We are proud to have been commissioned to design the brand identity for Baka, a furniture design company based in Johannesburg which specializes in modern furniture design with wood and metal.

At Mam’gobozi Design Factory we create work and spaces that celebrate the Afrikan identity, which allows us to grow in uplifting the role of the Afrikan designer. We believe this is very important in making sure that our voices within the design/art industry is heard but that we continue to contribute and celebrate those who have contributed to knowledge making within the field of design.

In this piece of work, we researched ancient furniture designs from the Afrikan continent as they were also quite symbolic to social hierarchy. Although we expanded our search from the Lobi resting stool from Burkina Faso to the Chokwe chief chair from Angola, our research lead us back to Zimbabwe. It was only fitting that the logo be inspired by something from Zimbabwe as, ‘baka’ is a Shona word for ‘shine’. Our inspiration was the ancient traditional Shona stool which was carved from a single block of wood. These stools are still a common feature in rural villages in Zimbabwe, as they are usually created for elders and they symbolize status within a gathering.

So, when it came to the design, our objective was to design a simple but memorable wordmark with a rich reference to history. The result, was a logo identity that transforms into modern furniture designs which became the brand’s visual language.