A long term client approached me to design an identity for Crusis VC, a venture capital project. I  was given free scope with this design. Whenever I have this freedom I start with the name, which in this case proved to be slightly obscure:

Crusis or Crousis (Latin: Crusaea or Crossaea) was called a maritime district of North-West Chalcidice from Potidaea to the Thermaic Gulf. It was named after Crusis the son of Mygdon.

The idea of a maritime compass guiding you to your destination was a strong initial thought that prevailed. In the same vein as the ancient maritime journeys, we liked the idea of Crusis VC being the map that helped their clients find their treasure. We explored combining an ‘X marks the spot’ with the compass points, which resulted in the arrows pointing inwards forming the cross. We felt this created a strong and easily recognisable symbol.

Bearing in mind the nature of venture capital, we wanted to convey the feeling of trust, security and longevity. Hence the choice of grey and blue colour palette was always the strongest contender.