1. About the Client

Salt Sea & Stars is a distinctive brand whose identity called for something beyond a conventional logo. The vision centred on creating a sophisticated, luxurious visual mark inspired by maritime heritage, heraldic illustration, and timeless European aesthetics. The client approached us with visual references and a desire to translate that vision into a refined, memorable identity. Our focus was to develop a heraldic lobster composition that could become a defining visual element of the brand; combining intricate illustration with elegant typography and a premium overall presentation.

We approached the project as a graphic design and brand development exercise, paying close attention to the relationship between the lobster illustration, the brand name, the lettering, and the overall composition. Every element needed to contribute to a unified identity that felt distinctive, carefully crafted, and suitable for a luxury-oriented brand.

2. Challenges

The central challenge was to create a heraldic lobster logo that felt intricate, luxurious, and visually balanced, without allowing the complexity of the illustration to overwhelm the brand name. The lobster needed to carry character and visual authority while retaining the elegance expected from a premium identity.

• Intricate Illustration: Translating a detailed lobster reference into a polished heraldic illustration required careful attention to anatomy, silhouette, claws, limbs, shell structure, and fine internal details.

• Visual Hierarchy: The lobster and the Salt Sea & Stars wordmark needed to complement each other rather than compete for attention.

• Engraved Aesthetic: The design direction called for the character of traditional engraved artwork, with considered linework, fine detailing, and a sense of craftsmanship.

• Typography: The lettering needed to evoke classical elegance and inscriptional heritage while remaining legible and visually harmonious with the illustration.

• Luxury Positioning: Every design decision needed to contribute to a premium visual language rather than a generic nautical or seafood-inspired appearance.

• Colour Palette: The principal gold tone, #D6B26A, was selected to establish a warm, refined, and prestigious visual character.

• Composition and Proportion: Positioning the lobster in relation to the wordmark required careful adjustments to scale, spacing, balance, and overall visual weight.

• Versatile Artwork: The identity needed to work across digital platforms, printed materials, and different brand presentations.

• Multiple Design Iterations: Each refinement required a fresh assessment of the illustration, typography, composition, and overall brand character.

The challenge was not simply to draw a lobster. It was to create a cohesive visual identity in which illustration, typography, colour, and composition worked together to communicate a distinctive brand personality.

3. Our Approach & Results

Our approach placed graphic design, artistic direction, and brand development at the centre of the project. We treated the heraldic logo as a complete visual composition rather than an isolated illustration.

1. Illustration & Artistic Direction: We worked from the client's visual references to establish the artistic direction for the heraldic lobster. The aim was to preserve its distinctive maritime character while developing a polished illustration suitable for a premium brand identity.

2. Heraldic Composition: We explored the relationship between the lobster and the Salt Sea & Stars wordmark, refining the placement, proportions, and visual hierarchy to create a unified composition with a strong central motif.

3. A Refined Luxury Palette: The principal gold colour, #D6B26A, provided a warm metallic-inspired character associated with heritage, craftsmanship, and understated luxury. Contrasting presentations helped establish the artwork's visual presence across different backgrounds.

4. Typography & Brand Character: The typographic direction drew on classical, inscriptional lettering aesthetics. The objective was to complement the heraldic illustration with a sense of permanence, elegance, and sophistication, while keeping the brand name integral to the composition.

5. Brand Development & Visual Consistency: Beyond the primary logo, we considered how the visual identity could translate into different contexts. The work included complementary logo presentations and a Brand Development Toolkit to guide consistent use of the identity.

6. Artwork Preparation & Final Deliverables: We prepared the artwork in multiple formats, including AI, EPS, SVG, PDF, PNG, and JPG. The vector formats were supplied with actual vector paths, enabling the artwork to be scaled and adapted for suitable design and production workflows.

The Result

The project brought together a detailed heraldic motif, classical typographic styling, and a refined gold-led palette to develop a distinctive visual direction for Salt Sea & Stars. The resulting collection included the Heraldic Lobster Logo, complementary logo versions, and brand usage guidance.

The emphasis throughout was on artistic detail, visual balance, and a luxurious brand feel; creating an identity with a strong maritime personality and a timeless, heritage-inspired aesthetic.

Trademark & IPR Support

Alongside the creative work, VV Research IP's in-house intellectual property practice supported the project with trademark-related artwork preparation and attention to the applicable EUIPO representation requirements. This brought graphic design and IPR expertise together under one roof, helping the client coordinate the brand's visual development and trademark-related requirements through a single service provider.

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