Void is a skate company concept specializing in advanced traction longboard wheels. Their flagship product, 66mm 75A Astros, utilizes recycled polyurethane from retired spacecraft as part of their 'Space Slide' formula to initiate an out-of-this-world all-terrain experience. Astros come in a standard 4-pack and replacement 2-pack. Each set is shrink-wrapped before being sealed in its package.
Creative Brief
Void is a skate brand focused on providing competitive and provocative products to an incredibly saturated skate market. Void is launching alongside its flagship product 75A Astros, a high-performance longboard wheel made from recycled spacecraft. Void's goal is to elevate the design of the skateboard through creative expression. Void features vivid, high-contrast colors to catch the attention of onlookers. Void believes in the experience of a product. Upgrading your board is a ritual, Void aims to highlight that ritual through its experiential packaging and storytelling.
Brand Ideation
Void is part of a narrative, a departure from the traditional skate brand counter-culture aesthetic. Void focuses instead on a more civilized approach to the common skate identity. Inspired by mid-century aesthetics, space punk themes, and retrofuturist style Void aims to embrace an unknown future; into the abyss, the Void of space.
Initial concepts for the wordmark included more illustrative features representative of the wheel and wheel nut. The concept was simplified to better suit the clean vibe of the brand, focusing instead on the wordmark and communication of the themes.
The final wordmark uses a modified version of the Funkydori typeface. There were a few iterations of the wordmark. The counters were removed to represent the sublime emptiness of space. This caused a balance issue between the o, i, and d, so a highlight was added towards the edge to increase the readability. The tittle was replaced with a starburst to further associate the wordmark with the cosmos and retrofuturist style. Due to the design of the finial and weight of the highlights, there were legibility issues at a small scale so the finials were disconnected and the weight of the highlights increased to accommodate. The embellishment of the v was adjusted to balance better with the updated characters.
An important part of the Void brand is its appeal to the fun and excitement of skateboarding. Vivid, high-contrast colors embrace the publicity of the brand, inviting observers to participate in it. This friendliness is supported by the body and secondary typography. The off-kilter form of Grenadine Bold Caps preserves a sense of urgency without expressing offense. The rounded geometric form of Moby Bold Caps, reminiscent of the NASA typeface, serves to allude further to the space age.
Package Design Process
The package design process was physical and iterative. Initial designs were sketched. The design was then hand-measured and cut to ensure an accurate fit to the wheels. A die cut was made and printed on cardstock. Initial sketches were drawn directly onto the rough die, in addition to the branding and an idea of illustrative motifs. The design was then vectorized and printed to test scale and cutout alignment. Each typeface with various point sizes and fonts were printed on the back side of the package to determine the best option for readability. A final test print was made to ensure color consistency and prevent unnecessary bleed or layering.
Brand Application
To accommodate a growing mobile market, the Void Wheels app interface was conceptualized. The app features a primary splash page for video content, a catalog of the Astros color variants, a merch shop, and an about us page.
Magazine Ad
For Void's magazine advertisement, it was important to maintain the brand feel without directly using the specific fonts and textures. By using Grenadine Black Caps, it identifies the brand without discounting the longevity of the identity system. A realistic space texture represents the message behind the brand and is a nod to the patterns used in the packaging. The statement "Defy Gravity." is a call to action that embraces the nature of the Astro wheel; a smooth, gravity-defying ride.