Franki Cookney

Identity for freelance journalist

Freelance journalist Franki Cookney needed an identity to draw the multiple strands of her work together under one, eye-catching banner. The identity had to sit across various digital touch-points and be distinctive enough to stand out whilst allowing Franki’s content to take centre stage.

As a writer focussed on sex and relationships and concerned with pulling apart preconceptions and assumptions in this field, her identity also needed to avoid ubiquitous cliches and figurative illustration. It needed to reflect the thoughtful and analytical nature of her work.

Given the authenticity and transparency of Franki’s online presence, there were very few opportunities for traditional logo executions and, as a journalist, Franki’s most valuable brand asset was her name. With this in mind, I took inspiration from her handwritten notebooks, developing a series of name marks using her own handwriting and marginalia as a starting point.

I also developed a distinctive texture that could be used as backdrop, cover image or frame to unite Franki’s posts and profiles and make then instantly recognisable as hers. This texture took the form of a repeating pattern created from Franki’s handwritten characters, overlaid and using contrasting colours to suggest a cloud of intersecting thoughts/ideas with an almost brain-like quality - a nod to the cerebral nature of a lot of her work.