRITICUM Bread by Lo Siento
The senses are what a lover enjoys assaulting, and with Lo Siento’s concept of having this packaging perforated so the bread can be smelt adds another dimension, where bread could simply be displayed in plastic bread bags, or out of the bag, the packaging attracts the lover archetype to pick the object up and bring it to their nose.
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THE REBEL
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The Rebel
Change can be gradual, and slow, but the rebel enjoys the revolutionary type of change rather than any other kind. Thinking ahead, and future gazing are key aspects to this archetype. The change however, must be for a reason, and has to make sense, otherwise the rebel could not be iconoclast.
Unpackaged by Multistorey
The notion of sustainability, and using less packaging is taken to the extreme here with Unpackaged. The store has all of it’s produce it containers, that can be used to quantify the exact amount of food desired. This gives the customer the option of buying as much or as little as they need, which in turn changes the very idea of set prices.
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The store aesthetic is very simple, and easy to understand. Where the customer can only concentrate on the produce rather than the style and decor they are surrounded by. Unpackaged merges functionality and innovation.
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G.F. Smith re-brand by Made Thought
A re-brand can evolve a company, or revolutionise one. Made Thought have cleverly merged a mixture of the two. The GF Smith paper brand is age old, and the company have been making paper for decades.
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This re-brand takes GF Smith to a simplisitc, but edgy place. The logo has been altered to have a dual purpose. The top of the ‘i’ also acts as a full stop, separating the ‘G’ and the ‘F’. The colorplan range is additionally known for it’s place in contemporary graphic design. This project subtly revolutionises this heritage paper brand.
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THE CREATOR
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The Creator
This archetype lives in a cultural world, where vision and concept are the aims and values. If it can be imagined, it can be done. This risk with this archetype is failure to create something that endures, or meets the high standards it sets itself.
Swedish History Museum by Bold Stockholm
Historiska plays with culture, both modern and old, and marries them seamlessly. The ‘H’ acts as the key logotype, and allows for an interchangable design system. Old can be married with new easily this way, by using a serif and sans serif glyph type.
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The overall imagery, tells a clear visual story of what the museum is all about. The visual storytelling makes up for the absense of copywriting. The concept also brings together all types of audience.
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Fazer Cafe branding by Kokoro Moi
Fazer Cafe takes a more subtle approach to cultural branding. The tradionality of a cafe setting is shaken up, and changed to result in a contemporary branding project from Kokoro Moi. Memorable copy is married with a bold and eye catching range of products.
Why should a cafe feel traditional? Tradition does appeal to a certain audience, but why not choose something different? Fazer Cafe brings cafe culture into the 21st century, with it’s fun and lighthearted contemporary approach.
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Bolivar by Heydays
Bolivar uses traditional culture, and turns it on it’s head. The brand uses the South American theme to create an aesthetic that echoes traditional painted signage found all over South America, and takes this element using it for the overall playful typography design that runs throughout the cafe. The fun approach also mirrors the kind of percieved culture found in South America.
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THE JESTER
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The Jester
This jester does not take itself seriously, and looks to the humour in life over anything else. Jester’s are not only fun seekers, but happiness spreaders. The downfall of the jester is that it is laughed at, and never taken seriously.
The World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 by Kokoro Moi The design for the World Design Capital takes on an interactive dimension here, by Kokoro Moi. Workshops were generated to involve the general public, and so the design of kits were produced in order to gain imagery and content for the project.
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The jester enjoys living life to the full, and the interactive nature of this project reflects that aspect. Though this work is fun in it’s nature, it serves an important cultural purpose. The ecclectic nature to the work also lends it’s hand to the light hearted seeking jester.
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Hvass & Hannibal
If any studio could embody the jester archetype, then Hvass & Hannibal would be the front runner. The duo deal with projects from a humorous and fun perspective. The Conference branding design uses paint splodges, making the work feel childlike. Tuning into our inner child is enjoyable, and in this context, it is appropriate.
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They have also designed for a children’s library, in which a childlike approach is almost essential. The interchangable parts to the faces creates an interactive environment in which both children and their parents can enjoy. This is the jester’s element, where nothing is taken too seriously, and life is lived to the full.
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THE SAGE
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The Sage
Truth and meaning are what the sage seek. This philosophical archetype explores ideas, emotions and idioms in order to find the truth, and believes that the truth will set you free. The sage archetype is subtle, but powerful, and spreads wisdom.
Bermellon by Anagrama
Bermellon is a brand that makes spiced Mexican candy. The colour way can make the viewer feel optimistic, and the gradients soften this feeling to create a thoughtful atmosphere. It speaks of Mexican culture without any words, and makes the viewer feel something, though this feeling will be personal to each viewer.
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Colour and smell in used in conjuction with eachother can make us feel, or remember something. The intangible feeling we get from this type of design leaves room for thought and wisdom.
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Nomad by MAUD
Nomad restaurant branding is nicely subtle, and evokes that feeling od travel, and being lost in wander. The typography is the main focus to this project, where the blind emboss of the migrated glyphs points to a wandering soul.
The menu design is clad with map, and the minimal nature to the design collateral gives the customer room to think about their own travel experiences in a philosophical way.
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Margaret Howell by Studio Small
The Margaret Howell brand feels intellectual without trying. The female clothing brand is androgynous, and suggests a bookish type of woman, not concerned with prettyness, or hyper femininity. The branding reflects the brand, and the clothing. Good quality stock echoes the high quality fabric. The minimal approach works to appeal to a woman that enjoys the subtleties in life. The highly tracked typography additionally works to affirm the brand in it’s intellectual standpoint.
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THE SHAMAN
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The Shaman
Where the sage seeks truth, the shaman predicts truth. The shaman creates the perfect catalyst to reach realisation, and follows through with ideas and concepts. This archetype is knowledgable, and presents the future to others.
Proposal for ‘The New York Museum of Glass’ by Leo Porto This design project foresees something, and works to predict the ideal branding for a museum dedicated to glass. The logo cleverly depicts glass in it’s molten form, and this logotype runs throughout the project.
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The design on the left, feels hot and motlen, and directly points to the process of making glass products as opposed to the end product. Overal the project predicts, and proposes and idea, and a concept. These traits are familliar to the shaman archetype.
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ÉPOCAS 2k13 by SAVVY Studio
Another proposal, predicting how something would look if made, is EPOCAS 2k13. The concept of this project shows us what a nightclub inspired by Memphis Milano would look like. Patterns inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat are prevelant, along with the juxtaposition of random objects, of which reflect Memphis’ aesthetic.
Although inspired by an already existing aesthetic, the design for this nightclub still foresees how this venue would look and feel, having never been done before.
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ROM by Snøhetta Design
Rom promotes innovation within arts and archetecture. The trust within the future of the cultural sector isplaced within this project, and so a degree of trust in ones self in apparent.
The branding collateral works to promote an idea, rather than constantly existing,and tangle objects. The shaman seeks truth, and perhaps ROM works to seek this too, to a degree.
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Studios and designers
Socio Design Martín Azúa
In chronological
Hovard Design
order
Inject Design Werklig Savvy Studio Rice Creative DIA Mucho Irving & Co. Landor Associates Lo Siento Multistorey Made Thought Kokoro Moi Heydays Bold Stockholm Anagrama Studio Small MAUD Leo Porto Snøhetta Design
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Ultimately, the idea of archetypes in realtion to branding within graphic design, takes on a philosophical form, and so the archetypes are not meant to be taken literally. Research, and theory in conjuction with design are a personally enjoyable, and so the idea of making a thoery visual interests me greatly. The studios also echoe my personal design taste, and interest in concept generation.
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