Impactory was launching its first coworking space and needed an iconic, eye-catching identity to match its mission: fostering connection & collaboration among entrepreneurs, founders, creatives & go-getters of all kinds.

Faced with the challenge of building brand love from scratch, they wanted something highly symbolic that would be instantly recognizable at a glance. My specialty.

I was brought on to design the visual identity, signage, collateral, website, and just about anything else you can think of.

When the project landed on my desk, it had the working title of “The Hive”, alluding to the collaborative nature of bees in their natural hub. Strategy meetings then revealed that honey bee-related SEO was comedically hard to outrank, so the client opted to change the name to Impactory.

The Impactory identity retains echoes of its origins in “The Hive”. The honeycomb shape + yellow & black brand colors are both little winks to busy bees (some of nature’s most beloved coworkers).

When the name was changed halfway through the branding project, I took a step back to reflect. What makes the Impactory coworking space an “Impact Factory”? At its heart, I believe the answer is that “We’re stronger together”. The space was made for connection & collaboration; to make a sum greater than its parts.

In this spirit, I layered in additional symbolism. A networked collection of dots evoke a map of interpersonal connections; like the social bonds within a community. Lines converge on the center, reinforcing the idea of coming together. Collectively, the lines can be interpreted as a cube (symbol of 3D space) or a floor & 2 walls (indoor space).The 3 center lines are reminiscent of the Peace Symbol, evoking a feeling of stability & harmony within the space.

The logotype is set in DIN for its clean, bold, corporate & slightly industrial look; a nod to the “factory” in Impactory.

The founders loved the identity, and applied it very enthusiastically within the interior decor & signage of the coworking space. To say they plastered it everywhere might be an understatement haha. We even manufactured an 8-foot tall 3D cube feature on the front lawn! I hear the locals started referring to Impactory as “the place with the yellow cube”.

Internally, folks at the agency loved it too: from this project onwards, I became the go-to identity guy; a role I was delighted to fill.