When creating the logo for Friend of a Friend, the small project space I ran with my co-director Derrick Velazquez, the idea was to keep things simple. Logos are typically streamlined designs, needed to be used often in a variety of ways, but also be bold enough to be recognizable instantly. Logos for art adjacent brands must especially keep simplicity in mind, as they must not detract from the many images they will likely be used with. At the same time though, these logos must not be so subtle as to become lost in comparison to the artworks they are associated with.
I chose to work with only letters, rather than introducing a sign or symbol into the logo. After playing around a bit, I centralized the gallery name through the use of the humorous but catchy abbreviation for the gallery Derrick and I had adopted when referring to the space in passing. (“FOAF” – pronounced like “loaf”- for Friend of a Friend.)
Keeping with my co-director’s preference for simple and modern typography, I selected a sans-serif, discreet font in black and white, bearing the letters F-O-A-F. To add interest as befitted the playful nature of our curatorial program and ethos, I rotated the letter “A” sideways, creating a subtle quirky element.
View the logo style guide below.
