A Human Network
The Independent Federated Intelligence Network came to me seeking a brand identity for their new organization. IFIN was built with the mission to create a human network, spreading cyber threat intelligence, free of charge, to empower organizations and protect them from exposure to threats.
I started the process by sketching over 100 different thumbnails, exploring the themes of defense, learning, and connection.
The most successful sketches were then presented to the group with design rationale and typeface selections. The first rounds were only shown in black and white, with the goal being to align on a mark that would serve as the bones of the brand. Then color would come in later rounds when the mark is solidified.
The Mark
The team at IFIN felt that Option 1 above was the most exciting. The custom letterforms gave them a strong sense of identity, and the theme of connection was clear but subtle in the way the i’s were connected using the visual language of node mapping, and that connection completes the form of the f.
For the final mark, we streamlined the brand by removing the lower portion of the “F” and placing all the letters on the same baseline. This amplified the forward energy of the mark.
