4 Legged Friends Branding + character design

Four Legged Friends is a community project designed to improve the well-being of children. Animals are scientifically proven to help lower stress levels and promote positive mental health. Working with an alternative provision school their animals help young people who might be struggling in life due to emotional and social needs. They have also teamed up with care homes and other schools.

They were looking for a local Manchester brand agency, so approached Superfried to design a versatile identity system that would adapt as the project grows. The client initially suggested a paw print as a strong, clear symbol that would connect with their name. Although apt, it is heavily used, so to create distinction, the symbol was developed to simultaneously represent the face of a dog – their main therapy pet.

With an eclectic range of animals including – cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits – continuing the existing style an additional animal character was designed and illustrated. For each new species logo an additional colour was selected for the brand palette. This strategy would enable opportunities for potential merchandise to raise money for the project, such as name tags / leads and clothing for pets and stickers for the children. As new animals are introduced, tailored logos based on the paw template can be developed as required.