Hodslavice

Published November 7, 2024

Contributed by Panfolk

Welcome to Hodslavice, a Moravian community of 1,700.

How do you bring a design perspective to a community most would overlook?

At Panfolk, we’ve explored this question in our first case study, crafting an identity for the birthplace of František Palacký, one of Czech history’s towering figures. The answer? It’s complicated.

For Hodslavice, we wanted to rethink how a village could engage with its own past. Editorial New became a key part of that exploration—not as a flourish, but as a functional way to reflect the community’s character. Supported by Formula Condensed, it feels right at home on the village noticeboard while still connecting back to Palacký’s intellectual legacy.

The visual language needed a voice that didn’t feel out of place—a type that could speak to the everyday, but also carry a bit of weight when it came to local history. The written content throughout the village—whether it’s wayfinding markers, informational panels, or community newsletters—aims to balance the informative with the engaging. It’s about telling stories that are grounded in place, without turning them into a spectacle.

In reimagining Hodslavice’s look, we wanted to blend old and new in a way that felt natural. The stag from the 18th-century seal still features, reinterpreted for today, but it’s the tonality throughout that keeps it feeling coherent. It allows the history to feel like something you encounter as you move through the village, woven seamlessly into the present rather than kept at arm’s length.

For more information, background and images, visit the extensive case study on the Panfolk website.