IRL . Brand Identity
for Creative Space in Berlin

Communication design
for Digital Art Platform (NDA)

Brand Identity
for a Souvenir Shop
in Kaliningrad

Other Graphics

Art Direction of Illustrations
by Sofia Popryigina

IRL is a space in Berlin that brings together a coworking area, exhibition space, lecture hall, art and design library, and a mini café. Its main audience is professionals working in visual fields. The key idea is to make creators visible and the professional community open. We conducted extensive research and identified the key points of the brand platform and, subsequently, the identity: the core brand properties, and a brand line emphasizing the priority of each resident's individual comfort — the freedom to join the community or to remain alone. The central idea and metaphor became the concept of boundaries, both physical and mental. A careful attitude toward boundaries helped organize not only the physical space, but the space of communication as well. All graphic elements gravitate toward the edges, anchoring the layouts in space and building a quieter, yet more intimate dialogue.

The goal was to develop a voice that felt alive, calm, unpretentious, and yet distinctly technological — one that could serve several purposes: 1) attract new audiences; 2) be text-centred, since it's important not only to show art but to explain it in an accessible way; 3) be easy to read — familiar, everyday. That very simplicity is what gave it its poetic quality. The core concept of the identity was layered engagement with art: visuals, text, and personalities are separated into distinct content "pages", allowing information to be delivered gradually — lowering the barrier to a complex subject and acting as a kind of informational detox. The theme of layers also carries through visually into the identity itself, shaping the conceptual image of the platform.

I worked on the naming, choosing the German word Ostpreußen — meaning "East Prussia" (now the territory of Kaliningrad Oblast). Typography plays a key role in the identity, inspired by the advertising style of Königsberg. Font English Egyptian by Aby Me is a digital revival of the early 19th-century Two Lines English Egyptian. Subtle irregularities in the lettering give it a more crafted, handmade character. The identity is complemented by craft graphics: small stamps and a cardboard engraving.

Education

IKBFU, Kalinigrad
Graphic Design / Bachelor's Degree / 2021

Werkstatt Design School
Identity from I to Y / Course / 2024

Internships

OK Architecture Studio
39 Print / Printing House
Pictorica / Mini-publishing house

Job Freelance:

Ilya Varlamov* Graphic designer / 1 year
Plenum/Megafon Smm designer on Project / 4 mounth

In house:

CIFRA / Senior Designer / 2,5 years
More design studio / Graphic designer / 3 mounth — Now

Skills

Communication design / Brand identity concepts
Infographic / Presentations / Web / Ui KV
Basic 3D and Motion / Illustrations & Lettering
TOV Analitics / Copywriting support

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