A Nau (or Carrack) was a three or four-masted ocean-going sailing ship developed in 15th century Europe. They were first used for European trade from the Mediterranean to the Baltic. In its most advanced forms it was used by the Portuguese for trade with the African coast and finally with Asia and America.
What is NAU?
NAU is a software company founded in Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) for Project Management Laboratory (LGP) course.
What is Project Management Laboratory (LGP)?
During a semester, students of the Master in Informatics and Computer Engineering, Master in Multimedia and Communication Design Degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto (FBAUP), are challenged to create projects for some of the most important companies in the business market.
It is a Living Lab for Professional Skills Development that brings together industry and academia.
The Identity
Developing NAU visual identity was a fun challenge. The name set the rhythm, and evoked the Portuguese discoveries of the 15th and 16th centuries. With the logo we tried a modern take of an old concept based in our country's big accomplishments. The past blended in with the present.
So, the three coded letters (symbols) stand for the three areas forming the company (Software Engineering, Multimedia, and Communication Design).
In the middle stands a great mast that was designed to be a shorter version of the logo - a mark.
The greenish blue used as the identity color gave us some problems because it was a really delicate color and difficult to reproduce, not just in print but also on screen - hit or miss kind of situation - due to a lot of computers are not as color accurate as it would've been desirable. Also, a graphic element (~) was added to give some depth to the visual system and the slogan "Software Sailors was adopted.
After 4 months the company had to make a big presentation with the software it produced, and participate in a (kind of) show/fair where we had to market the company. A flag, keychains, flyers and a business card were made for that purpose.
The business card was designed to be a foldable ship (Nau) as a way of making it something fun while communicating the message of the company.
Thank you for your attention and appreciation :)
2015
