Founded in 1989, Louise Fili Ltd is an award-winning New York-based graphic and digital design firm specializing in strategic brand development and packaging for speciality food products (many of which are sold in exclusive food shops) for internationally acclaimed clients such as Sarabeth’s, Tate’s Cookies, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Marcus Samuelsson, as well as successful restaurants including Via Carota, Pisellino, Mermaid Inn and Mermaid Oyster Bar, Claudette, and Juliana’s.
Louise Fili (Principal), a connoisseur of Italian visual culture, is an internationally celebrated creative director, graphic designer, type designer, and author. Formerly senior designer for Herb Lubalin, Fili was art director of Pantheon Books from 1978 to 1989, where she designed close to 2,000 book jackets. She has received Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators and the New York Art Director’s Club, the Premio Grafico from the Bologna Book Fair, and three James Beard award nominations. Fili has taught and lectured extensively, and her work is in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, the Cooper Hewitt Museum, and the Bibliothèque Nationale. A member of the Art Directors Hall of Fame, she has also received the prestigious medals for Lifetime Achievement from the AIGA and the Type Directors Club, as well as the Frederic W. Goudy Award for Excellence in Typography.
SOMETIMES A LOGO CAN BE VIABLE FOR THE ENTIRE LIFE OF A COMPANY AND NEVER APPEAR DATED OR STALE. Frequently, however, even the most established logos can benefit from an update. Although some businesses may resist making adjustments to tried and true marks—lest brand recognition be compromised—refreshing old logos can definitely enhance the brand. For a redesign to work, it is best to retain some basic element as an aid in recognition. When rebranding Sarabeth's, for example, the aide de memoire is the oval shape, which is the essence of the original logo. In this way the old is made new, but recognition is maintained. Each logo demands a custom treatment, but in all cases it is important to respect the past while embracing the present. You can view some examples of our successful makeovers here.
- Nationwide
She is author of Louise Fili: A Designer’s Process, Elegantissima, Grafica della Strada, Graphique de la Rue, Grà fica de les Rambles, The Cognoscenti's Guide to Florence, and Italianissimo and co-author (with Steven Heller) of Italian Art Deco, British Modern, Dutch Moderne, Streamline, French Modern, Deco España, Deco Type, German Modern, Design Connoisseur, Typology, Stylepedia, Euro Deco, Scripts, Shadow Type, Stencil Type, Slab Serif Type, and Vintage Graphic Design.
