A wordmark for n0thing

In late 2019, former professional Counter-Strike player Jordan "n0thing" Gilbert was looking for a logo. VisionOfVIII, an artist I had worked with, recommended me. Jordan commissioned a custom wordmark and asked for something serious, but left the visual direction open.

Exploring directions

My first proposal was a pixel wordmark. Jordan liked it but wanted to compare it with a typewriter-like direction influenced by the 1980s. I used that feedback to draw a second wordmark.

Typewriter-inspired n0thing and Jordan Gilbert wordmark
Typewriter direction

We agreed that the typewriter version felt off-balance. Its letter widths pulled the name apart instead of holding it together.

Back to pixels

We returned to the pixel concept. I varied the construction of the zero, adjusted the letter spacing, and tested monochrome versions against a red-accented set.

Black, white, and red n0thing pixel wordmark variations
Pixel wordmark variations

From those studies, we chose the final pixel wordmark. The original delivery folder shown below contains the AI and PSD source folders beside the six exported PNG files.

Windows Explorer showing AI and PSD folders beside six n0thing wordmark PNG exports
Original export folder

I finished the identity by animating the trailing underscore. The movement is limited to the cursor, so the wordmark keeps the weight and spacing of the static version.

Animated medium-gray n0thing pixel wordmark on black with a blinking underscore
Final wordmark in motion

Jordan approved the mark and I delivered it in 2019. The typewriter study is what settled the argument for the pixel version.