MORROW Architects + Planners

MORROW Architects + Planners is the urban planning and architecture firm of Dr Liu Thai Ker, better known to most as the architect of modern Singapore. Dr. Liu founded MORROW at age 79—after a lifetime of designing cities, neighbourhoods and buildings—and we were commissioned to develop the firm’s brand and positioning.

Together with writer Manish Melwani, we began with a series of workshops with Dr Liu and his team, diving deep into the firm’s culture and practice. A new tagline and manifesto “This is Life’s Work” was created — speaking parallel about Dr. Liu’s enduring legacy, and the fact that cities (as living, breathing things) are where life flourishes.

The new tagline is not only for clients. Its main purpose is to help Dr. Liu’s philosophy of urban planning, gleaned from a lifetime of work, become the core of MORROW’s brand. The brand manifesto booklet we designed is now essential on-boarding material for all staff.

This is Life’s Work was translated into an iconic visual identity built around the fundamental unit of architecture and urban planning—a line, representing the time needed for urban planning, and for cities themselves, to come to life. It also recalls a quote from Dr Liu on how all design starts with a line and sketch. The resulting visual identity showcases the oeuvre of Dr Liu’s work in a clean and contemporary fashion, encapsulating both the youth of the firm and the experience of its founder.