Sofato is a specialized sofa store. This concept was born from my suggestion to an experienced furniture store owner. After witnessing firsthand the logistical challenges faced in dealing with thousands of varieties of furniture and home decor products, I recommended focusing only on sofas, since they represented around 50% of the company’s revenue. Though hesitant to make such a radical change to his business, which had over 20 years at that time and is still a reference in the region today, he embraced the idea and decided to create this new company.
Create a brand that expresses a friendly, comfortable, and cozy vibe to connect with a mainly young adult audience who are predominantly in relationships. The brand should also transmit a sense of lightness and flexibility, as it focuses on affordable products, given that many of these couples are starting their lives together and are concerned about numerous expenses at this time.
Based on the briefing, I started researching visual references to better understand the brand language and express initial ideas through quick sketches, making it easier to visualize the concepts.
I decided to go for a wordmark logo style (without a symbol, prioritizing the harmony of the characters), as the aim was to establish a significant presence on social media. The intention was to present the brand subtly, more like a signature, avoiding a corporate appearance and thus preventing any potential disconnect with the audience. This creates a more natural connection, as you can see in the example of this post about fabric types.
When choosing this logo style, careful selection of the font type is crucial because its shapes have a significant psychological impact, directly influencing the perceived sensations. Rounded shapes are preferable, conveying a sense of security and warmth. On the other hand, pointed shapes tend to trigger alertness and discomfort due to their associations with danger.
The typography chosen for the logo has smooth and relaxed curves while maintaining a robustness that conveys a sense of comfort and solidity, comparable to the experience of being on a well-structured couch. The same typography is used for titles, but with lowercase letters, as they are more friendly and welcoming. For longer texts, the visual system implements a font aimed at improving readability and comprehension. Furthermore, the selection of a thinner font creates a distinctive visual contrast with the headings, providing a clear hierarchy of information in the design.
Warm colors complement the cozy, friendly, and comfortable atmosphere intended. Now, to overflow with personality, each letter of the logo can be scaled in different sizes, directions, and colors in pieces of various sizes.
The idea became a success, and today Sofato is a franchise operating in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Cabo Frio. Its sales mostly happen online, and its Instagram profile has over 50,000 followers. It is interesting to mention that at one point they decided to test selling other products such as tables and chairs. With this decision, revenue started to decline, and they quickly reverted to focusing only on sofas and armchairs, which proved to be successful again, demonstrating that the original suggested idea was correct.
