Stoneable

Design: Zware Jongens
Location: Netherlands
Project Type: Produced
Client: Stoneable
Product Launch Location: Europe
Packaging Contents: Bendy stone panels
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Bendy stone panels & mdf
Printing Process: Letterpress, foil stamping

Zware Jongens Redefines Nature
Stoneable is a Belgium-based company that engineers ultra-thin stone panels; bringing the experience of nature into any architectural space. Their robust, durable products harness the power of organically developed stone patterns, colours and textures. Stoneable is nature redefined as a design object, a stylish surface or a structural element in both public and private environments.

An invitation to redefine nature
Zware Jongens was approached to shape this exciting brand from scratch. “Actually, the client came in with a single bendable stone panel and we were immediately impressed by the possibilities for their product. Obviously – besides the one test panel – nothing was in place yet,” explains Filip Janssen, co-founder of Zware Jongens. “Everything had to be created: positioning, naming, branding, packaging… We wanted to create something premium and creative, going against the grain of the market and appealing to architects & designers, who are a notoriously critical audience to engage with. That’s why ‘Nature redefined’ was selected as our proposition. It explains the essence of the product and it’s an invitation to redefine possibilities and pushing boundaries.”

The visual universe
“For the visual identity, we started from 5 different quadrilateral shapes that are based on the view of the stone panels from various angles,” explains Zware Jongens’ designer Jisook Park. “This refers to perspectives in architecture/design and expresses flexibility & versatility. The visual colour palette consists of subtle tones, matching the natural colour tones of the stone panels. This also creates a solid and easy-to-manage system. Grey is used as the default brand colour & typography as a reference to the origin of the product.”

To get a premium brand expression for all communication tools, Zware Jongens collaborated with UK-based paper company G.F. Smith and their beautiful Colorplan collection. “We collaborate on a very regular basis,” adds Jisook Park. “And once again, the selection of the paper was deliberate. It contributes to the brand expression we had in mind. It makes the stones pop out very nicely and it also gives them extra punch.”

• Colorplan references
• Red-toned stones: Claret
• Yellow-toned stones: Citrine
• Green-toned stones: MidGreen
• Blue-toned stones: New Blue
• Black-toned stones: Nubuck
• Stoneable brand expressions: Real Grey

Poetic Juxtapositions and Fonts
The collection names are a curiosity-triggering combination of contrasting phenomena that accentuate the brand proposition. They express the redefinition of nature and the boundaries the brand is pushing with its innovative products.

• Cracking Nightfall
• Foggy Dust
• Blasting Thunder
• Blurry Volcano
• Silent Spring
• Fading Desert
• Soaring Moss
• Blooming Autumn
• Frozen Magnolia
• Bitter Moonshine
• Melting Rain
• Glowing Trees
• Scattered Ebony
• Hilly Cloud
• Dark Sunrise

The wordmark used is based on the structural elements of the panels (cf. square, rectangular shapes). The ‘bended A’ expresses the thinness and the flipping of the stone panels, which is a recurring visual element in the end-user communication. The supporting font choice – Editorial New – is based on the characteristics of the panels and stone-cutting by hand (cf. random/authentic feeling).

Solid as a rock
Aside from a stylish brochure and a website with thoughtfully balanced animations, Zware Jongens also created a rock-solid toolkit. To demonstrate the versatility of the product, the actual toolkits themselves are made from the stone panels. Each kit includes a collection of 15 panels – covered in beautiful Colorplan sleeves based on the tones of the stones – and one of 5 cut-outs. This allows architects & designers to easily find what they’re looking for and see the stone without unwrapping it. Every sleeve and stone panel has a Colorplan sticker referencing the collection shape and listing the main technical specifications.

Rock, paper, scissors
Product development and innovation are often bumpy roads and intense experiences. “Obviously we did face a few technical challenges along the road, but overall it all went very smoothly,” says Jo Driessen, co-founder of Stoneable. “We are impressed by the vision and expertise of our creative partner Zware Jongens. In fact, we entered their offices with a product (to be) and left with an exciting brand that positions us in a way that we could never have imagined ourselves. The whole approach, vision and result definitely adds value to our business. We’re very proud of our new brand and feel confident about our product. The ultrathin panels are only 1,5 mm thick and flexible so they can be applied on corners, round objects and almost any surface or material. The opportunities are endless, the future is bright!”