Indicia: Parcels & Post Defies The Ordinary

Indicia (in·di·shee·uh) was created and developed in the Graphic and Interactive Design department’s Senior Branding course at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture in the fall 2020 semester under the direction of professor Soonduk Krebs.

Tasked with creating a brand and identity for any conceptual business of our choosing, I reflected upon my life-long love of mail and the United States Postal Service when developing Indicia, a delivery services company and stationary store. As I refined my business idea, I referenced both the history and the systems used to process various forms of physical communication. The discovery of indicia, or the markings used on bulk mail as a substitution for stamps, served as the foundation for the business name and logo. Inspired by the communication of yesteryear, Indicia aims to bring life back to delivery, defy the ordinary with meticulously designed products, and carry all parcels and post with pride.

An adaptable visual system was imperative to the success of the project as the brand's product line continued to expand. Indicia is intended to be a one-stop-shop that has everything from packing and shipping materials, to office supplies, to apparel. The main challenge when creating the branded packaging system was to evoke a sense of delight while also remaining generic enough for everyday use. This was made possible with copy that sits comfortably between the realms of wit and function, or, in other words, a happy medium of interesting–but not too interesting. Additionally, the ability to easily and affordably customize one’s parcels or post allows for customers to take a more active role in their communication experience and provides opportunities for individuals to feel accomplished in their day-to-day lives.

Taking notes from vintage ephemera, I wanted to make sure the materials and papers had an opportunity to shine. In order to authentically pursue this goal, I made a point to derive the color palette from a selection of French Paper and then incorporated high-resolution scans of the paper into my project renderings. The result is a charming variety of muted colors that evoke a sense of nostalgia and textural details that provide some much needed depth and complexity. To make the brand feel modern and relevant, I decided to employ a single font family which provided enough structure for the rest of the design system to take shape but also allowed for flexibility.