Astrid Stavro and her team at Pentagram are behind the distinctive typographic identity and naming for Maker Mile, a vibrant new platform that celebrates and supports craftsmanship around the world.
Launched as part of Venice Design Week 2020, it organises fairs, exhibitions, workshops and talks for those who embrace all types of making. Its ambition is to be an itinerant project which can spread and expand, bringing attention to the crafts which define the identity of different cities.
Looking at the word ‘Maker’, Astrid’s team put the people involved at centre stage, ensuring that “a broad range of disciplines is included”. The reference to ‘Mile’, meanwhile, communicates “the sense of place, destination and of belonging to a community”, as Pentagram puts it.
A key part of the identity is the horizontal bar of the letter ‘L’ in ‘Mile’, which stretches to emphasise the idea of reaching out, symbolising something which is always on the move, and a space where everything comes to life.
Pentagram created a flexible and dynamic visual system which can work across many different formats and create “unexpected connections between disciplines”. The ‘Mile’ can stretch according to how it is applied, highlighting processes and bringing different details into focus on assets including business cards, brochures, merchandise, billboards and online.
The identity uses Grilli Type’s GT America Extended throughout. The first ‘Venice edition’ of Maker Mile features warm terracotta, reminiscent of Venice rooftops and architectural facades. Each subsequent city edition will have its own unique colour, with the expanded palette comprising of a set of diverse and joyful shades.
Astrid has certainly created a playful and expressive identity which encapsulates Maker Mile’s ambition to spread the word about the joy of craft and to support and encourage makers from around the world.
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