Branding for Ukraїner media platform
Client: Ukraїner, which is now an internationally recognized media platform that creates multimedia articles, films, and interviews, and publishes books about Ukrainian history, people, places, and culture.
Design Problem: develop a memorable and engaging brand identity for an international media platform with distinctly Ukrainian roots.
Key Challenges: in 2016 the platform was just starting and unknown at the time. They required a memorable visual identity that would stand out in a crowded media landscape and be adaptable across various mediums from digital to print. This visual identity also needed to embody its distinctly Ukrainian roots while still being intelligible to international audiences and avoiding stereotypes or misinterpretations.
Design Solution: the final visual identity is essentially a typographic logo where the Ukrainian letter "ї" replaced the Latin "i" in "Ukrainer". This highlights the platform’s Ukrainian origin and adds a distinctive visual element to the logo while ensuring the name remains intelligible for international audiences. "Ї" also serves as a stand-alone identifier for the brand which ensures flexibility and adaptability for use in a broad range of media platforms.
My Role: client acquisition and all aspects of the branding design and research process.
Ї—Ukraine’s unique Cyrillic letter
For Ukraїner, I sought to design a visual identity that was uniquely Ukrainian yet resonated well with an international audience. I wanted the identity to be authentic and avoid stereotypes and kitsch. I zeroed in on a logotype that incorporated the Ukrainian letter “ї” to replace the Latin letter “i” in “Ukraїner.” The letter “ї” is unique to Ukrainian among all Cyrillic alphabets (i.e., not shared with other Cyrillic alphabets). It is used in the Ukrainian spelling of the name Ukraine (Україна) and is therefore reflective of our country’s cultural heritage. The letter “ї” is also intelligible by Western audiences and therefore well suited to an international media platform. I then created a color palette inspired by the exceptional natural landscapes of Ukraine. Since its inception, the platform has focused on often obscure outdoor travel destinations and points of interest that highlight Ukraine’s natural beauty. The final visual identity is essentially a typographic logo. However, the “ї” can also serve as a standalone identifier for the brand. This ensures that the brand has the flexibility and adaptability needed for a broad range of media platforms. As the brand has grown and evolved, the “ї” has appeared on book spines, title credits, and video thumbnails.
Ukraїner: From Obscure Corners to Global Recognition
Ukraїner launched in 2016 as a media platform aimed at discovering and discussing obscure points of interest in Ukraine. Since its inception, the project has grown into an internationally recognized brand. Their YouTube channels in Ukrainian and English have over 400,000 subscribers combined. Their materials are now translated into 11 languages, including German, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Greek. In 2019, they produced a feature-length film that has been screened internationally. Finally, the Ukraїner publishing house, founded in 2021, has published around a dozen books. Ukraїner is a dynamic and ever-growing platform with a bright future ahead and a visual identity well suited to future growth.
Bogdan Logvynenko,
the founder:“The brand identity for Ukraїner created by Yuliya Fedorovych was the first visual embodiment of our brand, which we founded in 2016. Her creative and memorable branding immediately grabbed the attention of a large audience, which we’ve preserved and grown over the years. Yuliya is a true professional who was an honor to work with. The project has grown tenfold since it started in 2016. The logo and brand book she created have only changed cosmetically since then, indicating her long-term vision.”
Photo credits: ukrainer.net, Katya Akvarelna, Aleksander B (@miszcz_olo), @rhizome.store, Yurii Stefanyak