Locals - Brand Identity & Social Media

Travel like locals do. Guided adventures, local cuisines, genuine experiences. The Locals identity needed to put experiences and the local guides at the forefront of its branding. Strong values of authenticity, adventure, and approachability needed to shine through within a modern identity.

With "fun" feeling identities it can be tough to find the balance between looking approachable but competent. The fact that the local experiences are casual/real but still safe also needed to be shown in the visuals.

Imagery was always going to be a key feature. I gathered some images that matched the brand values, this helped set the tone for the feel going forward.

A sans-serif that was fun but didn’t stray into comic was chosen. The colour palette is exciting but feels warm and grounded, a nice reflection of the Locals brand.

An icon was vital because of the brands heavy social media use. There were a few symbols that immediately came to mind when working with Locals. Location pins, people icons, hearts, smiles, faces.

These symbols came out in doses through the sketching process, until an icon shape started forming. The locals icon includes a location pin, human icon and heart using the “C” and “A” of the brand name. This allows the icon to be slotted back into the word-mark.

To bring out the human feel of the identity, basic hand-drawn icons are used to communicate, typography fits around the imagery allowing images to be the focus. Imagery was chosen that heavily features people, often smiling and in native landscapes.

I love the Locals brand. It feels human and exciting. You’re drawn into the experiences but still feel connected to the people making it happen.​​​​​​​ The identity fit the project objective and is now being applied to their upcoming app design.

Brand: Locals

Role: Brand Identity Designer