ètè is a startup beauty brand in the ideation phase.

Rooted in the Yoruba word “ètè,” meaning lip, the brand is a celebration of Black beauty - designed to deliver vibrant, flattering lipstick shades that empower women of color to express themselves unapologetically.

Our task was to craft a logo and brand identity.

Inspiration and Concept

• "Ete," a Yoruba word for "lip," is a bold and easily pronounceable name, reflecting where the products are used and emphasizing simplicity.

• Key elements in designing the logo included:

  1. Subtly reflecting the Yoruba origin while maintaining a modern appeal to resonate with every woman.

  2. Using a standout single color that complements black skin tones against dark or neutral backgrounds.

  3. Combining the name text with a simple lipstick icon.

  4. Emphasizing the traditional pronunciation and representing the brand's primary product line - lipsticks.

Our Output

We designed a minimalist yet expressive typographic logo.

The wordmark features a clever typographic twist - transforming the central “t” into a lipstick tube, with a vivid pink tip that reinforces the product focus while adding a splash of vibrancy and femininity. The accent marks over the “è” characters are reimagined as dynamic angled strokes, adding rhythm and subtle movement that give the wordmark a unique flair - this gave a balance of elegance and personality to the design.

Two high-contrast logo variations - black on white and white on black - ensure strong visual presence across different media.

This logo design positions ètè as a confident, culturally grounded brand with a clear vision: to empower and honor black skin through color and confidence - one lipstick at a time.

Accessibility Compliance Summary

• Visual Simplicity

  • The logo avoids decorative clutter, making it suitable for users with cognitive processing challenges.

  • The pink lipstick accent is used sparingly and does not hinder text contrast or interfere with recognition.

• Typeface & Readability:

  • The logo uses a clean, bold sans-serif typeface, which increases character clarity.

  • Minimal stylistic distractions mean the wordmark is easily distinguishable at both small and large sizes.

  • The stylized “t” as a lipstick is integrated in a way that maintains letterform recognition.

• Color Contrast

  • Black logo designs meet WCAG AA standards for normal and large text, as well as the WCAG AA standards for Graphical Objects and User Interface Components

• We also provided an Alt Text for the logo:

  • ètè logo with a lipstick replacing the letter ‘t’ - a bold, black wordmark on white (or white on black) background, symbolizing lips and beauty for Black skin tones.