onlab was commissioned to develop a visual identity and signage system for .HBC, a new club, restaurant and cultural center in Berlin. We analyzed the space and cultural program to develop a signage and communication system. Main goal is to provide an intuitive and playful access to .HBC’s program and actual space without getting lost.

We developed a flyer design that also functions like signage when composed. At that stage the element of ‘composing’ was defined as conceptual tool for the visual identity and it was decided to communicate the center’s program through tags only. As a consequence the composing of the tags became the main communication element for all applications including the website.

Another visual element that gives the .HBC a striking new appearance is the new font that was exclusively developed for the .HBC. The idea of ‚composing‘ was used for the different structural elements of the font (serifs, bold/light cuts, etc.) and to compose them freely for each letter.