ELLEN FRANK • TORONTO, ON.
DESIGN
&
Clean details, tactile materiality, and intentional brand systems.
2026
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Aquasilk
Brand Identity
2025
Hair,
Meet High Performance.
Reimagining luxury haircare through tactile materiality and organic form.
AquaSilk is a haircare line reimagined through a modern, clean, and premium visual system.
Drawing inspiration from natural
marine forms and textures, the system balances structure with a soft, tactile human touch.
AquaSilk was created to bridge the gap between high-performance haircare and elevated shelf presence.
ORIGINAL
BRAND DESIGN
The Challenge
AquaSilk’s original identity was cluttered and outdated, with harsh colours and a typeface that didn’t reflect its
clean-beauty direction or premium positioning.
Logo & Colour
The illustrated logo and neon palette felt busy and dated.
Typeface
The high-contrast, traditional typeface reduced legibility and felt out of step with the clean-beauty direction.
Materials
Standard plastic packaging didn’t support the brand’s premium, nature-led positioning.
The Strategy
A Refined Identity Rooted in Nature
To resolve AquaSilk’s cluttered, outdated identity, I developed a visual system across three key areas:
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Logo and colour system
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Typography refinement
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Materials and tactility
Solution 01
Logo & Colour
AquaSilk’s detailed shell illustration and neon palette felt misaligned with its goal of becoming a premium, modern haircare brand.
I simplified the mark into a clean, graphic shell and introduced a calmer, nature led palette to create a more refined identity.
Original mark
The original clam illustration and neon lime palette made the identity feel busy and dated.
refined mark
A simplified shell icon creates a calmer, more contemporary mark while still nodding to AquaSilk’s original brand story.
Colour palette
The new palette softens the neon green into a sea glass tone and pairs it with warm neutrals, creating a modern, premium haircare feel.
original palette
new palette
Solution 02
Typography Refinement
The original typeface had a high-contrast, decorative feel that made AquaSilk look more ornamental than functional, and it struggled with legibility at smaller sizes. It didn’t support the brand’s shift toward a cleaner, more modern, and accessible haircare experience.
​
I replaced it with Montecatini Pro Ultra Bold, a bold display serif that gives AquaSilk a more confident, contemporary presence. Its expressive, sculptural letterforms introduce a sense of softness and movement, connecting the identity to the fluidity of water while creating a distinctive wordmark that holds up across packaging and campaign applications.
old typeface
Fino Sans Bold
The original logotype felt ornate and less legible, especially at smaller sizes, which worked against the brand’s promise of functional, high-performance care.
new typeface
Montecatini Pro
Ultra Bold
The new typeface gives AquaSilk a stronger visual signature, balancing expressive character with a refined, premium presence.​
Final Wordmark
The refined wordmark anchors the identity and pairs with the shell icon to create a cohesive, premium system.
Solution 03
Materials & Tactility
To support AquaSilk’s premium, nature-led positioning,
I selected materials that balance tactility, durability, and a more natural visual language.
Each choice is designed to make the brand feel more premium in hand while reinforcing its cleaner, more responsible direction.
wooden corkscrew
cap
A wooden corkscrew cap adds warmth and tactility to the washing ritual. Its natural texture contrasts with the smooth bottle surface, reinforcing the brand’s elevated, sensorial feel.
unbleached sugarcane paper & water based ink
Labels use unbleached sugarcane paper and water-based inks, bringing a softer, more natural texture to the packaging while supporting the brand’s cleaner visual direction.
pet plastic
PET provides a durable, lightweight packaging base suited to everyday use and scalable production.
Its smooth surface creates a clean contrast with the tactile paper label and wooden cap.
Visual Mockups
The identity extends across packaging, lifestyle accessories, and campaign applications, creating a consistent experience at multiple touchpoints.
AQUA ESSENTIALS
Extending the brand into everyday rituals
To extend AquaSilk beyond core shampoo and conditioner, I developed Aqua Essentials, a collection of lifestyle pieces that carry the brand into everyday rituals.
Deliverables
Brand identity · Logo system · Colour palette · Typography · Packaging direction · Material exploration · Lifestyle accessories · Campaign applications
Final Outcome
The resulting identity gives AquaSilk a cohesive visual language across packaging, accessories, and campaign touchpoints.
By combininga simplified shell mark,
a sea-glass-led palette, expressive typography, and tactile materials, the system balances
high-performance care with a refined, sensorial brand experience.
Dexterra Group
Information Design & Branded Collateral
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Information Architecture: IFM Visualization
Focus: Pure Visual Translation
The Challenge
Illustrating "Healthy Building" foundations, ventilation, lighting, and water quality, which are deeply technical systems.
The Design Role
I developed high-fidelity isometric illustrations to make invisible systems perceivable. By strictly managing the visual architecture, I allowed the design to explain the logic where dense text would otherwise overwhelm the viewer.
Outcome:
A standalone visual asset that provides immediate clarity on Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) through intuitive layout.