Founded by a florist and a business coach, The IOF (Institute of Flowers) was set up to provide the 5000+ florists working in Ireland with the representation, recognition, and resources they had long lacked. The IOF's aim is to streamline professional standards, connect professionals, and shape the future of the Irish Florist industry through this newly formed network. They play an active role in helping their members to develop their technical and business skills through regular events, training, accreditation programs, Ireland's first apprenticeship program, nationwide competitions and awards. The brief was to design a creative colourful professional brand identity to match the goals of this aspirational network.
We set about creating a vibrant brand identity, that resonated with the mostly female audience, that promoted the brand values of community, collaboration and professional development, where florists could come to learn, to grow, and to bloom.
At the heart of our identity is the logo. The crest icon contains individual internal details (circle, leaf, and star shapes) representing the network's members at their different stages and sizes, coming together in an organised way to create this beautiful flower, representative of the network's ethos of being stronger together. Details from the logo make forvibrant and expressive brand application across our marketing materials.
The Institute of Flowers is often referred to by its acronym 'The IOF' and so the IOF wordmark was designed to be usedas a stand alone logo if and when required. The IOF wordmark itself focuses on growth and buds, with a single leaf onthe letter I growing into two leaves on letter F.
A suite of sub logos that were inexplicably linked to their annual awards, the Blossom Awards were also designed.
The outer tulip shape of the crest icon is representative of a perfect flower and acts as a framing device across marketing collateral and online marketing, as well as part of the Awards sub branding.
The visual language and tone of voice is vibrant yet professional, with a friendly warmth that reaches across all areas of the brand and celebrates the prosperity and success of its members.
.svg)
