Brand Identity · Art Direction

Begja

A contemporary furniture brand developed from the ground up, starting from naming and identity to art direction and launch materials.

Year: 2023
Role: Art Director · Brand Designer
Scope: Brand Discovery, Brand Strategy, Naming, Visual Identity, Product Merchandising Framework, Art Direction, Set Styling

Project Overview

Building a younger furniture brand from Roda Jati’s manufacturing expertise.

Context

Begja was developed as Roda Jati’s move from manufacturing furniture for international clients toward building a consumer-facing brand for the local market. The ambition was to create a younger, more accessible furniture label with products suited to contemporary living: more compact, easier to store and ship, and influenced by a modular product principle.

What needs to be solved

Turn Roda Jati’s existing manufacturing capability and product concept into a distinct furniture brand with its own audience and personality. Begja also needed a contemporary, approachable identity that could still reflect the quality and craft behind the production.

My Role

I led the brand development from discovery through naming, visual identity creation and art direction. I interviewed the CEO and product designer, defined the brand DNA, and developed the name and identity system. I also helped structure the collection through a merchandising framework, then directed the visual world for Volume I, including product groupings, styling and set composition.

The furniture was designed by the company’s product designer, while camera angle and lighting were developed by the photographer.

The identity, product photography and launch direction were developed for Begja before the brand had been publicly launched.

DESIGN PROPOSITION

Scandinavian restraint with a bolder mid-century attitude.

Audience

Urban consumers around 25–35 who had begun building independent lives: young professionals, newly married couples, junior managers, also higher-budget entry-level professionals and students living in more compact spaces.

Visual Direction

Minimal and functional in a warm tone, with colour and geometry used to give the brand a younger and more playful character. The overall direction should still feel considered and design-conscious.

Design Tension

Keep the brand broadly relatable and approachable while making it distinctive enough to move beyond conventional furniture branding.

Creative Research

Begja

Accessible Boldness

A directional visual language translated for a broader audience without flattening its identity.

Uniqlo U Spring Summer 2023 visual reference — Uniqlo U, Spring / Summer 2023

Warm Modernism

Warm colour tone and domestic comfort balanced with sharper modernist forms.

Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer in a warm interior — Wassily Chair, Marcel B. / Knoll

Joyful Living

Neutral foundations brought to life through colour, playful forms and small details that make everyday spaces feel more expressive.

Colourful contemporary living interior — Vibrant Interiors / New Mags

Elemental Construction

Repeated geometric parts that reflect the logic of assembly, showing how simple elements can be combined into a larger structure.

Duplex geometric alphabet by Christoph Ruppli — Duplex, Christoph R.

Manufacturing Foundation

Teak craftsmanship
Technical know-how
Production capability
Logistic practicality
Material durability

Everyday Expectation

Ease
Calming
Practicality
Adaptability

Process

Begja furniture components shown before assembly

Begja table showing curved metal and geometric construction

Taking inspiration from the product: modularity and geometry.

Early modular letterform studies for B, E and G — Modular and geometric letterform studies for B, E and G.

Geometric letterform studies for J and A — Exploring proportion, repetition and geometric construction through the letters J and A.

Naming

Begja comes from an older Javanese form of beja / bejo, associated with luck or good fortune. The name carries a small wish for something positive to enter the home with the furniture.

Logo Logic

The letterforms translate the furniture’s construction logic into repeated geometric parts. Curves and rounded corners soften the modular structure, giving the mark a friendlier and more approachable character.

Brand DNA

Warm, playful and adaptable.

Begja’s brand DNA was developed using the Jungian personality archetype framework, combining three archetypes to define how the brand should feel and behave. The Everyman to bring openness and familiarity, the Sage to add informativeness and curiosity, and the Creator to give the brand its expressive tone.

Together, they shape a brand that feels practical, approachable and design-conscious, with enough personality to make everyday furniture that prioritise functionality and practicality feel more fun.

Dark logo mark on light

Light logo mark on dark

Colour System

Primary and secondary colours combine warm neutrals colours and brighter accents for a system that can shift between practical and playfulness.

White#F5F5F5

Black#040406

Cardboard#AE8663

Eggshell#D3BBAA

Amber#D88A2A

Blue#4F6AB2

White#F5F5F5

Black#040406

Cardboard#AE8663

Eggshell#D3BBAA

Amber#D88A2A

Blue#4F6AB2

White#F5F5F5

Black#040406

Cardboard#AE8663

Eggshell#D3BBAA

Amber#D88A2A

Blue#4F6AB2

Typography

Both Montserrat and Monaco give the brand a practical and approachable tone that feels easy to understand. Used together, they also leave room for more playful moments through layered compositions and a more graphic use of type.

H1 · Montserrat Light

BIG BOLD TITLE
COMES HERE

H2 · Monaco

Secondary title
comes here

Smaller supporting text can sit across the heading.

It can read like annotation or body text.

Subtitle 1 · Montserrat SemiBold

Subtitle level one comes here

Subtitle 2 · Monaco Bold

Secondary label comes here

Body · Montserrat Regular

Body text is used for supporting descriptions and explanations. It should stay clean and readable, while still feeling aligned with the brand’s practical yet expressive personality.

Caption · Montserrat Regular

Caption text is used for notes, figure descriptions and smaller supporting information.

Numbering · Monaco

01020304

Used for page numbers, section markers, indices and small system labels.

Brand Applications

The identity extends across packaging and everyday brand touchpoints, keeping the system practical while retaining its warm and expressive character.

Volume I · Shoot Planning

The shoot was planned before every final sample was complete. I built these collages in Adobe Illustrator to define product groupings, prop selection, wall colours and the overall set composition for each frame. Some product images were low-resolution factory references and the finishes were still provisional, but the models and visual direction were already established. The sets were then built around these plans, using parquet flooring and painted temporary walls.