A subtly sensual wordmark leads U.I.WD.’s authentically Brazilian rebrand of Bossa Furniture

Located in the cities of São Paulo, Brazil, and New York City, USA, Bossa Furniture is carefully preserving Brazil’s design heritage through the curation, documentation and conservation of its historical furniture collection. As a vintage and contemporary design gallery and furniture store, they were in need of a rebrand that underlined their purpose, showcasing their approach to curation and documentation alongside their subsidiary brands.

Tasked with the project, São Paulo-based creative direction and design studio U.I.WD. took inspiration from the Brazilian Modernism movement, drawing upon popular and vernacular cultural elements to influence everything from type selection to branding applications. Honouring the 20th century of Brazilian modernist architecture and interior design, the team elevated Bossa’s standards, highlighting its roots through its brand story and extensive catalogue.

“Inspired by notable Brazilian architects like Oscar Niemeyer and Lina Bo Bardi,” explains Designer Matheus Gomes, “we researched early pieces with organic and geometric shapes that have stood the test of time.” The research led the team to study Modernism and its impact on graphic design, architecture and interior design, as well as society at large.

The new logotype, flavoured with a twist, reflects the Modernism inherent in Brazilian culture. The typeface dt Jakob, created by Eduilson Coan and Gustavo Soares from dooType – one of Brazil’s leading independent foundries – was chosen to embody Brazilian culture, and as Partner & Creative Director Bruno Tatsumi describes, it is “a unique typeface, truly Brazilian and designed by Brazilians.” However, it needed a touch of “swag” to highlight its Brazilian essence. “We decided to customise the curves of the letter ‘S’ to add uniqueness and a subtle sensuality, breaking its seriousness,” continues Tatsumi. “This concept of sensuality has been well utilised by many modernist Brazilian artists, such as Oscar Niemeyer, whom Bossa actually represents.” The supporting typeface is Fold Grotesque by Colophon Foundry, which U.I.WD. selected not only for its modern, straightforward design, but also to give Bossa a global appeal, catering to their international clientele.

In addition to the core brand identity, the studio developed a sub-logotype to unify all elements of the business including Vintage (mid-century designers), Nova (contemporary designers), Workshop (restoration), and Fabrics (textile collection). “Each segment has its own unique characteristics but remains connected to the main brand,” Tatsumi tells us. “We established a set of rules to showcase the brand’s extensive universe while maintaining consistency in its architecture. This approach also allowed us to infuse the logotype’s playful elements into the names of each segment, ensuring a cohesive and responsive brand identity. The main idea is to use the sub-brands independently, not attached to the name Bossa, but to keep the same visual language by using the same colours, typography and brand system.”