Forty years of practice needed a new look.
Two generations of practice, a name newly its own, and a blank page to carry it. What follows is the whole search, in the order it actually happened.
Tradition, without looking dated. Timeless, not trendy.
Noboa Torres was born from the split of Noboa, Peña & Torres, a move to establish an independent firm in Guayaquil with an identity of its own. The practice specialises in corporate law and arbitration, with particular strength in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
The brief asked for a deliberate balance: the integrity and professionalism of a serious legal practice, carried by an agile and contemporary image.
- Naming
- Visual identity
- Brand system
- Website and app
- Guidelines
Ideation kickoff on paper.
Sketching is a fast and effective way to visualize ideas and pinpoint concepts that show potential. It also widens the breadth of that first exploration.
Three directions.
Each direction led with a different value: bold, classic, or bespoke. The real question was which of those the firm most wanted to be known for.
Handwritten won.
A handwritten NT, paired with "Legal" set in a serif. The design stayed in grayscale while the color question was still open.
The name was the answer.
"NT Legal" was efficient and clear. What it held back was the firm's own history: two generations of Guayaquil practice, carried by a name the city already knew.
The legacy was the asset. So the mark stopped being initials and became the name, drawn as one continuous signature, the way a partner signs an opinion. Unrepeatable, unmistakable, closed with authority by a period.
Four colors tried the mark on. One of them stayed.
Each candidate got a quick mockup for a more tangible feel, an exploration that helped define the firm's true colors.
Warm and grounded
An earthy start that felt human and open. It leaned toward hospitality, and lacked the depth and legal authority.
Calm and composed
Trust and steady and future-forward, but distant. Teal is common in consultancies and clinics and leaned too traditional.
Energetic and forward
Bold, modern, loud and full of drive. Its energy leaned a bit promotional.
Assured and distinct
The one that stayed. Wine carries authority, is distinctive on its own terms and rooted in legacy.
One signature, three moments.
The handwritten stroke defines the identity. The monogram compresses it into a memorable stamp, and the point it ends on becomes the system's unique icon.
The signature
Stamp
The period
Wine identifies. Everything else supports.
From a signature to a working brand: on screen or in hand.
