For Follio, a new digital platform designed to help large organizations organize, manage, and deliver interior design standards, New Genre built the website and logo. This platform aims to fill a significant gap in the market for architects and interior designers who previously lacked comprehensive tools for standards, specifications, and documentation. In contrast, marketers and graphic designers can access various digital tools for brand guidelines, such as Corebook, Standards, and Brandpad.
After a previous client introduced New Genre to the project, the design team realized a solution was needed to consolidate all design standards into a digital workspace for collaboration. Mihai Toma, CEO and co-founder of New Genre described the platform as “a new idea in an underserved industry,” emphasizing the need for a complete solution for their client, an architecture studio owner.
An open brief at the start of the project led to several discovery meetings and a detailed plan. The scope of work expanded to include a naming sprint, a brand identity system, a marketing website, and the design and development of a digital platform to support the entire organization’s architecture and operations.
Initially called “Project Portal,” the company faced challenges with trademark registration and creating a unique identity. New Genre proposed several compelling naming suggestions, and ‘Follio’ was ultimately chosen as a modern abbreviation for a digital folder.
The design team avoided overusing graphic elements to harmonize the brand and product. They prioritized functionality and simplicity to ensure the visual language served as a blank canvas, allowing the information to take center stage. This “light and muted approach” enables the platform to support various manufacturers, products, materials, and room templates.
A distinctive element of the platform is its logo, an outlined folder extruded on a 3D isometric plane. The intricate design represents file organization and the industry’s focus on architectural floor layouts. A subtle ‘F’ monogram is also incorporated to enhance the logo’s aesthetic appeal.
Beausite Classic, the brand’s main typeface, was selected for its practical appearance and is used consistently across all brand applications and the product itself. New Genre created a custom edit of Beausite Classic for the logotype, enhancing contrast and rounding the dot of the ‘i’ and the lowercase ‘o’ to further emphasize the brand’s uncomplicated style.
To highlight the Follio brand, several 3D films and images were produced in addition to the logo and typeface. These assets, crafted from diverse raw materials, were art-directed in architectural scenarios to emphasize the brand’s association with the design industry. Real-world product examples contextualized the platform’s asset collection, including textiles, furnishings, and lighting.
Large-scale infrastructure projects like hospitals, universities, and architecture firms will be the primary users. Therefore, the brand’s tone of voice was crafted to be professional, structured, and educational, effectively informing consumers about the platform.
The neutral color scheme, consisting of warm black and off-white tones, emphasizes that the content is the main attraction. An electric blue accent is used, “paying homage to architectural blueprints.” The color scheme reflects the brand’s “clean, modern aesthetic while providing a subtle nod to its roots in architecture and design.”
The New Genre team also designed and developed the platform and marketing website, using a React framework to build a design system based on the atomic design process. “For the UI design, we focused on visually displaying the products and materials library through a set of versatile card components, akin to e-commerce catalogs of products,” Toma says. Several crucial features were added to this base, including product-to-room multi-referencing, configurable room templates, category tagging, and global search.
The end product is a comprehensive, easily scalable digital experience accessible for growing businesses. This establishes the platform as an essential tool for major interior design and architecture players.
