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SADA SPACE
visual identity tender proposal, branding system
This proposal began with a simple idea: step with time. Rather than presenting Zagreb as a polished destination or frozen postcard, the identity would track its movement — civic, emotional, architectural. Built around bold linear forms that resemble both stepping stones and city blocks, the system became a visual map of progression: regular, imperfect, alive.
The graphic core is modular. Each unit is a line — a path, a moment, a segment of growth. Arranged in sequences, these forms suggest momentum. They scale across formats: signage, transport cards, event posters, mobile screens. They shift and stretch, holding the rhythm without prescribing the outcome. Anchoring the system is a custom typographic wordmark, set in Mars — an avant-garde typeface with deep resonance in the city’s visual past. Its narrow, striking forms recall the type used in old city plaques and street signage, subtly tying the present to the visual language of the past. It’s a nod to memory, but it’s facing forward.
The design resists spectacle. There’s no ornamental skyline, no romantic overlay. Instead, the work focuses on function and feeling — offering structure, pace, and adaptability. A civic identity, after all, isn’t just for tourists or ceremonies. It’s for residents who see it every day. The goal was to create something that could grow alongside them — consistent, open, capable of surprise. Though speculative, the project offered a chance to ask what a city identity can do beyond symbolizing pride. It can support orientation, affirm belonging, and carry the quiet rhythm of a place that’s always becoming.