How mathematics inspired New Generation’s logo design.
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll dive into how BB’s senior brand designer, Henke Kongsvoll, reimagined New Generation’s logo: a journey through math, 3D models, and, yes, a Benedictine monk.
New Generation is a technology company that builds AI-native commerce experiences across chat, agents, and generative interfaces. Creating this new logo was part of a broader project, where BB supported New Generation in refining their existing brand and developing their first website.
For this article, we asked Henke to focus on his integrative design work and show us how he turned a static mark into a living, flexible system.
New Generation: from static mark to generative system
When I began working with New Generation’s original logo, our goal was not only to refine it but also to transform it into a broader and more flexible system. The existing mark, with its angled panels, already hinted at depth and 3D space, but I saw potential to optimize and systematize it. I love diving into the nitty-gritty details of a logo, exploring a wide range of ideas through systematic methods and gradually fine-tuning the final design. There was space for me to do so on this project.
Step 1: Starting with the original symbol
I began by taking an in-depth look at New Generation’s original symbol and examining its construction. The symbol itself is a 2D representation of a 3D object. To gain a better understanding of its geometry, I recreated it in the 3D modeling tool Blender. The renderings revealed opportunities to extrapolate the parameters of the symbol into a 2D generative object, bringing the symbol to life while still maintaining its essence.
Step 2: Building a 2D grid foundation
To give myself more control over the symbol’s parameters, I needed to detach it from conforming to a strictly 3D space. To achieve this, I constructed a 2D grid as the foundation for the design. The base unit of this grid was set at 128 points, referencing the power of two to provide a flexible structure for experimentation. By shifting to a 2D framework, I gained far greater control over how the symbol’s parameters, such as spacing and scaling, could be manipulated without losing the character of the original logo. I built four panels with a growth factor set to the power of two, meaning that each subsequent panel is twice the width of the previous one. The rationale was a nod to the infinite number of content frames that New Generation can iterate for consumers.
Step 3: Defining key parameters
With my grid established, I could experiment with various parameters and watch the magic start to happen. First, I experimented with the vanishing point, the location that determines the perceived angle of the symbol. I tested different placements—setting it, for instance, two units left of the first panel. This slight shift dramatically changed the logo’s sense of depth. I also experimented with different width distributions and spacing variations, which resulted in symbols that felt more alive and dimensional. Then I explored corner radii, making them dynamic (smaller on the leftmost panel and larger on the rightmost) to maintain optical balance across all sizes. These parameters formed the foundation of the system, allowing for controlled experimentation rather than random tweaking.
With the parameters defined, I began linking them together to generate a vast number of variations of the symbol. These weren’t just logo variations, but the beginnings of a visual language—a system that could adapt and expand into motion, patterns, and other identity elements. The grid itself, based on the power of two, became a recurring motif, ensuring that every element in the brand felt interconnected.
Step 4: Moving into 3D
At New Generation’s request, I shifted the explorations back into 3D space. This required balancing panel growth, spacing, camera angles, camera distance, and field of view. I first created a two-dimensional schematic to calculate the values and ensure that every 3D step was grounded in a rational framework. I then took the 3D outputs, exported them, and traced them back into 2D vector symbols. This would help me build a logical system, as the loop between 2D and 3D was critical for maintaining clarity and precision. A logo should, in almost all cases, be a vector object to ensure scalability and usability. Therefore, the switch from 3D to 2D ensures that the 2D vector accurately represents the 3D object, but with additional tweaks and refinements that you would expect in a logo design.
Step 5: Experimenting with mathematical sequences
The next step was to find the most harmonious proportions that I could build into the symbol’s system. So I started to experiment with mathematical sequences such as the Fibonacci sequence and the supergolden ratio. I have a soft spot for number sequences and a rational approach to design, especially in how these ratios echo patterns in nature (like the Fibonacci sequence in flowers) and seem almost hardwired into our perception of aesthetic appreciation.
However, in these experiments, the width proportions of the symbol were completely off, and the rhythm of the spacing felt staccato. I then tried the plastic ratio (Padovan sequence), which has a close association with both the Fibonacci sequence and the supergolden ratio.
I found myself reading about the Dutch monk-architect Dom Hans van der Laan and how he incorporated the plastic ratio into his buildings, as it produced aesthetically pleasing results. In my system, the plastic ratio solved issues of perspective (ensuring panels didn’t overlap or distort) while preserving a natural sense of rhythm and growth. Using the plastic ratio gave the symbol a strong connection to architecture and design principles, something I found compelling. To paraphrase the approach of Van der Laan, the ratio distinguishes the minimum size difference for clear distinction and the maximum ratio for perceivable relation between forms.
Step 6: Finalizing a cohesive system
The final step was to formalize the system. What began as a refinement exercise evolved into a comprehensive visual framework. With the logo’s parameters now based on the plastic ratio, the structure not only produces a refined static logo but also acts as the foundation for a generative symbol that adapts across media. The result is a logo that feels modern, dynamic, and inherently scalable—a design that grows from 0 to infinity. By combining geometric logic, mathematical ratios, and controlled experimentation, the symbol has evolved into a living design system—one that balances technical precision with aesthetic fluidity.