STL Lab Parametric Jewelry From the Future, Presented the New Brand Identity

Created by Dubai based Border Zero Creative and Branding Agency, the visual code for STL Lab explores the connection between creativity and technology, algorithms and human expression.

The modern jewelry industry is based on traditions: handcrafting, wax modeling, and the cult of craftsmanship. STL Lab deliberately goes against the grain: algorithms replace the romanticism of artisan work, and a 3D jewelry printer replaces the traditional workshop. The brand’s jewelry is now sold all over the world.

“In 2017, when I started printing in metal, the jewelry looked like renders, 3D models. I even had to take pictures of them on my hand to prove they were real, — Tamara Trusova, founder of STL Lab, tells. — Learning parametric design is not that easy, especially if you’re not a programmer. You need to understand code, math, and physics. Sometimes it’s intuitive. It may seem you just “put a filter” and here is a beautiful shape now. But there’s always a long chain of decisions behind it all”.

Stl (short for “stereolithography”) is a 3D model format that is used for 3D printing. The accessories are inspired by bionic forms, parametrically designed and manufactured using 3D printing technology. The brand’s creator Tamara Trusova is a certified architect. Her passion for programming led her to experiment with complex sculptural forms in jewelry. As part of the company’s rebranding, our task was to create packaging that would reflect the uniqueness of the product.

For designing the brand’s identity Border zero agency took a deep dive into the computational design method. All the models are created with Grasshopper, a node based parametric modeling tool. The pattern of intertwined nodes became the main inspiration for the design. When closed, the box shows only abstract lines. When the transparent case is removed, the lines turn into a code fragment. With this twist, the packaging turned out to be truly unique.

“I thought my audience represented architects and geeks, who are interested in parametrics and understand how things work, — Tamara Trusova emphasized. — But it turned out quite differently. Both men and women of all ages buy my jewelry. In Spain, for example, men are more likely to buy it. This fact came as a surprise and reminded me that people are not so much immersed in technology itself, but the sense of the future it offers”.