Jamie Rickett designs a laid back identity for Flore Directory’s collection of responsible brands

Launched in October 2020 by London-based freelance art director Lottie Markworth, Flore Directory is an ever-growing online archive of responsible brands from around the world. Fuelled by Markworth’s belief that making conscious choices shouldn’t be difficult and definitely shouldn’t mean compromising on style, the directory aims to be an open space for like-minded thinkers to share, recommend and be inspired. Each included brand ticks at least one of three boxes: socially empowering, economically ethical and environmentally sound; with everything from sustainable clothing to compostable coffee pods searchable through an easy-to-use filter system. Working closely with Markworth, fellow Londoner and designer at North Jamie Rickett was given the brief to design Flore Directory’s identity and website; for which he found inspiration in the laid back aesthetic of mid-century west-coast graphic design. His references are abundantly clear in the identity’s colour palette and typographic choices, as well as the rational yet charming spirit of the website’s layouts. The selection of slab serif URW Clarendon for the primary typeface aligns with the expected nerdy functionality of a directory, although not without character, while playful illustrations from Alice Bowsher intentionally challenge that preconception. Described by Rickett as “hand-drawn icons,” Bowsher’s drawings were initially based on commercial packaging print marks but soon expanded to include literal representations of objects and symbols from commerce and nature. They combine seamlessly with friendly colours, enchanting photography and a plethora of negative space to form an identity that challenges what ‘responsibility’ looks like without ever trying too hard.