Obviously Iconic

Long story short

‘I would never create a design based merely on a beautiful form. For me, beauty is also in the functional aspect of a design. This is a quote from Erik Magnussen which describes the approach and vision behind his designs, where his goal was always to create a product in a space, where beauty and functionality meet. He insisted that his design should be functional and useful for the customer and at the same time add to the beauty of their home. He had a methodic and curious attitude towards new projects, no matter the starting point.

Throughout his life, Erik Magnussen designed many iconic products, and right up to the end he believed they could be improved and elevated. He loved being in the process of creating and was always improving his own methods. Even though it was never a goal, his designs always appeared simple and aesthetic. Therefore it is with honour, pride, and pleasure that we have created the brand and visual identity for the work of Erik Magnussen.

The idea

Many will probably recognise the iconic cylindrical coffee pot, which has decorated many kitchen counters, and breakfast- and coffee tables since it was designed in 1977. Many people will probably link it with Stelton, but the man behind the iconic coffee pot is the ceramist, designer, and scientist Erik Magnussen. Because this coffee pot and his other designs are this iconic, most of the time people will recognise his designs rather than his name, which is unusual compared with other danish designers in his field. This, however, does not change the fact his design is well known both nationally and internationally and appears in many homes, in cutlery, porcelain, lamps or furniture.

The idea behind the visual identity for Erik Mangunssen’s brand was to create a toolbox like he would have created it. If you can build a chair with three parts, without using a single screw, why do more than that? We wanted to illustrate the same principle in the visual idea. The three blocks, which illustrate both the E and M in the logotype, are, therefore, a tribute to the pragmatic work model he lived by; Reveal. Refine. Define. Besides the simple E and M, which can be used as a graphic element or animated trapping, the identity also contains an updated version of Erik Magnussen’s personal EM signature. This contributes to his own mark of quality.

The outcome

The identity itself was created with the focus to be used in digital, print and on products. The philosophy about keeping everything simple and letting the products shine on their own is implemented on his new website erikmagnussen.com and other digital touchpoints.

AM has also created branded communication channels, namely, Keynote and Word template for use by the Magnussen family. And the new EM brand mark will be found on all future versions of Erik Magnussen’s products.