Designer · Graphic Designer
The brief was not to reinvent Rembrandt, but to sharpen its identity.
I needed some distance from the Netherlands to look at Rembrandt and its Dutch origins from both an inside and an outside perspective.
Together, they broadened the palette without making it feel too bright or trend-led and it allowed us to dial the identity up or down depending on the application.
It still feels recognisably Rembrandt, but has much more range than before.
The rebrand to Tones was introduced to carry that legacy into a wider, multi-genre platform, literally ‘tones’ across afro, reggae, R&B, (neo)soul.
I wanted to create something that felt like it was literally in a rotating motion that could stand for how Tones blends genres.
I wanted to create something that felt fresh and exciting, but not ‘new.’ Something that feels like it’s been here longer than it is.
I believe in creating a great setup for my clients.
Dutch designer Sylvan Hillebrand refreshed the visual identity of Rembrandt, a 125-year-old oil-paint company, to appeal to younger serious artists while retaining its heritage and recognisability. The update preserves and subtly refines the logotype, pairing Suisse International and Suisse Neu with an expanded restrained palette, a reworked heritage badge and pigment-stamped product imagery photographed by Corey Martin.
The Brand Identity features Amsterdam-based designer Sylvan Hillebrand’s rebrand of Paradiso’s long-running hip-hop night Bassline into Tones, a multi-genre music platform. The new identity uses a morphing logo, modular sticker system, and textured digital aesthetic to reflect genre fluidity and tactile familiarity. Hillebrand’s design balances flexibility and consistency, enabling Paradiso’s team to maintain the brand’s visual integrity across digital and physical touchpoints.
The Brand Identity’s 'The Edit' highlights five new branding projects from global studios, including Sasyk Mihal’s rave-inspired identity for Page Break, Parker’s Palm Springs–infused skincare brand 760 Skin, Sylvan Hillebrand’s bold work for ARTIZSOUL, U.I.WD.’s sentimental rebrand for fashion house MIXED, and MEK’s science-driven identity for impact investment firm Understorey. Each project showcases distinct visual strategies, from expressive typography to nature-inspired palettes.
This roundup gathers seven expressive and unconventional brand identity projects spanning food, beverages, music, beauty, sport and technology. Featured work includes maximalist restaurant merchandise, AI-assisted festival imagery, custom type systems, a generative p5js identity, and patterns made through repeated printing and scanning.