Fast Company Grill 3D Typographic identity

Fast Company is a leading business publication with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, ethonomics, leadership and design. They commissioned Superfried to develop the identity for the Grill – their invitation only destination for tech-loving, creativity-seeking influencers during the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.

The brief requested a 3D style to coincide with their existing award and conference brands. Since a structural form was required I initially looked for a potential way to perfectly tessellate the letters within a simple, 2D plane. To maintain symmetry the plane and incisions were then simply extruded to a central vanishing point.

Unlike previous identities developed for Fast Company, it was requested that it should be simpler, more succinct and transparent with no op-art illusions or tricks on the eye. The final, brutalist style was apt for both the essence of the word and event.

In addition to the shaded bitmap version, clean vector options were developed in both 2D and 3D. A looser spaced version was also created for use at small scale on screen and in print.