Book design: editorial,
creative and art direction Branding
Books, brand identities and presentations for architects, structures, projects and people connected to creation, art and culture, but also to scuba diving, the ocean and drums — my other passions — that’s what Dawa creates.
Dawa’s not a studio; Dawa’s me, Christophe Lorvo, a Creative and Art Director, originaly educated in Applied Art and Art History in France. With battle scars to show from working three decades as Graphic Designer, Art Director, Copywriter and Creative Director in some of the most competitive environments. On agency and client side. In Europe and Asia-Pacific.
You wouldn’t bet on my Frenchness when looking at what’s in my plate — I am a cheese and wine free specimen. But my accent gives me away.
This website presents a selection of work that reflects my taste for beautiful books and thoughtful layouts, for (im)pertinent ideas that challenge conventions while retaining a strong attachment to certain graphic traditions. It also highlights my approach to structuring content and developing brand narratives.
Do you want to know more, to discuss a project, to request a quotation, in English or in French? Feel free to get in touch...
01
LJ-Group — Project book Books are worth... a thousands words. Rather than telling your audience in a digital company profile that you care about quality and meaningful experiences that have a positive impact on people’s life... make it feel it and design a beautiful book. That’s what LJ-Group has done. Read more 02 LJ-Group — Branding Branding aims to facilitate communication. Simply. A refine logo, a simple yet elaborate visual identity, carefully selected papers and top quality production, help to buid LJ-Group's reputation as a design-conscious and artistic studio. Read more 03 VA-NG — Portfolio book How to give an architecture studio portfolio book its own identity? Without genuine Creative Direction from a former advertising and branding Creative Director, VA-NG would probably have celebrated 10 years of practice with a standard “Selected Projects 2016–2026.” An advertising approach turned the subject into a catchy title that drives the entire editorial system of the book. With TEN:26, an anniversary portfolio book becomes a singular editorial object.
Read more 04 Asali Bali — Thematic monograph A high-end book that is both technical and visual. Designed to captivate general and professional audiences, 12 Projects 12 Challenges explores the potential of bamboo like no other book. Through 12 emblematic projects that provide answers to technical questions that different audiences may ask, this piece offers a different way of looking at bamboo contemporary architecture.
Read more 05 Artisan Park — Logo guide Create an engaging, versatile brand identity that communicates the pillars of the brand – playful, contemporary, organic – and that is flexible enough to be effective on a wide diversity of supports (brochures, website, signage, hoardings, etc.).
06 Artisan Park — Stationery Clear, daring positioning statements help brand to stand out. They also challenge creativity: leading to ask questions such as “How a stationery could convey an artisan feeling while being playful, organic and contemporary?”, they help to imagine astonishing design directions.
07 Artisan Park — Leaflet Premium paper, unconventional dimensions, top production, but above all, a custom folding solution inspired by toolbox mechanism, the leaflet created for Artisan Park reinvents the leaflet experience!
Read more 08 Artisan Park — Brochure Smooth and rough papers are mixed in order to provide readers with an engaging tactile experience. The brochure created for Artisan Park is an unorthodox two language piece that gives to both English and Vietnamese equal attention.
09 Baristo — Logo guide Today’s established coffee shop chains were created in the last century. Create a Gen Z identity. That’s how the client’s call – design a full-fledged brand while taking advantage of an unadventurous industry – was turned into an engaging creative challenge. Read more 10 Baristo — Stationery Offering striking dishes and drinks with new and unexpected flavours in an environment that fosters sociability and togetherness, Baristo brings customers out of their usual routines. So does the stationery with its astonishing shapes, colour combinations and mechanisms. Read more 11 Lumi Tropicana — Legacy book Offset lithography printing. Hand-crafted hard cover and book binding technique that’s stood the test of time. Layouts that follow the principles of perfect layout developed by the ancient book masters. A complex and weighty coffee table-style book for an ambitious residential project. Read more 12 Bond — BrandingNew companies enter the market from the bottom. Help a start-up enter from the top.
The bold brand identity takes inspiration from classic luxury brands and smartly disrupts the codes of the industry: a singular creative approach along with high-end production help Bond to make its name. Read more 13 Baxbo Games 1 When a traditional game publisher decides to use “Love to play” as a tagline, then “Love to design” has to be the branding’s engine. Part 1 focuses on wooden dexterity games. Read more
14 Baxbo Games 2 When a traditional game publisher decides to use “Love to play” as a tagline, then “Love to design” has to be the branding’s engine. Part 2 shows word games and fidget toys. Read more
15 Layout Layout might be the most important skill graphic designers have to develop: books, brochures, websites, packaging, apps, posters, signage, etc. the better the layout, the better the user experience. Read more 16 Advertising — Print ads Some pictures are worth a thousand words. Some words stand alone. Some unexpected, smart or funny associations of words and images grab an audience’s attention. Explore examples of companies, projects and institutions that have touched their audience with insightful ad campaigns. Read more 17 Brand identity — Logos Logos may have a meaning or a story but they are only signs designed to help brands stand out or communicate. Contemporary logos are an ingredient of extensive brand experiences. This collection shows conceptual logos that are rooted in good brand ideas or good brand stories. Read more 18 Logo — Case study The genesis of a singular logo: how story-telling and conceptual thinking can lead to create a new logo category. Read more
19 Clause Culture — Branding/Booklet A booklet to introduce "Clause Culture",a strategic framework to integrates artistic and cultural dimensions into urban planning and public works contracts. Read more
About Dawa’s a fish. A distinctive unicorn fish. Don’t try to find out “So, what’s the meaning?”, "Dawa" doesn't have a meaning. However, it has a story, anchored in the life I had in New-Caledonia, a group of islands in South Pacific, and it stands for this: freedom, adventure, daring, open-mindness, humour, crazyness, amazingness, no problemness... Read more