Journal — Notes on design

Things we've learned, written down.

Practical notes from the studio on typography, print, branding, and designing for the way people actually look at things. Less theory, more craft.

§01 — Writing08 articles

ProcessJune 23, 2026

What to Expect When You Hire a Designer

Hiring a designer for the first time is full of unspoken assumptions. Here's an honest account of what the process actually involves, what we'll need from you, and how to be the kind of client who gets great work.

8 minRead →

BrandingMay 19, 2026

How to Choose Brand Colors That Last

A brand's color is recognized before its name is read. Here's how we choose palettes built to work everywhere and last for years — rather than ones picked because they looked nice that afternoon.

8 minRead →

BrandingApril 7, 2026

Why Your Logo Isn't Your Brand (And What Is)

Clients come to us asking for a logo when what they actually need is a brand. Here's the difference between the two — and why confusing them quietly undermines everything that follows.

8 minRead →

BrandingMarch 18, 2026

Social Campaigns That Don't Age

Most branded social content is designed to be disposable. We design systems instead — so a feed reads as one coherent brand long after the trend that inspired any single post has passed.

8 minRead →

WebFebruary 10, 2026

What Makes a Website Actually Work

Plenty of good-looking websites don't work, and plenty of plain ones do. The difference isn't decoration — it's clarity, speed, and knowing the single job each page has to perform.

8 minRead →

ProcessJanuary 22, 2026

How We Run a Brand Project, Start to Finish

Branding work goes wrong when the process is a black box. Here is exactly how we move a project from a vague brief to a finished, usable identity — and what we need from you along the way.

9 minRead →

PrintNovember 20, 2025

Print Is Not Dead — It's More Demanding Than Ever

Print design hasn't disappeared; it has become a higher-stakes discipline. Here's why the permanence of ink on paper demands more rigor than anything you'll ship to a browser.

9 minRead →

TypographyOctober 14, 2025

Typography Does Most of the Work

Most of what people feel about a design is carried by the type long before they notice anything else. Here is how we treat typography as the foundation rather than the finishing touch.

8 minRead →