Filen

I have been a Filen customer for a good while, and although Filen's logo sits outside product design, it was one of my biggest complaints. Seeing it really bothered me, and anyone who knows me well knows that I like to create logos to fix things that bother me personally or as a form of appreciation. I made this logo specifically for that reason.

Trying ideas

As you can see, the logo did not come out of nowhere. It took many attempts over several weeks.

I had the idea of creating a mark that is a sort of disappearing block and also shows the letter F with a bit of imagination. The idea was definitely there, but I did not like where it was going or how it ended up looking, so I scrapped it rather quickly.

Next, I explored the idea of creating a minimal 3D folder viewed from an angle that subtly hints at the letter F. I really liked that idea, but I wasn't too happy with the form, so I pushed it aside for a while.

After that, I worked on something that seemed robust and almost architectural, like a set of stairs. The stairs were also meant to subtly hint at the letter F while communicating robustness and reliability, but I quickly realized that, in order to look reliable, it couldn't be an open F or, in this case, an open staircase. Closing the staircase made it more complicated than it needed to be, which hurt its legibility at smaller scales, so I scrapped that too.

I also considered blocks with a hidden upper layer, which was another attempt I didn't like.

I even explored the pangolin as a mascot because it is an endangered species, which would align perfectly with the threat to privacy that Filen is trying to protect against with its product. Pangolins have layers of protection and are practically impenetrable, which is how Filen's encryption should feel. They also have a unique pattern and a distinct face that could make for a strong mascot. I liked every aspect of this idea, but it was hindered by my tendency to go for stunts that end up hurting legibility.

The patterns stayed

I couldn't fully let go of the pangolins, which is why I continued working on patterns.

Because Filen is a digital-first company, a legible logo is incredibly important, so the pangolin unfortunately had to go. However, I genuinely believe I was on an incredible creative trip there. From there, I explored shields, forms of protection, folder shapes, hidden messages, and patterns, but nothing had any chance of beating the folder with a particular angle that revealed the subtle F. In hindsight, I think it is the perfect match because of how well it fits the idea of Filen, but I really miss the pangolins (they're so cute).

Making it work

Once I settled on the Filen mark, I tested it at different scales, designed an app icon using Icon Composer, wrote suitable copy to match the brand, and developed patterns that reflect light in a certain way.

It involved a lot of back and forth between ideas, to say the least.

I had plenty of ideas involving light and thought the work was a step in a great direction.

I was also working on a red colorway, but ultimately thought it would hurt Filen's identity. This red seems hostile and is not suitable for a company that should protect you. My initial thought was to intimidate attackers so they would not even target Filen, but it ended up being perceived as something sketchy that you couldn't trust with your data. I chose a monochrome colorway instead, which I think is much more neutral and suitable for what Filen is trying to achieve.

I had an absolute blast working on all the assets I created and truly wish this mark had gone further than it did. The Filen community liked the branding work a lot, but the team is not looking for a rebrand anytime soon. I still think it was an incredibly creative exercise, and I am more than happy with how it all turned out.