Apex Creative Company
Apex
Creative Co.
Apex Creative Co. is a full-service design firm providing a wide variety of creative services ranging from branding, packaging, web design, marketing, and all other things creative. Established in 2023 by Peter Bernardino, Apex began as a senior thesis project while he was studying at Temple University. When refining an identity for the company, he personally wanted to develop a balance that was obviously creative with a corporate-friendly approach. It was concluded that a bold and recognizable brand that maintained versatility for any and all future endeavors and clients was necessary.
Apex is now a registered LLC and works with a wide variety of clientele.
The primary logo is composed of a customized typeface inspired by traditional print typography styles through the implementation of ink traps. I then modified these ink traps to be pointy, emphasizing the apex, and creating consistency for the brand.
The primary letter mark for Apex is a very sharp and intricate form that creates a capital letter A. I invented the letter mark by pulling elements such as forms, simple shapes, and line work from the primary logo lettering. By doing so, the brand elements are implemented seamlessly throughout in creative ways, putting an emphasis on working within constraints (time, budget, etc.). The letter mark is the same structure as the ink traps to form the point as well as taking the ink trap form to create the arm of the “a”.
Logo &
LETTER MARKs
A necessary deliverable for this project consisted of a strong and refreshing web design (www.apexcreativeco.com). When building the site, I pursued my interest in well-grided design and funky typography. Using Squarespace presented a learning opportunity for me as it was new to me and required the implementation of code. To avoid making my firm feel stagnant and relaxed, I utilized multiple fast-moving animations that bring energy to the pages. Putting a focus on accessibility and legibility was also a task I assured to take on. This included colors, typefaces, point sizes, and text orientation. The website consists of limited pages but successfully expresses the necessary information to entice customers to work with Apex. The color palette was used in a very limited way on the website, as I chose to save large bodies of color for the designs. The website pages are mostly black and white but use the brand colors to create emphasis and hierarchy where it is required.
WEBSITE
GETTING
SERIOUS
Building out the brand required me to consider the required documents needed for growth and operation. I enjoyed taking standard business documents and implementing the brand’s design elements such as colors and type treatment. The business cards were made with strict consideration of type involvement. Making a business card that forced the receivers to interact felt very productive to me. I achieved this by forcing motion by flipping and rotating the type orientation on the card. The brand's primary color, lime green, is strategically used to grab attention.
PERFECT
POSTERS
Building out the brand required me to consider the required documents needed for growth and operation. I enjoyed taking standard business documents and implementing the brand’s design elements such as colors and type treatment. The business cards were made with strict consideration of type involvement. Making a business card that forced the receivers to interact felt very productive to me. I achieved this by forcing motion by flipping and rotating the type orientation on the card. The brand's primary color, lime green, is strategically used to grab attention.
Brand
Collateral
The collateral I deemed mandatory for this project included functioning social media graphics and accounts, business cards, invoice forms, mailing envelopes, signage, stamps, brand guidelines, and a poster series. Other promotional items can include stickers, lighters, and tee shirts!
Award&
PUBLICATION
Apex Creative Co. received its first award and publication in December of 2023. Thank you to everyone at AIGA Philly for the recognition as well as honorable mention award given for the overall branding and identity of the firm!