Koba
KOBA: Branding Furniture That Funks
Timeless Craftsmanship Meets Modern Playfulness
Our friends at KOBA, a Baltimore-based furniture design studio, approached us to craft a distinctive brand identity that would enhance their collection of handmade, vibrant, and playful furniture. As a leading branding agency, we embraced the challenge of creating a unique branding strategy that reflects the creativity and boldness of their designs. Our goal was to develop a cohesive visual identity and branding solutions. The creativity and boldness of their pieces demanded a unique approach, one that would amplify their aesthetic without overshadowing it.
Our strategy centered on highlighting the joy and personality embedded within each KOBA design. We achieved this through carefully curated visual language, employing clean lines, a vibrant color palette inspired by their signature pieces, and a tone of voice that reflected their distinctive style. Essentially, we sought to create a framework that would allow the furniture to take center stage, while reinforcing the brand's core values of creativity, quality, and a passion for design. The result is a cohesive brand experience that reflects the authentic spirit of KOBA: bold, innovative, and undeniably funky!
The brand identity is also a subtle nod to KOBA's dedication to quality, with a touch of whimsy that mirrors the character of each design. It's a reflection of their commitment to creating furniture that is both beautiful and functional-- with a personality that brings joy to any space.
SHAPE WHAT'S AROUND YOU
KOBA's design philosophy is woven throughout their story and a cornerstone of our branding.
As featured in Dwell Magazine, Koba is one of the emerging Baltimore brands gaining national attention through their unique design offerings.
Photo (left) by Justin Timothy Temple of good neighbor.
"It was a big goal of ours to convey the hand-made, unique nature of Sam's work in the brand. To achieve this, I incorporated many hand-done elements into the brand: most prominently, the logomark, which was formed from custom lettering shaped by the visual language of the furniture.
The brand came to life further with the idea of creating a KOBA universe: a world where the furniture came to life and had a personality of its own. Each visual element of the brand was also then treated as a character in itself: the logomark blinks at the viewer, the brand typography sometimes comes together and sometimes runs all over the page, the different ways that the word "KOBA" could show up. As a result, this brand continues to evolve in new and unexpected ways, as a live collaboration between us and the client."
--Katherine Chao, Lead Digital Designer at Cohere
Koba founder, Sam Acuff, designs each and every piece (which are all created by either Sam Acuff or Sam Gibbons)!
"I was blown away by what Chris and his team delivered--they really took the time to get to know me and my company to better inform the product. I felt they were really tuned into not only what I hoped to see but also what would best benefit the brand. I feel strongly that Katherine's designs elevated our own work and have brought us the attention we would not have received without them."
—Sam Acuff, founder of KOBA, on his experience working with the Cohere team.
KOBA's vibrant aesthetic provided the perfect canvas for us to explore bold print collateral – bright posters, funky zines, and playful sell sheets that captured their personality. Seeing these pieces come to life for their Baltimore launch was incredibly rewarding.
We recently sat down with KOBA founder Sam Acuff for an interview where he dives into the origins of the brand, the inspiration behind its unique designs, and his refreshing philosophy on creating art for the love of it, not for mass appeal.
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