N.O.V.A LAB turns bread-making imperfections into bold bakery branding

When most people think of bakery branding, they picture the same predictable palette: warm browns, script fonts, maybe a wheat illustration thrown in for good measure. It’s the visual equivalent of comfort food – safe, familiar and utterly forgettable. N.O.V.A LAB’s Enric Pérez wasn’t having any of it. Working on the identity for Pa i Punt, an artisanal bakery tucked away in Sant Quirze del Vallès just outside Barcelona, Pérez faced a brief that could’ve easily led him down that well-trodden path. The bakery works with traditional stone-ground grains, sourdough and long fermentation processes – all the ingredients for a rustic, authentic aesthetic that would blend seamlessly into the crowded world of artisanal food branding. “Most bakeries tend to adopt a very friendly, almost ‘cute’ aesthetic – often with soft illustrations and comforting tones,” Pérez explains. “In contrast, through conversations with the client and by understanding their ethos, we realised the identity needed to feel more like a statement – bold and unapologetic, almost like a form of protest.” The breakthrough came from something most would overlook: the imperfections. While observing the bread-making process, Pérez became fascinated by the counter-forms that emerge naturally during fermentation and baking. Those cracks, bubbles and organic textures that reveal time, patience and beautiful imperfection became the foundation of an experimental visual system that feels anything but predictable.