Casey Martin
Creative Director, Founder
About
Founder and executive creative director of Play, a studio working across brand identity, campaigns and product design.
SourceIn their own words
The multilayered paper trail of the research world, documents, sticky notes and messy bulletin boards all informed our design which blends academic rigour with an entrepreneurial spirit.
We also wanted to capture the inquisitive passion propelling the human search for answers.
When combined, our trio of typefaces – National 2, Atlas Grotesk and Atlas Typewriter – feels bookish and contemporary, whether online or in print.
We wanted to create something that would really speak to the DevDay attendees.
Why not build a design system centred around the foundational building block of computer data – the bit?
Its simplicity proved to be an incredibly strong asset, and it allowed for amazing flexibility.
The range of colours also did a wonderful job of reflecting and speaking to the diversity of ideas and people at the event.
We wanted each logo to represent the product features as clearly as possible.
experimentation, research, and evolution were a few of the ideas that grew from the existing logo and ultimately became the roots for the brand system.
They were thoughtfully drawn to convey big ideas like discovery and community, while still being relevant to the written content.
Articles & interviews
- Play’s identity for OpenResearch focuses on the physicality of the research that drives their work
Play Studio created a new brand identity for OpenResearch, the rebranded Y Combinator Research, emphasizing the tangible and human aspects of research. The design draws inspiration from academic materials and the physical process of inquiry, using layered typography, collage, and duotone imagery to balance rigor and creativity. The flexible system adapts from expressive digital moments to minimal, information-heavy documents.
- Bit by bit: how Play designed a fresh and fitting identity for OpenAI’s first DevDay conference
The article details how San Francisco-based studio Play created the brand identity for OpenAI’s first DevDay conference. Centered around the concept of the 'bit,' the design system translated across event materials, stage design, and merchandise, balancing experimentation with familiarity through OpenAI’s existing typefaces and color palette. The result is a flexible, modular identity that reflects the diversity and innovation of the developer community.