Pali Palavathanan
Co-Founder, Creative Director, Co-Founder Creative Director
About
Co-founder and creative director of TEMPLO, a design studio working with causes and organisations focused on human rights, the environment and social change.
SourceIn their own words
It's about staying with that cause, and over time you'll start to see systematic change.
We wanted that same grounded, human quality in the Casi identity.
One that deliberately sidesteps the alarmism, judgment and guilt that’s often associated with sustainability initiatives.
A simple, ancient-style mark that celebrates our connection to the earth.
The concept of architecture as earth practice was as fundamental to the visual identity as it is to the commissions within the pavilion.
Given the exhibition's thematic anchor in the Rift Valley, we had to develop an engaging and accessible visual system that could communicate multi-faceted and complex ideas.
We wanted to reflect this effect in the identity, so we chose a sharp-edged, authoritative typeface that conveys an impression of imperiousness – colonial authority, almost – which we then 'softened' by bevelling the edges.
Movement was something that emerged organically early in the process.
We weren't sure there'd be a point of connection at first, but when Ben pulled away the veneer and explained all the amazing things GF Smith has done historically to support their employees and the creative community, we understood how brave they were prepared to be and realised a shared ethos between us.
It was static in an era that demands dynamism. It was monochrome, but GF Smith is all about colour.
Articles & interviews10
- All Flows 2026: Personal Stakes Sparked the Best Creative Conversations
Creative Boom’s coverage of All Flows 2026 highlights how the Milton Keynes festival fostered deeply personal and authentic creative conversations. Talks by designers and artists such as Rob Draper, Pip Jamieson, Nada Hesham, and Jonathan Barnbrook explored identity, ethics, and community as central forces in design. The event emphasized small-scale intimacy and the power of real human connection in creative work.
- Templo’s brand identity for climate non-profit Casi draws on the pragmatic mark-making of hieroglyphics
Templo has created a new brand identity for climate non-profit Casi that draws inspiration from hobo hieroglyphics and handcrafted mark-making. The project embraces imperfection and human warmth through hand-animated cut-outs and a minimal typographic system. The result is a living, expressive identity that reframes sustainability with optimism and creativity.