This project is the perfect example of a project that is small in scale, but immeasurable in its symbolic value. It is about Petricor, an artisanal project dedicated to pottery and ceramics.

From a Hobby to a Signature

It all started as a weekend pottery hobby. Eventually, that pastime was shared with friends and family; the pieces began to circulate and the project grew organically, attracting new eyes. It reached a point where the need to formalize arose. The goal was not to create a commercial emporium, but to conceive a true meaning: an elegant and meaningful visual signature to seal every vessel, every plate, and every small piece that came out of the kiln.

The Petrichor Rabbit Hole

The project owner already had a strong inclination for the name Petricor. However, upon starting to thoroughly research this word, we went down a little “rabbit hole”. Unearthing each layer of meaning gave the brand both literal and figurative depth.

Etymologically, the word comes from the Greek petra (stone) and ichor (the blood of the Homeric gods). On a scientific level, the term was coined by biologists Isabel Joy Bear and R. G. Thomas to describe the unmistakable scent resulting from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods. Basically, when water falls on very dry soil, the drops release these protective particles into the air.

Making a poetic extrapolation and grounding it to this pottery project, we can say that Petricor is the aroma that emerges after a plant protected its seed.

The Design: Water, Clay, and Letters

For the graphic identity, we started from three base concepts: tranquility, the definition of petrichor, and nature.

1. The Isotype: Always seeking to maintain organic strokes, we designed a symbol where a drop of water flows and takes the subtle shape of a vase or flowerpot, uniting rain and clay in a single element.

2. The Typography: To represent the brand, there could hardly be a better choice than Philosopher combined with Alegreya Sans. These fonts achieve the perfect balance: they have a classic cut that recalls the original Greek characters of its etymology, but maintain a contemporary and digital focus.

3. The Color Palette: Inevitably, the main color had to be terracotta, honoring the creator’s preferred working material. To give it contrast and shadow, we combined it with a dark crimson red, similar to that of a dense sunset, giving it a much earthier and deeper look.

Conclusion

Projects like Petricor are a beautiful reminder of how powerful visual identity is. They teach us firsthand that out there may be small businesses, but with the right narrative and vision, they can be giant brands.