The Green Wave

It was a happy, cosmic coincidence that we were approached to create a logo by a Swedish duo debuting an online boutique, considering that Nic could respond fluently in their native tongue (he was raised by a Svensk-Mamma). So from the moment we connected with the folks from Den Gröna Vågen to design their branding, our bond was sealed . . . they were jazzed about Nic's Swede-ness, and we were excited about the prospect of using umlauts in a brand mark.

Den Gröna Vågen (The Green Wave) is a web shop of sustainably-minded, handcrafted goods hailing from Scandinavia, Japan and the Pacific Northwest. It's a project to which we feel emotionally connected, due in part to Nic's understanding of Scandi-culture, and the fact that I am a native Californian who digs natural materials and mellow vibes. The name Gröna Vågen was originally coined for a back-to-the-land movement that took place in Sweden, circa 1970s, when young families left the big cities to reclaim the countryside and live more aesthetically free and abundant lives. This idealistic concept resonates with us, considering we split Manhattan in 2009 for the same reasons, moving to New York's rural Hudson Valley, where we were able to create a spacious design studio, and have grassy hills for our Pug to run around.

For the logo, we channeled deep psychedelic hippie vibes from '60s and '70s Fillmore West concert posters, and experimented by soaking our hand-lettered design in dreamy watercolor ink washes. We're super excited about their boutique, and though it's hard to browse if you don't read Swedish, it's still a beautiful experience, with lovely products to peruse. Shown below are a series of eye-catching stickers we designed as a promotional tool in celebration of the site's launch.