Phase
A contemporary, artisan-crafted furniture company—creating work for commercial, hospitality, and residential spaces made in Los Angeles.
Strength in Simplicity
Founded in 2000 in Los Angeles, Phase is a contemporary, artisan-crafted furniture company. They design work for commercial, hospitality, and residential spaces worldwide. Lead by the designer Reza Feiz. They believe in a partnership with their fabricators and celebrate this partnership, allowing for a close collaboration to turn their imagination into reality.
Inspired by the work of the Modernist masters, they strive to elevate basic forms to their most beautiful and compelling. They believe there is strength in simplicity and that quality essentials will always be enduring and memorable. Striping away the excess until what remains is universal, pure, and iconic.
After 20+ years in business, the Phase team approached Mast to help craft an identity that paid homage to Los Angeles and the simplicity of their work.
Inspired by the rich history of LA; modernism, signpainting, artistic movements, organic design, and skilled craftspeople. Paying homage to this history was paramount, which was necessary for the brand’s authenticity. We started with the vision that the brand should be created and viewed through the lens of simplicity, taking historical cues and implementing them through modern methods.
By pursuing LA personality through the lens of modernity and simplicity, we developed a truly unique and memorable brand for the future of Phase.
Collaborators:
Website: Howells Studio
Typography: Badson Studio
Production: The Culture Creative
Animation: Lorin Schaecher
Reza Feiz has always been drawn to the strength in simplicity. Lured to Southern California by its inventive, creative spirit, he quickly discovered his true calling among the vast community of creators and artisans whose skills and ingenuity expertly transform imagination into reality.
Inspired by Los Angeles’ iconic landscape and the compelling beauty of the places and spaces he encountered, he envisioned furniture, lighting, and tabletop accessories, fabricating them from contemporary materials.
From Ruscha to Baldessari, signpainting is crucial to the culture and history of Los Angeles art and design. This type has a personality all its own, just like the city itself.
Using this history as inspiration for the wordmark, we created a modern and rigid type structure that diverges from the looseness of signpainting, yet retains the personality through unique letterforms and flared terminal ends.
The expressive and nuanced history of signpainting set the tone for wayfinding and highway signage—as the first highway signs were all painted by hand. These early signs served as a template for the interstate typefaces we see on the roads today. With so much time spent in transit, these signs are omnipresent in LA.
Through an extensive process, we worked closely with Badson Type Studio to create the perfect balance between hand-done and rigid modern. Producing the perfect end result.
The Bride’s Veil Stool, a graceful alternative to the archetypal bar stool, is the flagship product for Phase and the design that put them on the proverbial map. We wanted to create a simple nod to this design in our symbol. Looking at the elements of the stool, constructed and de-constructed, we found a way to visually represent the word “Phase” while connecting to the flagship product itself—a unique amalgamation of history and future.
The symbol nicely illustrates their dedication to the complete process for each product, from design to fabrication, believing in control and collaboration at every stage. Producing an unmatched end result.
This wordmark has a seriousness and connection to Los Angeles that was not present before—creating a unique and impactful emotional mark. A strong wordmark that balances the soul of the past with the modernity of the present— a truly unique and iconic mark with the heart of Los Angeles at its core.
When necessary, the brand can exist in its more simple form and still convey the history and personality of Phase.
Mast left no stone unturned and made the process of a rebrand a remarkable journey of discovery. In doing so, Mast spearheaded a rebrand perfectly aligned with our history, work, and future—solidifying our brand and company in Los Angeles. The final brand embodies the notion of “strength in simplicity” and the spirit of Southern California modernism.
Reza Feiz
The system brings together clean modernity, expressive typography, colors of California, and the furniture itself to tell the story of Phase while grabbing the attention of the passerby.
By using the brand elements in a simplified manner, we create a cinematic presence of the brand in out-of-home use cases.
With most competitor brands within the market relying on one color or a B&W palette, we consciously chose to divert from this path. Inspired by the pieces themselves and the rich colors of California, we created a palette that connects the furniture and the place they call home.
“Stripping away the excess until what remains is universal, pure and iconic.”
This guiding principle of Phase served as inspiration for the buildout of the system. Combining the type, color, and linework in a restrained manner creates a suite of assets that can strengthen brand buildout for years.
When designing the symbol, we were stuck by the simple beauty of their linework drawings for each product. We utilize these drawings for both informational and stylistic use cases. On product tags and brochures they create a direct connection to the products and the artistry behind them.
For the website, we collaborated with Howells Studio to create a beautiful, functional site. One that showcases the work in a striking manner while allowing designers and buyers to find the products they are looking for quickly.
Ensuring it’s a stunning display of the work that is highly functional.
