BZH has always been a thoughtful lifestyle publication, since 2016, that. It was time to freshen up both internally and externally as they always wrote about things that shape the present.
So we went with my go-to approach: meaning first, looks second. Together with the team we had to define what new BZH has to become as a publication.
Brand
We realised that their audience, who has always been discerning and aesthetically sensitive people, city dwellers, are looking to BZH for smart, but not snobbish guidance. And that we had to keep older, loyal audience happy while attracting new people: young, demanding and willing to move on to the next tab any moment.
Eventualy, after thourough research and discussion here’s what we figured would make BZH stand out:
Quality: if we cover something, it signals importance, relevance, and genuine substance;
Boldness: to embrace a slightly cheeky, rebellious approach with depth—but never neutrality;
Consistency: to build a visual language, a clear editorial voice, and a presence that endures.
Style: without a sense of aesthetics and the pleasure of recognising, depth and expertise simply won’t resonate.
First, to differentiate BZH from competitors with a distinct primary colour — almost every other Kyiv/lifestyle focused publication is green.
Second, it has to be a modern palette. Appealing to both the young and the old (although we can allow ourselves to irritate the older ones a little).
Finally, bold, expressive combinations should signal that the publication is evolving and ready to stand out.
So I knew what we needed exactly the minute I saw Ugo Rondinone‘s work.
BZH is a publication about city life and it’s original sign was a typical Kyiv street light. It had recognition of loyal audience and warm feelings of the team, but it was time to move on. It had to be metaphorical and slightly playful, dynamic, scale well across different mediums, and to be easily animated as publication was about to intruduce a new video format.
The main logo, a monogram in the circle, is a rebirth of the old street light of sorts. It’s about spotlight: how BZH focuses reader’s attention on what’s important.
*deep because we live in a global world and the publication covers not only Ukrainian, but global context.
Website
BZH website was designed to make the people stay, read more stories, news, check what’s going on in other sections. Visually it can seem a lot, especially on desktop, and it’s much like big city’s life. My goal was to make navigating through all of this easy and fun: there’s a mix of highlighted superfeatures, mid-sized features, quick news on the front page and much calmer layout in sections.
We developed a custom builder for editors to assemble longreads. Visually they are aimed at high readability and keeping readers engaged. BZH often commisions photographers and illustrators to create custom imagery, and it is supported by sevreal available layouts and typography.
Plans
In terms of brand I advised to commission a custom font called BZH Display, which will be available for purchase. This will strengthen editorial's unique visual language, create a great news hook, leave a legacy, and provide an additional point of contact with the brand.
Longreads will have custom blocks that allow editors to put together even more higly readable, but also vibrant pieces. Engaging readers is no joke, so we’ll have interactive blocks, few types of galleries and quotes to help build the look and feel of each superfeature.
The publication will also introduce a new video format soon, and I’m excited to integrate new identity into it.
Make sure to check out the website: bzh.life
And follow them on Instagram.