Traffic cones, fluorescent yellow, and shopfront typography combine in Terén’s bold identity

Terén is a “dramaturgical, production and distribution platform” situated in Brno, Czech Republic. Based in the country’s capital, Prague, and asked to pitch an idea for a new identity for Terén is Deep Throat Studio, a graphic design practice we’ve previously heralded for its versatile portfolio and strong use of typography. And it’s safe to say, this new work delivers more of the same.

Deep Throat’s Jozef Ondrik worked alongside his friend Květoslav Bartoš from studio Florian Karsten to answer a brief set by Terén’s dramaturg Lukas Jiricka and art director Matyas Dlab: to bring to life the platform’s manifesto. “We developed our ideas as a reaction to what’s written in the manifesto,” Jozef explains. “We just tried to change the words into visuals.”

An idea which jumped out at them from the get-go was to reference Brno itself. “Terén works with the environment of Brno conceptually as a complex creative space,” Jozef elaborates. “It puts on its productions at theatre venues and in the specific spaces of the urban landscape. Terén produces its own staging projects which will be shown at local venues in Brno and then distributed outside of Brno.”

In order to wholly embody the city within their identity, first, Jozef and Květoslav needed to get to know the city. They, therefore, developed “Ghillie”, a mascot which was sent out to explore and examine Brno’s environment. “Ghillie is something like the ghost of the city,” Jozef adds. “They walk around the city, mapping and discovering the terrain [the English translation of Terén.” Initially, from this exploration, they developed a short campaign video which shows Ghillie walking about, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. Crucially, however, what Ghillie saw directly impacted the design of the identity.

Visually, Terén’s identity is incredibly bold, its logotype made from several different typefaces in a truly distinctive combination. While on the face of things, it could serve merely as a pleasing combination of letterforms, there is a reason for the specific amalgamation. These letters, Jozef explains, are directly lifted from signs found around the city. Accompanying this typographic treatment is a series of 3D renders; everything from traffic cones to piping to street signs. Fluorescent yellow and a bright orange are also used across the identity, in reference to such objects.

While these elements may seem somewhat disparate, Jozef explains that the visuals were produced out of in-depth conversations with the Terén team about “how and what story to tell, rather than one particular formal language that is supposed to be represented by Terén.” As a platform, it collects pieces and rearranges them – and so should its identity. And the result does exactly what an identity should: it creates a personality for Terén in an utterly unforgettable way. Initially, it’s intriguing for its visuality – a combination of elements we’ve not seen before – but upon hearing Jozef’s explanation for the thinking that went into Terén’s identity, it is unique on a whole other level.