Cool Spot is an ecosystems of cooling solutions to help people stay cool in the city that beats the heat.Cool Spot
Brand strategy & identity
PCMs (Phase Change Materials) are smart materials that absorb and release heat to keep you cooler when it’s hot and warmer when it’s cold.
Using PCMs and airflow design to enhance cooling, “Cool Spot” blankets save energy by reducing the need for heaters or air conditioners. Already used in cooling vests and other products, the market for PCMs is expected to reach $9 billion by 2027. The Cool Spot Blanket is a personal cooling solution to help people “wrap up cool”. It’s perfect for when people are outside, giving them a way to cool off on the go.The RSA (Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) challenged us to design solutions to address one of the most pressing issues of our time: urban heat. My response to the brief was the “Cool Spot” brand identity, including an app and a
blanket that helps you “wrap up cool.”
The big idea behind these solutions is that small changes lead to big impact. I chose a techno-serif font because I wanted the identity to be unique, particularly when showing numerals. It’s a monospaced font, meaning all characters are the same width. Since “Cool Spot” has four letters each, this choice works well. The circular design in the centre was inspired by heat maps and the concept of a ‘spot’ where people can cool down.
Finding shelter can drastically reduce temperatures. For example, simply stepping under a tree in Battersea Park reduced the temperature from 24°C to 21°C. I designed the Cool Spot App, which guides users to nearby cool spots like restaurants and parks. The app identifies your current location, shows your current
temperature, and directs you to the nearest cool spot.
