URBLO: A BRAND BUILT FOR ARCHITECTS
The capability existed. The brand did not. Developed by an established stone supplier, this new service allowed architects to customise concrete blocks into bespoke civic furniture. It wasn’t an extension of an existing offer. It was something altogether new, for an entirely new market.
To succeed, the identity needed to speak directly to architects. It needed to carry the authority of a collaborator, not the tone of a commodity supplier.
Three core ideas became the foundation for the brand system.
MERGE
At the centre of the work was the idea of an urban gestalt. The merging of stone, plant and public use into a coherent logic. From this principle came the name. We needed something that implied structure and context, with enough flexibility to suggest adaptation. Urblo combined ‘urban’ and ‘block’, two core descriptors of the service offering. It also carried a subtle nod to Duplo, the oversized version of Lego. That reference was useful. It suggested modularity and playfulness without becoming informal or simplified.
MOVE
Architects and precinct designers could use bespoke concrete forms to shape movement, suggest circulation and embed functionality into the streetscape. The brand needed to reflect this purposeful fluidity. The clearest place to express it was in the logotype. The result was a constructed combination of sharp and rounded forms, balanced into typography that hinted at an underlying modular construction and subtle geometric rhythm.
MATERIALISE
The final anchor was tone. This was an offer for architects, and the identity needed to match their expectations. It had to feel precise, clean, and fully embedded within a design process. Not decorative. Not overstated. Just clear, material intelligence. From this emerged the swatch. An organic grouping of photography, colour and texture that would illustrate the diverse range of architectural combinations on offer. Whether for bollards, planters or benches the swatch could enable a bespoke visual response to each specific brand challenge.
Urblo gave the client a confident way to speak to a new audience. It allowed internal marketing to shift from generic to specialised engagement. The brand system was not extensive. It didn’t need to be. It was clear, targeted and structurally sound. A framework for connection between service, space and designer.
To succeed, the identity needed to speak directly to architects. It needed to carry the authority of a collaborator, not the tone of a commodity supplier.
Three core ideas became the foundation for the brand system.
MERGE
At the centre of the work was the idea of an urban gestalt. The merging of stone, plant and public use into a coherent logic. From this principle came the name. We needed something that implied structure and context, with enough flexibility to suggest adaptation. Urblo combined ‘urban’ and ‘block’, two core descriptors of the service offering. It also carried a subtle nod to Duplo, the oversized version of Lego. That reference was useful. It suggested modularity and playfulness without becoming informal or simplified.
MOVE
Architects and precinct designers could use bespoke concrete forms to shape movement, suggest circulation and embed functionality into the streetscape. The brand needed to reflect this purposeful fluidity. The clearest place to express it was in the logotype. The result was a constructed combination of sharp and rounded forms, balanced into typography that hinted at an underlying modular construction and subtle geometric rhythm.
MATERIALISE
The final anchor was tone. This was an offer for architects, and the identity needed to match their expectations. It had to feel precise, clean, and fully embedded within a design process. Not decorative. Not overstated. Just clear, material intelligence. From this emerged the swatch. An organic grouping of photography, colour and texture that would illustrate the diverse range of architectural combinations on offer. Whether for bollards, planters or benches the swatch could enable a bespoke visual response to each specific brand challenge.
Urblo gave the client a confident way to speak to a new audience. It allowed internal marketing to shift from generic to specialised engagement. The brand system was not extensive. It didn’t need to be. It was clear, targeted and structurally sound. A framework for connection between service, space and designer.
