NEW YORK (WHN) – New York-based design studio Cotton has developed a comprehensive brand identity for Eternal Research, an audio technology company founded by artist-engineer Alexandra Fierra. The identity, released on December 3, 2025, spans all aspects of Eternal Research’s operations, from its website and packaging to marketing materials and instrument interfaces.
Eternal Research’s flagship product, the Demon Box, is central to the brand’s design aesthetic. This instrument transforms imperceptible electromagnetic fields into audible musical compositions. The brand identity aims to visually represent this duality of scientific precision and esoteric curiosity.
Cotton stated the identity seeks to redefine “how we see and hear sound.” The studio described the design as “Rooted in the intricacy of Victorian ornamentation yet powered by advanced generative code.” This approach balances “precision with experimentation – an homage to old-world elegance paired with a love for innovation.”
Cotton researched hundreds of archival Victorian patterns. The studio decoded their structures and idiosyncrasies. This resulted in an “infinite family of historically accurate motifs,” according to Cotton. Each motif is ornate and subtly different, reflecting the brand’s craft-driven values.
The identity features an ornamental, Victorian-style patterning system generated using technology. Cotton noted the era’s motifs reflected a mindset where “attention to detail was celebrated, creation was deliberate and often slow, and intricacy conferred value.” This ethos mirrors Eternal Research’s products and branding.
The generative patterns are audioreactive. The system analyzes timbre, mid-ranges, extremes, roughness, and airiness. Sharp tones produce angular details; soft tones yield smooth ornament. Cotton stated the visuals must “express that same intricacy” as the sound itself.
The visuals change in real-time. This is to ensure they differ with each listening experience, as “no two experiences of listening are ever the same.” An audiovisual tool for the Demon Box creates this effect, with Victorian filigree that “writhes, blooms, and fractures.”
The wordmark contrasts with the ornamentation. It uses a custom version of the Trust display font by MCKL. Cotton introduced subtle irregularities to Trust, “evok[ing] the tactile permanence of engraving.”
Cotton utilized eleven typefaces for the brand identity, reflecting the Victorian era’s maximalist style. This includes TT Globs by TypeType, New Spirit Condensed by Newlyn, and Louize from 205TF.
Two typefaces are from P22. Cotton selected P22 Clementine for its “Victoriana whimsy” and P22 Salon, a modern Art Nouveau-influenced design.
Other typefaces in the identity include Germania One by John Vargas Beltrán, Pentz by Fort Foundry, and Glyptic DJR by David Jonathan Ross. Glyptic DJR is a revival of an 1878 font by Mackellar, Smiths and Jordan.
The collection also features Rosella Flourish, inspired by late 19th-century typefaces mimicking engraving hairlines. Arial Narrow is included as a contrasting, restrained element.
The art direction employs a gothic photographic style. This contrasts with typical clinical imagery for synthesizers. The style is described as “sumptuous almost eroticised,” akin to advertising for luxury goods.
Cotton’s identity articulates a brand existing within dichotomies: archaic and futuristic, spiritual and technological, precision and experimentation. The design adheres to its own rules, creating a cohesive brand identity.