DesignStudio’s illustrative rebrand for Oberlo thrives in the notion of imperfection and progression

Oberlo began simply as a dropshipping business under the umbrella of the Shopify family; however, they have since expanded their horizons, becoming a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs offering tuition, teaching and tools for young businesses. To achieve this Oberlo reached out to the London office of the global design studio, DesignStudio, in helping them reach the aim of becoming a stylish way of life whilst avoiding the tone of voice, appearance and connotations of get-rich-quick schemes. DesignStudio’s endeavours have resulted in a fresh and punchy identity, screaming with vibrancy, that revels in the DIY and WIP. With the aim of reimagining our approach to failure, celebrating progress and not trying to hide mistakes, DesignStudio took a binary approach in combining illustration and design, hoping to “capture the individual and diverse range of experiences an entrepreneur goes through on their journey,” Senior Designer at DesignStudio Alistair Davies explains. Along the way, hoping to highlight the “failures, successes, encouragements and long hours of hard grind.” This was achieved through the commissioning of illustrators Guy Field and Appear Offline, who’s irreverent work provides the rambunctious contrast to standard big-business aesthetics and tropes, again thriving in the concepts of imperfection and progression. Their illustrations also play alongside Oberlo’s fun but refined wordmark, consisting of exaggerated, rounded bespoke letters adding to its friendly, chunky personality and the overall approachable tone of voice of the brand. “The name Oberlo is full of circular forms, so we exaggerated and embraced them,” Davies tells us, elaborating that whilst animated “the wordmark is spun like a wheel that gathers momentum and speed,” providing the “relentlessly looping expression of entrepreneurial drive.”