Studio Kiln looks beyond the horizon to craft an evocative identity for Mayda

When is an island, not an island? Mayda was shown as a crescent-shaped isle on several published maps between the 14th and 16th centuries. Early maps positioned it west of Brittany and southwest of Ireland. It later moved towards the Americas: Newfoundland, Bermuda, and the West Indies. But beyond the imagination of cartographers, it never actually existed.

Mayda is also the name of a creative agency founded in 2021 and headquartered in Brooklyn, which is built around a multidisciplinary approach.

The agency needed a new visual identity to unify the team's vision and set a course for the future. So they collaborated with Studio Kiln, a design agency based in Penryn, west Cornwall.

Starting point

The obvious starting point was the agency's evocative name and its mystical associations. "For us, Mayda's name was such a strong representation of their creative practice," says co-founder and creative director at Studio Kiln, Nathan Smith. "The team is continuously looking to go beyond in the quest for new ideas and new creative solutions. The name was a fantastic metaphor for this.

"Our identity really embraces that," he continues, "building on the metaphor by putting the perspective point of the horizon at the heart of the brand."

Nathan notes that Mayda doesn't define themselves by any singular creative discipline. "To express that, we expanded the central Y of the logo into a dynamic portal that leads us in different directions.

"Whether they're creating bold adverts or pioneering products, the portal adjusts and reconfigures to guide us through the unique creative destinations that the team arrive at," he adds. "The aim was for this to be a constant reminder encouraging us to journey further into the pursuit of uncharted territories."

Horizon theme

The horizon is a central theme in Mayda's new visual identity. Nathan outlines what drew them to this metaphor.

"The horizon is an enduring symbol of exploration and possibility, representing a space between what is known and what lies ahead," he explains. "By centring the horizon within Mayda's identity, we established a foundation for movement and progression.

"The horizon line subtly carries viewers' eyes forward," he adds, "both guiding them through the brand and embodying Mayda's forward-looking ethos. The horizon line is activated across touchpoints to reinforce this journey, using perspective to break the frame and springing to life in motion."

The fluid nature of the Y portal was central to conveying the sense of a journey into the unknown. As Nathan puts it, it evokes "a twisting and undulating journey to an undefined point just beyond the horizon. The motion brought this to life. For this to work, the symbol needed a simple underlying system to create a wide array of variables whilst retaining its distinct tri-beam appearance".

Depth and perspective

Creating depth and perspective in Mayda's digital experience was another key way to amplify the brand's exploratory theme. To that end, the site design features horizontal divisions, gradient glows from beyond the horizon, and an interactive sense of perspective to pull you deeper into the site as if you're journeying further beyond the horizon.

"The biggest challenge was balancing the depth of these effects with user experience, ensuring the site remained accessible and intuitive while fostering a sense of immersion," says Nathan. "Ultimately, we wanted to create a digital experience that felt boundless, inviting users to continue exploring.

This approach balances consistency and adaptability through a system that can easily scale. "The dynamic Y and horizon elements anchor the brand visually, providing a recognisable foundation across all media," notes Nathan. "Surrounding this device was a clear and simple typographic language that allowed for subtler ways to communicate the core concept."

Typography and colour palette

The typefaces used are Everett and Everett Mono from Weltkern. "The cuts and angles found within the Everett capitals create a harmonious extension of the Mayda horizon Y symbol," says Nathan. "As a typographic pairing, these provide a solid, simple framework to contrast the fluid portal device whilst giving the brand a futuristic feel."

The colour palette, meanwhile, pairs a technological grey combined with vivid neon tones to evoke the soft light emanating from beyond the horizon line. This ensures the brand feels contemporary and future-facing whilst serving as an enticing glow from the dawn of an unexplored creative realm ahead.

It all works together beautifully. As a result, Mayda now has a visual identity that unifies its team, aligns its creative vision from the largest screen to the smallest interaction, and becomes a vessel to continue its journey forever further into the pursuit of uncharted territories.