After working with our Dutch friends Lycogel for some time, we were approached to give the company a complete face-lift (no pun intended).

Lycogel happened almost by accident, formed through the success of its product. Originally used to help cosmetic surgery patients hide the signs of their procedure, it has successfully evolved into an international skincare brand, universally recognised as a benchmark in skincare, which others have tried to copy. As its reputation as a post-procedure foundation grew, the demand for its use as an ‘everyday’ breathable camouflage and concealer became clear and Lycogel was born.

Primarily Lycogel is a product-led brand, but it relies heavily on its international team of distributors to communicate what the product is and how it works to various clients, including skincare clinics, beauty specialists and skin aestheticians. It was clear Lycogel had to change to keep up with an ever-expanding and demanding market. Starting with their logo through to packaging, various marketing materials and finally, the website. They wanted to give new life to their brand, to raise their profile externally and inspire the sales and distribution teams internally.

Refining the logo

During the design process, it was clear the Lycogel identity didn’t need to change too dramatically in order for it to speak to its existing businesses/consumers and attract new ones. Therefore we wanted to make the change subtle, maintaining a sense of evolution between the old identity and the new one. One thing was for certain, the “Wolverine Claws” had to go. We looked at other similar skincare and beauty products, as well as high-level fashion brands.

We stripped the old logo down and with some carefully considered refinements and a refreshed colour palette, we developed the new identity from there. Our objective was to make the logo look ultra professional, so it could compete with other similar brands, even at a high-street level. We also wanted to make it timeless, ensuring it wouldn’t date so easily in years to come.

Choosing the typeface

To complement the simplicity and clean lines of the logotype, we wanted to use a typeface that didn’t have much character – something that looked timeless and understated, but yet modern and clean. Therefore we introduced Proxima Nova as a modern replacement to Helvetica. A compromise between Futura and Akzidenz Grotesk — sans-serif typeface with humanistic proportions and a geometric appearance.

With the packaging design we continued our minimal approach, focussing on an aesthetic balance between high-fashion and clinical. We explored various forms and functions for the box design, working closely with Lycogel and their suppliers, whilst overcoming some restrictions and allowing simplicity to speak in volumes to achieve the desired result.

The promotional designs centred around a concept conceived by Lycogel – focusing on the ‘Everyday Moment’. This highlighted the applications of the product for every skin condition, reinforcing its purpose as an everyday breathable camouflage and concealer.

The website had to adhere to various user types, such as internal distributors, specialist skin aestheticians and end-users, not to mention sceptics. We wanted to create an experience, as opposed to just a hub for information. We made use of the whole screen width, allowing for large images with parallax effects and typography to be presented informatively and clearly, ultimately letting the user be absorbed into the Lycogel brand. The website was built by a Dutch company close to the Lycogel HQ.

Lycogel continue to grow internationally, having recently achieved distribution in Canada. Fever are proud to work with such a successful and quality product, not to mention the dedicated and friendly team behind it.

“I opened the draft and thought – that is ****** fantastic. I love it. It’s perfect.”

Sandra Blüm, Lycogel