Responses by María Vioque, cofounder and creative director, HONDO.
Background: This rebranding project for Italian metal furniture design company Castil aimed to create a visual identity that authentically reflects its expertise, emphasizing the brand’s blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics. We developed a design system that communicates the strength, precision and adaptability inherent in Castil’s steel-bending process, while also celebrating the vibrant and customizable nature of its products. The target audience includes architects, interior designers and discerning consumers who value innovative, high-quality furniture for both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Design thinking: Our approach was rooted in a deep exploration of Castil’s ethos and manufacturing process. We sought to visually translate the technical craftmanship and creative spirit of Castil by collaborating with the foundry Best Typefaces to create Castil Mono—a bespoke monospaced typeface—and a new logo. The monospaced typeface evokes the precision and modularity of industrial production, while the clean, versatile design system highlights the brand’s adaptability and the bold character of its furniture. This solution provides a dynamic platform for designers and creators to engage with Castil’s offerings, reinforcing the brand’s position as an industry leader.
Challenges: Capturing the duality of Castil’s identity. We had to balance the industrial strength and technical precision of metalworking with the brand’s vibrant, customizable and design-driven personality. Translating the tactile qualities of steel bending and the distinctive curves of Castil’s furniture into a coherent visual language required close collaboration with Best Typefaces and a thoughtful, iterative design process. Ensuring that the new identity would resonate with both industry professionals and end-users, the brand remains true to Castil’s heritage while feeling relevant to its future ambitions.
Favorite details: We are particularly proud of the bespoke Castil Mono typeface and the new logo, both developed in close collaboration with Best Typefaces foundry. These elements not only encapsulate the technical precision and modularity of Castil’s manufacturing process but also provide a flexible visual toolkit that can adapt to a wide range of applications. The typeface’s monospaced structure subtly references the rhythm and order of industrial production, while the logo’s clean lines echo the curves and strength of bent steel. These details successfully bridge Castil’s heritage of craftsmanship with its forward-thinking design ethos.
New lessons: This project deepened our appreciation for the nuances of industrial furniture production, particularly the artistry involved in steel bending. We learned how essential it is to immerse ourselves in a client’s process to create an identity that feels both authentic and inspiring.
Specific project demands: Castil’s clear vision for a brand identity that balanced technical expertise with creative expression made some aspects of the project easier, providing a strong conceptual foundation. However, the need to visually communicate the brand’s industrial and customizable aspects presented a unique challenge. Balancing these dualities required extensive prototyping and close collaboration with both the client and our type design partners.
Browse Projects
