Kolibri set out to reenvision yoga classes as a judgment-free place for sharing knowledge and culture without the distractions of wellbeing trends and self-optimization obsessions. The Brand Identity is a central part of bringing this vision to life.
Introducing the owner: Nina Liz
Over the last 50 year, the way we explore a city for its queer scene and nightlife has hardly changed. Magazines handed out at bars, tour guides and tips from locals are required to find your way around the city. The reason: Queer spaces are often excluded from digital spaces owned by the big tech companies running maps, social media, and payment. Companies cite “family-friendly” content policies as the reason behind banning certain business-types, pictures, and even terms from making it on its platforms and services.
Crafting a symbol
Nina had a clear vision of the atmosphere and feeling Kolibri was all about. Together we translated this vision into a strong visual identity that would set the brand apart from other studios. While building the brand, Kolibri was envisioned as a movement, rather than a business. Meant to disrupt the often excluding yoga scene and soulless wellbeing-industry, the Humming Bird was developed as a symbol of a fresh perspective.
The Kolibri Symbol represents Nina's unique experience and inspiration behind her vision. Together with thoughtfully picked serif typography and a minimal palette with hints of color, it brings together what yoga is all about: connectedness with nature, cultures, and knowledge, all things that inspire Nina in her practice.
A visual language of feelings, memories, and emotions.
The sunbeam on the skin, the beauty of nature, the nostalgia of an old telephone, the self-confident look, and unmistakable femininity: A snippet is like a piece of knowledge, an emotion, or a memory. A collage of snippets is like a mind. Filled with memories, emotions, and knowledge, they reflect us as humans and are at the core of the brand identity of Kolibri and give the otherwise minimal design language the human touch.
Nina redefined how yoga can fit into a fast-paced digital-driven world. A digital experience that reflects this vision was therefore created. Clutter-free interface elements and simple pictograms emphasize the straightforward yet gentle approach of Kolibri. Generous amounts of white space leave room to breathe, literally.
Setting up for success...
Next to the Kolibri website, a strict layout system was developed, that helps the small company to communicate effectively through different channels while always staying on brand.